yna--2020-11-06--(2nd LD) South Gyeongsang Province governor given 2-year prison term by appellate court in opinion r

(2nd LD) South Gyeongsang Province governor given 2-year prison term by appellate court in opinion rigging case

However , it acquitted him of his previous conviction in connection with a separate charge that he had made a @ @ @ @ @ general job in Sendai , Japan , for an associate of a blogger with the @ @ @ @ @ main suspect in the case .
The court said the alleged offense was not clear @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES with political parties' response in last 4 paras)
By Woo Jae-yeon
SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Yonhap) -- An appeals court on Friday sentenced South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo, a close confidant of President Moon Jae-in, to two years in prison for conspiring to manipulate online opinions in favor of Moon ahead of the 2017 presidential election.
The Seoul High Court found Kim guilty of participating in the online opinion rigging scheme, affirming the guilty verdict handed down to him by a district court in January last year.
"Forming public opinion in a fair manner is crucial in a democratic society. Given that, those who manipulate opinions should be held accountable," the court said.
However, it acquitted him of his previous conviction in connection with a separate charge that he had made a secret offer of a consul general job in Sendai, Japan, for an associate of a blogger with the pseudonym of Druking, a main suspect in the case. The court said the alleged offense was not clear enough.
South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo talks to reporters on his way to attend his appeals trial at the Seoul High Court on Nov. 6, 2020. (Yonhap)
Kim avoided imprisonment as the court did not revoke his bail, citing the acquittal. He has been out on bail since April last year.
The ruling has added to uncertainty over the future of his political life.
Many said if all of his criminal charges are cleared up, he would join a shortlist of presidential candidates of the ruling Democratic Party.
Shortly after the ruling, Kim said he would take the case to the Supreme Court. His gubernatorial position will be retained until the highest court's verdict.
"Only half of the truth has been found (in the ruling)," he said. "I would get the other half to be revealed, for sure, at the Supreme Court."
In January last year, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced him to two years in prison for colluding with Druking, whose name is Kim Dong-won, to carry out the illicit cyber operation.
The court also added another 10 months in prison for Kim for violating the Public Official Election Act, with a stay of execution of two years, over the alleged job offer.
South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo leaves after his appeals trial at the Seoul High Court on Nov. 6, 2020. (Yonhap)
Consistent with the lower court, the appeals court concluded that Kim attended a presentation of a computer program, which was used for the cyber operation, at the blogger's office in November 2016, incriminating evidence to prove the collusion between the two.
The 52-year-old politician was indicted in August 2018 for conspiring with the political blogger to artificially jack up the number of "likes" on political comments online to benefit Moon in the presidential poll.
Moon won the snap election in May 2017, which came after his predecessor, Park Geun-hye, was ousted from office by the Constitutional Court over a corruption scandal.
If he is found guilty in the highest court, he will lose his governorship. By law, elected public officials lose their posts and are not allowed to run for a public post for at least five years if they receive a prison sentence or get fined 1 million won or more.
South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo (L) and President Moon Jae-in pledge allegiance to the national flag in an industrial event in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, on Sept. 17, 2020. (Yonhap)
The ruling party expressed regret over Friday's ruling, saying it is totally unacceptable.
"(We) moved one step toward the truth but failed to reach it," the party's spokesperson Kang Sun-woo said in a statement. She said the governor is expected to do his best in his current job until the "remaining truth" is uncovered.
The main opposition People Power Party called on Kim to offer a public apology and step down from his post.
"His manipulation of (public) opinion is a grave crime trampling an election," as well as a serious threat to democracy, its spokesman Bae June-young said.
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-06--(LEAD) Moon congratulates CFC on 42nd founding anniversary

`` Today , as we celebrate the 42nd anniversary of the founding of the Combined Forces Command , I remind @ @ @ @ @ , the heart and soul of the ROK-U.S. alliance , is stronger than ever before @ @ @ @ @ to deter , defend and if necessary defeat any adversary who seeks to do us @ @ @ @ @ Gen. Robert Abrams said .
ROK stands for South Korea 's official name , the @ @ @ @

(ATTN: CHANGES photo)
SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in on Friday expressed gratitude to the Combined Forces Command (CFC) between South Korea and the United States for helping Seoul tackle the coronavirus pandemic as he congratulated the command on its 42nd founding anniversary.
In a message sent to a ceremony held in Yongsan to mark the anniversary, Moon said that South Korea's anti-COVID-19 measures could become a role model for the world as all members of the command endured inconveniences to prevent the spread of the virus.
"Going forward, let's overcome all obstacles together as we do right now," Moon said in the message.
The binational entity was established on Nov. 7, 1978, as the warfighting headquarters with a mission of deterring outside aggression against South Korea.
"Today, as we celebrate the 42nd anniversary of the founding of the Combined Forces Command, I remind everyone that Combined Forces Command, the heart and soul of the ROK-U.S. alliance, is stronger than ever before, and we are ready to deter, defend and if necessary defeat any adversary who seeks to do us harm," its commander Gen. Robert Abrams said. ROK stands for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.
CFC deputy commander Gen. Kim Seung-kyum said the command should serve as a linchpin to bring peace on the Korean Peninsula through a strong alliance, urging all members to strengthen its "Fight Tonight" readiness posture.
Later in the day, the command was to host a virtual K-pop concert to mark the anniversary.
The ROK-U.S. Alliance Concert will be livestreamed on U.S. Forces Korea's Facebook account starting at 6 p.m., featuring artists including Lovelyz, YooA of Oh My Girl and Chung Ha, as well as taekwondo, dance and traditional music performances.
U.S. Forces Korea commander Gen. Robert Abrams (L), also commander of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), and deputy commander Gen. Kim Seung-kyum bump fists during a ceremony to mark the CFC's 42nd founding anniversary at a U.S. base in Seoul on Nov. 6, 2020. (pool photo) (Yonhap)
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-06--Patient advocates call for mandatory surveillance cameras in operating rooms

`` About 20 proposed revisions of medical laws aimed at protecting the safety and human rights of patients were submitted @ @ @ @ @ Assembly .
But all of them were scrapped with the expiry of its term in @ @ @ @ @ medical circles , '' the activists said during the news conference .

SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Yonhap) -- Civic activists, patient advocates and some ruling party lawmakers on Friday urged the National Assembly to speed up legislation on mandatory installation of surveillance cameras in hospital operating rooms to help prevent medical accidents.
Activists from patient groups, bereaved families of medical malpractice victims and two lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party held a joint news conference at the Assembly to step up calls for revising the current medical laws to oblige all local hospitals to furnish their operating rooms with closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.
They also asked for greater parliamentary efforts to strengthen supervision of doctors' licenses to reduce medical malpractice.
Activists hold a news conference at the National Assembly in Seoul on Nov. 6, 2020, to call for the installation of surveillance cameras in hospital operating rooms, in this photo provided by the Korea Alliance of Patients Organization. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Compulsory installation of surveillance cameras in hospital operating rooms has long been a hot button issue in local medical circles. Activists insist CCTV cameras are necessary because the current law places the burden of proving operating room mistakes on patients, while the Korean Medical Association argues that video recording in operating rooms violates doctors' practice and human rights as well as the privacy of patients and nurses.
"About 20 proposed revisions of medical laws aimed at protecting the safety and human rights of patients were submitted to the previous 20th National Assembly. But all of them were scrapped with the expiry of its term in the face of objections from medical circles," the activists said during the news conference.
"Many medical malpractice cases, including the substitution of doctors by unqualified people, such as nurses and drug salespeople, and sexual offenses have occurred from operating rooms of local hospitals. The public now wants mandatory installation of CCTV cameras there to safeguard the safety and human rights of patients," they asserted.
Faced with growing requests from activists, Rep. Kim Nam-guk of the Democratic Party recently presented a revision bill calling for mandatory installation of hospital room surveillance cameras and protection of operating room video content.
Reps. Kwon Chil-seung and Kang Byung-won of the same party have also submitted a separate revision bill on banning doctors convicted of violent crimes from practicing medicine and increasing penalties to strengthen supervision over doctors' licenses.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-06--Moon congratulates CFC on 42nd founding anniversary

SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in on Friday expressed gratitude to the Combined Forces Command (CFC) between South Korea and the United States for helping Seoul tackle the coronavirus pandemic as he congratulated the command on its 42nd founding anniversary.
In a message sent to a ceremony held in Yongsan to mark the anniversary, Moon said that South Korea's anti-COVID-19 measures could become a role model for the world as all members of the command endured inconveniences to prevent the spread of the virus.
"Going forward, let's overcome all obstacles together as we do right now," Moon said in the message.
The binational entity was established on Nov. 7, 1978, as the warfighting headquarters with a mission of deterring outside aggression against South Korea.
"Today, as we celebrate the 42nd anniversary of the founding of the Combined Forces Command, I remind everyone that Combined Forces Command, the heart and soul of the ROK-U.S. alliance, is stronger than ever before, and we are ready to deter, defend and if necessary defeat any adversary who seeks to do us harm," its commander Gen. Robert Abrams said. ROK stands for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.
CFC deputy commander Gen. Kim Seung-kyum said the command should serve as a linchpin to bring peace on the Korean Peninsula through a strong alliance, urging all members to strengthen its "Fight Tonight" readiness posture.
Later in the day, the command was to host a virtual K-pop concert to mark the anniversary.
The ROK-U.S. Alliance Concert will be livestreamed on U.S. Forces Korea's Facebook account starting at 6 p.m., featuring artists including Lovelyz, YooA of Oh My Girl and Chung Ha, as well as taekwondo, dance and traditional music performances.
In this file photo, taken on Nov. 7, 2019, U.S. Forces Korea commander Gen. Robert Abrams, also commander of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), delivers a congratulatory speech during a ceremony to mark the CFC's 41st anniversary at a gym on a U.S. base in Seoul. (Yonhap)
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-06--(3rd LD) After-school child care workers strike over working conditions

Some 4,900 after-school child care workers , around 41 percent of their total number in the country , took part @ @ @ @ @ to a national labor union for non-regular school workers .
The union had previously expected @ @ @ @ @ about half the total , to participate .

(ATTN: UPDATES with details in paras 1-2, 11-14; CHANGES headline; TRIMS)
SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Yonhap) -- Thousands of after-school child care workers at elementary schools staged a one-day strike Friday, leaving parents and teachers scrambling to fill the void.
Some 4,900 after-school child care workers, around 41 percent of their total number in the country, took part in the strike, according to a national labor union for non-regular school workers. The union had previously expected some 6,000 workers, or about half the total, to participate.
During a press conference outside the headquarters of the ruling Democratic Party, the union members demanded that the education ministry withdraw a bill that transfers responsibility for the after-school program from schools to local governments.
This photo shows the closed door of an after-school child care classroom at an elementary school in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, on Nov. 6, 2020. (Yonhap)
This photo shows an empty after-school child care classroom at an elementary school in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, on Nov. 6, 2020. (Yonhap)
They said the local governments could then commission the private sector to provide the services, leading to poorer working conditions for them.
"If the government continues to increase after-school programs in a haphazard manner, these programs will become a breeding ground for corruption, just like private kindergartens, even with enormous investment from the state," the union said.
The union members also demanded an elevation in their employment status from part time to full time, saying they have been working longer hours without additional pay amid increased demand for their services due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The members held rallies throughout the day outside the education ministry and the education offices of each municipal and provincial government.
They have threatened to repeat the strike with more people for longer than a day unless their demands are properly addressed.
This photo shows striking after-school child care workers holding a rally outside the headquarters of the ruling Democratic Party in Seoul on Nov. 6, 2020. (Yonhap)
The education authorities asked school officials to volunteer their services to continue the child care program during the strike and use the services of local community centers if necessary.
The authorities also mobilized non-striking workers and asked parents not to use the program Friday unless it was absolutely necessary.
As a result, 7,980 out of 12,211 after-school classes nationwide, or 65 percent, were held as usual, according to the education ministry.
Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae convened an emergency meeting to discuss the plans of local education offices and schools for operating the program.
The ministry said it plans to work with local education offices to normalize the program immediately after the strike.
Parents and teachers across the country aired their grievances.
"I had to ask for a day off from work because I had no one to look after my son after school," said a 41-year-old mother living in the southeastern port city of Busan.
A 38-year-old mother in Cheongju, 137 kilometers south of Seoul, said she had to ask to work from home because she had nowhere to take her third-grade daughter after school.
"I felt very uncomfortable asking to work from home," she said. "I don't understand how they can strike when everyone is struggling because of the coronavirus pandemic."
An elementary school teacher complained that the government was only patching up the problem by asking faculty to substitute for the striking workers on top of doing their own work.
"They shouldn't try to just get past today but come up with fundamental solutions," she said.
Around 200,000 elementary school students benefit from the program. Over 80 percent of them are either first- or second-grade students.
Students arrive at an elementary school in Seoul on Nov. 6, 2020. (Yonhap)
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


Yonhap News Summary

During the opening ceremony of the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity , the participants highlighted the pressing need for @ @ @ @ @ been eroded by a great-power rivalry , nationalism , protectionism and unilateralism in some quarters @ @ @ @ @ -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Friday.
Diplomats of S. Korea, U.S. hold talks ahead of FM Kang's visit to U.S.
SEOUL -- Diplomats of South Korea and the United States held talks in Seoul on Friday to discuss pending bilateral and regional issues, the foreign ministry said, ahead of Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha's trip to Washington next week.
The meeting between Koh Yun-ju, the ministry's director general for North American affairs, and Marc Knapper, deputy U.S. assistant secretary of state for Korea and Japan, came just days after the U.S. presidential election.
-----------------
Participants in Jeju forum call for 'reinventing' multilateralism in tackling COVID-19, global challenges
SEOUL/JEJU-- Former and current U.N. chiefs, leading politicians and scholars made emphatic calls Friday to strengthen multilateralism in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic and other transnational challenges, calling it an essential value in times of crisis.
During the opening ceremony of the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity, the participants highlighted the pressing need for multilateral cooperation, which has been eroded by a great-power rivalry, nationalism, protectionism and unilateralism in some quarters of the world.
-----------------
S. Korea, Uzbekistan agree to push for launch of trade talks
SEOUL -- South Korea and Uzbekistan agreed Friday to announce the launch of trade talks at an opportune time in an effort to expand bilateral trade, the government said.
The agreement was made between South Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Sung Yun-mo and Sardor Umurzakov, Uzbekistan's deputy prime minister for investment and foreign economic relations, during a videoconference of a bilateral trade and economic committee, the trade ministry said.
------------------
Hyundai, Kia rank 4th in electrified car sales in 2019
SEOUL -- Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. ranked fourth in global electrified vehicle sales last year, helped by increased exports, industry data showed Friday.
Hyundai and Kia sold a combined 350,000 electrified models in global markets in 2019, up 25 percent from a year earlier, the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association (KAMA) said in a statement.
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Prosecutors raid Kumho Asiana's offices over unfair trade allegations
SEOUL -- Prosecutors raided offices of Kumho Asiana Group on Friday as part of a probe into an alleged unfair trade among affiliates, which resulted in huge gains for its owner family.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office said its investigators seized accounting records and computer data from the headquarters of the conglomerate and the office of its affiliated Asiana Airlines Inc., both in Seoul.
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Seoul stocks up for 5th day on easing U.S. election uncertainties
SEOUL-- South Korean stocks extended their winning streak to a fifth day Friday, helped by massive foreign buying amid eased uncertainties over U.S. election results. The Korean won rose against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 2.71 points, or 0.11 percent, to close at 2,416.5.
---------------------
Lotte Shopping swings to black in Q3 amid pandemic
SEOUL-- Lotte Shopping Co. said Friday it swung to a net profit in the third quarter on robust performance in its non-department store business amid the new coronavirus outbreak.
Net income reached 3 billion won (US$2.7 million) in the July-September period, a turnaround from a net loss of 23.3 billion won a year earlier, the key unit of retail giant Lotte Group said in a regulatory filing.
(END)


yna--2020-11-06--SK Chemicals Q3 net profit up 1244.4 pct. to 35.9 bln won

The company said in a regulatory filing that operating income for the July-September period rose 92.9 percent on-year to 52.3 @ @ @ @ @ 7.4 percent to 352.1 billion won .
( END )

SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Yonhap) -- SK Chemicals Co. on Friday reported its third-quarter net income of 35.9 billion won (US$32 million), up 1244.4 percent from a year earlier.
The company said in a regulatory filing that operating income for the July-September period rose 92.9 percent on-year to 52.3 billion won. Sales decreased 7.4 percent to 352.1 billion won.
(END)


yna--2020-11-06--(LEAD) Lotte Shopping swings to black in Q3 amid pandemic

The outcome of operating profit was 24.2 percent higher than the average estimate , according to a survey by Yonhap @ @ @ @ @ arm of Yonhap News Agency .
The estimate of net profit was not available .

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with more info throughout)
SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Yonhap) -- Lotte Shopping Co. said Friday it swung to a net profit in the third quarter on robust performance in its non-department store business amid the new coronavirus outbreak.
Net income reached 3 billion won (US$2.7 million) in the July-September period, a turnaround from a net loss of 23.3 billion won a year earlier, the key unit of retail giant Lotte Group said in a regulatory filing.
From three months earlier, it swung to the black from a net loss of 199 billion won.
Operating profit rose 26.8 percent on-year to 111 billion won, while sales fell 6.8 percent to 4.1 trillion won.
The outcome of operating profit was 24.2 percent higher than the average estimate, according to a survey by Yonhap Infomax, the financial data arm of Yonhap News Agency. The estimate of net profit was not available.
"Sales at discount store channels increased as demand for foodstuff by stay-at-home customers rose. The company's electronic goods outlets and home shopping business also posted brisk performance," Lotte Shopping said in a statement.
The corporate logo of Lotte Shopping Co. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Lotte Shopping, the operator of South Korea's biggest department store, suffered from an industry-wide slump caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as people refrained from visiting offline stores due to the risk of virus infection.
Despite its improved bottom line, Lotte Shopping's department store and multiplex chain business still suffered sluggish sales, affected by the country's tougher social distancing measures over a flare-up in COVID-19 cases.
In late August, the country applied the Level 2 virus curbs across the nation in its three-tier scheme for about two months to stem the fast spread of the virus.
Lotte Department Store's revenue declined 15.5 percent on-year to 619 billion won, and its operating profit fell 25.2 percent to 78 billion won.
But the company's discount store segment reported a 160.5 percent jump in operating profit to 32 billion won. Sales inched down 4.4 percent to 1.59 trillion won.
Operating profit generated from Lotte Shopping's electronic goods stores jumped 67.3 percent on-year to 56 billion won, as online classes and remote working boosted demand for electronic products.
Its home shopping business reported an 18.7 percent on-year gain in operating profit to 30 billion won.
In April, Lotte Shopping launched an ambitious online shopping website, Lotte On, which integrates the websites of Lotte's eight affiliates, in a bid to better compete with major e-commerce operators.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-06--(3rd LD) KT's Q3 net up 8 pct on cost reduction

The company , however , said Apple Inc. 's new 5G iPhone 12 launched last month will accelerate its subscriber @ @ @ @ @ network , estimating that 5G users will account for 25 percent of its mobile phone @ @ @ @ @ this year .

(ATTN: ADDS more details in paras 2, 11-19)
SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Yonhap) -- KT Corp., a major South Korean telecom operator, said Friday its net income rose 7.9 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier due to cost reduction.
Net income reached 230.1 billion won (US$204 million) in the July-September period on a consolidated basis, compared with a profit of 213.3 billion won the same quarter a year earlier, according to a regulatory filing.
KT said it saved some costs involving its hardware infrastructure for wireless services in the third quarter, which boosted its bottom line.
Sales fell 3.4 percent to 6 trillion won over the cited period, while operating income stood at 292.4 billion won, down 6.4 percent over the cited period.
KT blamed its disappointing performance in sales and operating profit on the coronavirus pandemic.
Its major non-telecom units saw a decrease in sales in the third quarter, with the carrier's satellite broadcasting unit KT Skylife Co. posting a 3.1 percent decline in sales to 176.6 billion won in the July-September period.
Sales in KT's real estate unit, KT estate, tumbled 39.4 percent to 76.2 billion won over the cited period.
KT said that increased labor costs also chipped away at its third quarter operating profit.
The telecom operator's wireless business showed little growth in the quarter, with sales standing at 1.7 trillion won, up 0.9 percent from a year earlier.
KT's 5G subscribers reached 2.8 million as of the July-September period, accounting for around 20 percent of the carrier's total mobile phone subscribers.
The company, however, said Apple Inc.'s new 5G iPhone 12 launched last month will accelerate its subscriber migration to the latest generation network, estimating that 5G users will account for 25 percent of its mobile phone subscribers by the end of this year.
The carrier's internet protocol TV (IPTV) business reported robust growth in the third quarter as sales rose 11.9 percent on-year to 459.3 billion won thanks to a boost in subscribers.
KT said it had 8.69 million IPTV users as of the third quarter, up 5.6 percent from the same quarter a year earlier.
The carrier said its move to provide its IPTV subscribers access to Netflix in August fueled growth.
KT remained upbeat about its performance going forward, saying it will likely reach 1 trillion won in operating profit on a standalone basis in 2022 even by conservative estimates.
Its cumulative operating profit as of the third quarter this year stood at 759.1 billion won on a standalone basis.
KT also announced in a separate regulatory filing that it will buy back 300 billion won worth of its shares over a one-year period starting Friday to improve shareholder value.
The company said in the conference call that it believes its current stock price is undervalued.
Shares in KT closed flat at 22,900 won, roughly in line with the broader KOSPI's 0.11 percent gain.
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-06--(LEAD) Seoul stocks up for 5th day on easing U.S. election uncertainties

SEOUL , Nov. 6 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korean stocks extended their winning streak to a fifth day Friday @ @ @ @ @ buying amid eased uncertainties over U.S. election results .
The Korean won rose against the @ @ @

(ATTN: ADDS bond yields at bottom, photo)
SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks extended their winning streak to a fifth day Friday, helped by massive foreign buying amid eased uncertainties over U.S. election results. The Korean won rose against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 2.71 points, or 0.11 percent, to close at 2,416.5.
Trading volume was moderate at about 812 million shares worth around 12.4 trillion won (US$11.1 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 533 to 294.
Electronic signboards at the trading room of Hana Bank in Seoul show the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 2,416.5 on Nov. 6, 2020, up 2.71 points or 0.11 percent from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)
The KOSPI traded choppy amid profit-taking and reduced uncertainties from the U.S. presidential election results.
Growing expectations on a Biden win pushed up stocks related to renewable energy and weakened the dollar against the local currency.
"South Korean stock markets fluctuated upon massive foreign buying since yesterday," Kiwoom Securities analyst Seo Sang-young said. "Secondary batteries and certain stocks particularly led the (KOSPI's) gain," he added.
Foreigners bought a net 788 billion won after raking in a massive 1.13 trillion won the previous day, while retail investors sold a net 796 billion won. Institutions offloaded a net 4 billion won.
Most large caps closed mixed in Seoul.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics lost 0.33 percent to 60,100 won, but No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix edged up 0.23 percent to 86,300 won.
Pharmaceutical giant Samsung Biologics retreated 0.51 percent to 777,000 won, while Celltrion gained 2.02 percent to 277,500 won.
Leading chemical firm LG Chem spiked 6.35 percent 720,000 won, but Hyundai Motor, the country's largest carmaker, shed 2.57 percent to 170,500 won.
Internet portal giant Naver climbed 0.67 percent to 301,000 won, and its rival Kakao advanced 2.07 percent to 370,500 won.
The local currency closed at 1,120.4 won against the U.S. dollar, up 7.8 won from the previous session's close.
Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, closed lower. The yield on three-year Treasurys rose 1.6 basis points to 0.943 percent, and the return on the benchmark five-year government bond added 3.1 basis points to 1.254 percent.
jwc@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-07--(LEAD) (US election) Biden continues to expand lead over Trump in Pennsylvania for imminent victory

They noted that Democrats had urged their supporters to vote early and by mail if possible , partly to avoid @ @ @ @ @ new coronavirus , while Trump had encouraged his voters to show up in person , @ @ @ @ @ over the validity of mail-in ballots .

(ATTN: UPDATES with reports of scheduled press conference by Biden, latest vote counts in key battleground states, more information and minor edits throughout)
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 (Yonhap) -- Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden continued to close in on winning the White House on Friday as he further expanded his lead over President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, a state that alone could land him the presidency.
As of 10 p.m. the former vice president had 27,130 more votes than Trump in Pennsylvania, one of six battleground states that were all won by Trump in the 2016 election.
The race, however, has yet to be called, with potentially more than 300,000 ballots still left to be counted in Pennsylvania.
Biden came from more than 600,000 votes behind to overtake Trump in that state.
The captured image from the website of U.S. cable news network C-Span shows Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden speaking at a press conference in Wilmington, Delaware, on Nov. 5, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The former vice president was projected to have secured 253 electoral votes, 17 votes short of the 270 needed to win, against Trump's 213 votes. Both numbers remain unchanged since late Wednesday.
Biden was scheduled to soon hold a press conference, the third of its kind since polling closed Tuesday, in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware.
He was not expected to declare victory, at least until the race has been called.
"The count is being completed, and we will know very soon," he told a press conference on Thursday that was also attended by his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris of California.
"We have no doubt that when the count is finished, Sen. Harris and I will be declared the winners. So I ask everyone to stay calm, all people to stay calm," he added.
He has expressed confidence in winning.
"It's clear that we're winning enough states to reach 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency," he has said.
So far, Biden is projected to have won two of the six battleground states -- Michigan and Wisconsin -- and is leading in Arizona and Pennsylvania.
Trump is projected to have taken Florida and North Carolina.
The race, however, has largely come down to Pennsylvania, which carries 20 electoral votes that, if won, could push Biden over the finish line with a total of 273 electoral votes.
Anyone who wins a majority of 270 electoral votes out of the total 538 wins the presidency.
Vote counting was still under way in four other states -- Alaska, Arizona, Georgia and Nevada -- in addition to Pennsylvania.
While Trump is widely expected to win in Alaska, Biden's win in any two of the remaining three states will carry him over the finish line.
The image provided by Yonhap News TV shows U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. American voters began hitting the polls on Nov. 3, 2020, to elect the next U.S. president. (Yonhap)
Trump, on the other hand, will lose all chance of winning the election if he loses either Georgia or Pennsylvania.
Biden has come from behind to overtake Trump in both Michigan and Wisconsin.
Election watchers here have largely attributed the last-minute flip to Biden in the key states to a record number of mail-in ballots that they said are "heavily skewed toward the Democrats."
They noted that Democrats had urged their supporters to vote early and by mail if possible, partly to avoid the danger of contracting the new coronavirus, while Trump had encouraged his voters to show up in person, partly by repeatedly raising questions over the validity of mail-in ballots.
More than 101 million Americans are reported to have voted early either by mail-in ballots or in person, marking the highest number in the country's history.
Many states also accept mail-in ballots for days after Election Day, as long as they are postmarked on or before the election day.
Trump's Republican Party on Friday asked the federal Supreme Court to block late-arriving votes from being counted in Pennsylvania.
Trump earlier called late, mail-in votes illegal and vowed to launch lawsuits against states that accept them.
"If you count the legal votes, I easily win. If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us, if you count the votes that came in late," he said in a White House press conference on Thursday.
The captured image from the White House website shows U.S. President Donald Trump holding a press conference at the White House on Nov. 5, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Trump has made clear that he has no intention of conceding his defeat, while accusing the Democrats of "dumping" ballots in key battleground states that he claims made his earlier lead in such states "magically disappear."
"I had such a big lead in all of these states late into election night, only to see the leads miraculously disappear as the days went by," he tweeted.
He has filed lawsuits in Georgia, Michigan and Pennsylvania to have their vote counting halted.
He has also warned he would launch "numerous litigations" against states that he claims included "illegal" votes in their vote counts.
"Perhaps these leads will return as our legal proceedings move forward," he said on Twitter on Friday.
The president had called for a halt to vote counting in the states where he had a lead over his Democratic rival, including Michigan and Wisconsin, while prematurely declaring victory only hours after polling closed.
"Joe Biden should not wrongfully claim the office of the President. I could make that claim also. Legal proceedings are just now beginning!" he tweeted Friday.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


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yna--2020-11-07--Naver, Kakao expected to show brisk performance next year amid pandemic: watchers

It took just four years for the company 's quarterly revenues to jump twofold since recording 1.01 trillion won during @ @ @ @ @ , when Line was included in the earnings .
The company breached the 1 trillion-won @ @ @ @ @ in the company 's history .

By Kim Han-joo
SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Yonhap) -- Naver Corp. and Kakao Corp., the two major South Korean tech companies, are expected to continue their upward trajectory in earnings projections amid the coronavirus pandemic, market watchers said Saturday.
Quarterly sales of Naver -- South Korea's top internet portal operator -- and Kakao -- the operator of the country's top mobile messenger KakaoTalk -- both jumped twofold in just four and three years, respectively.
The corporate logos of Naver Corp. and Kakao Corp. provided by the companies (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Naver said its sales for the July-September period reached the highest ever of 1.36 trillion won (US$1.21 million), up 24.2 percent over the same period a year earlier on the back of booming online goods transactions on its platform.
The record high sales in the third quarter exclude those from its messaging firm Line, following recent regulatory approval in Japan over its merger with Yahoo Japan. When Line's revenue is counted, Naver said its total sales reached 2.06 trillion won.
It took just four years for the company's quarterly revenues to jump twofold since recording 1.01 trillion won during the third quarter of 2016, when Line was included in the earnings. The company breached the 1 trillion-won mark for the first time in the company's history.
Kakao also announced Thursday that its sales jumped by 41 percent on-year to reach a quarterly high of 1.14 trillion won over the cited period.
It took three years for Kakao to exceed 1 trillion won in quarterly sales since logging 500 billion won during the third quarter of 2017.
Kakao said it enjoyed a brisk performance in both its platform and e-commerce businesses based on its KakaoTalk, coupled with its global paid content business.
The two tech firms have been cited as front runners of the so-called contact-free companies favored by people in the COVID-19 pandemic as more people stayed at home and avoided face-to-face contact, leading to increased content usage, according to market watchers.
Market watchers expected both firms to further improve their profitability down the road despite the economic slowdown on the back of online shopping, mobile payment and webtoons.
"The growth of internet platform firms is expected to continue in 2021," said Lee Mun-jong, an analyst for Shinhan Investment Corp. "It is expected that each service provided by the firms will evolve into the next level."
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-07--S. Korean professor elected as member of U.N. commission

The commission is composed of 15 members who serve in their personal capacity .
Among them , only the chairman @ @ @ @ @ full-time members and are based in New York .

SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean professor has been elected as a member of the International Civil Service Commission, becoming the first South Korean to join the key United Nations commission, the foreign ministry here said Saturday.
Kim Pan-suk, a global public administration professor at Yonsei University, is set to serve at the independent expert body established by the U.N. General Assembly from 2021-2024.
Kim had served as minister of personnel management and a presidential secretary for personnel policy.
This file photo shows Kim Pan-suk, a professor of Global Public Administration at Yonsei University. (Yonhap)
The commission's mandate is to regulate and coordinate the conditions of service of staff in the United Nations common system, while promoting and maintaining high standards in the international civil service.
The commission is composed of 15 members who serve in their personal capacity. Among them, only the chairman and the vice chairman are full-time members and are based in New York.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-07--Seoul's residential treatment centers get high marks in satisfaction survey

The Seoul Health Foundation affiliated with the metropolitan government polled 412 people older than 19 , who were treated and @ @ @ @ @ residential treatment centers for mild COVID-19 cases from April 1 to Oct. 27 , and @ @ @ @ @ score of 3.8 out of a possible 5 points .

SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Yonhap) -- Coronavirus patients who used residential treatment centers run by the Seoul city government have expressed a relatively high level of satisfaction with their medical workers and facilities, a poll showed Saturday.
The Seoul Health Foundation affiliated with the metropolitan government polled 412 people older than 19, who were treated and discharged from the city's residential treatment centers for mild COVID-19 cases from April 1 to Oct. 27, and they awarded an average satisfaction score of 3.8 out of a possible 5 points.
Authorities have classified COVID-19 cases by severity to place priority on treating more severe cases at hospitals, sending mild cases to residential treatment centers nationwide for medical treatment and monitoring. At present, there are six residential treatment centers with about 1,100 beds in Seoul.
This file photo shows the International Seoul Youth Hostel in central Seoul, which has been converted into a residential treatment center for COVID-19. (Yonhap)
The survey respondents were asked to evaluate Seoul's residential treatment centers in five categories and gave a score of 4 each to medical workers' services and the centers' facilities and environment.
In the category of testing and monitoring, the centers garnered a score of 3.7, while their admission and discharging procedures were given a score of 3.6.
Notably, the poll respondents gave an impressive score of 4.4 points to the manners of medical workers, while putting the score for quality and quantity of food provided by the centers at 3.6 points.
Foundation officials speculate that some center residents are unsatisfied with food, because they have to eat only boxed meals due to a ban on outside food.
As of Oct. 27, a total of 2,171 people were admitted to Seoul's residential treatment centers, and 1,708 of them were discharged. About 37 percent of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the capital have been sent to those centers.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-07--Nat'l football team defender tests positive for COVID-19

Two Bundesglia players , SC Freiburg midfielder Kwon Chang-hoon and Holstein Kiel midfielder Lee Jae-sung , will return to Germany @ @ @ @ @ The KFA said earlier in the week that those two players must each serve a @ @ @ @ @ in Germany , and it had reached deals with their two clubs to have them @ @ @ @ @ match .
FC Seoul 's midfielder Ju Se-jong has been added to the national team @

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean football player based in Saudi Arabia has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, costing him a spot on the national team for upcoming friendly matches.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) announced Saturday that fullback Kim Jin-su, who plays for Al-Nassr FC, tested positive for COVID-19 and won't be able to join the national team for matches against Mexico and Qatar later this month in Europe.
In this EPA file photo from Oct. 22, 2020, Kim Jin-su of Al-Nassr (R) is in action against Al-Taawoun's Ibrahim Al Zubaidi during their Saudi Professional League match at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, in Buraidah, Saudi Arabia. (Yonhap)
Lee Ju-yong, fullback for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in South Korea's K League 1, will replace Kim.
There has been an outbreak with Al-Nassr, with 11 players, including Kim, and nine staff members testing positive for the virus.
Coached by Paulo Bento, South Korea will first face Mexico at 9 p.m. on Nov. 14 (5 a.m. on Nov. 15 in Seoul) at Stadion Wiener Neustadt in Wiener Neustadt, south of Vienna. South Korea will then play Qatar at 2 p.m. on Nov. 17 (10 p.m. on Nov. 17 in Seoul) at BSFZ Arena Admiral Stadium in Maria Enzersdorf, also near Vienna.
Two Bundesglia players, SC Freiburg midfielder Kwon Chang-hoon and Holstein Kiel midfielder Lee Jae-sung, will return to Germany after the Mexico match. The KFA said earlier in the week that those two players must each serve a five-day quarantine upon arriving back in Germany, and it had reached deals with their two clubs to have them available for only the first match. FC Seoul's midfielder Ju Se-jong has been added to the national team.
In this EPA file photo from Oct. 27, 2020, Kim Jin-su of Al-Nassr (R) battles Alexandru Mitrita of Al-Ahli during the semifinals of the King's Cup match at King Abdullah Sport City Stadium, 30 kilometers north of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-07--(LEAD) S. Korea's new coronavirus cases reduced to double digits

Currently , South Korea is under Level 1 , except the central city of Cheonan and the adjacent city Asan @ @ @ @ @ were lifted to Level 1.5 earlier this week amid a surge in COVID-19 cases there @

(ATTN: UPDATES with details and background in paras 9-16)
SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 100 on Saturday for the first time in four days as health authorities introduced a revised social distancing scheme.
South Korea confirmed 89 COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload to 27,284, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). One more patient died, raising the death toll to 477.
The number of daily virus cases had stayed in the triple digits from Wednesday through Friday.
Of the 89 new cases Saturday, local infections stood at 72, while the rest are imported cases.
This file photo shows a coronavirus testing center in Seoul. (Yonhap)
The greater Seoul area -- home to half of South Korea's 51 million population -- accounted for 51 new cases out of 72 locally transmitted cases.
South Korea had seen a recent uptick in the number of daily cases due to sporadic cluster infections from senior nursing homes and hospitals.
Health authorities remain vigilant as such group transmissions were reported from private gatherings of families and friends.
On Saturday, South Korea reported 17 imported cases, raising the cumulated number of imported cases to 3,907.
Of the 17 imported cases, 11 were foreigners and six were South Koreans. They came from the United States, Russia, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, France, Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, Algeria, Liberia and Ghana.
The KDCA said the total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 24,910, up 89 from the previous day.
Also Saturday, South Korea shifted to a five-tier social distancing scheme from the previous three-tier scheme to enforce more detailed and regionally tailored antivirus guidelines while mitigating the impact on businesses.
Currently, South Korea is under Level 1, except the central city of Cheonan and the adjacent city Asan, where social distancing rules were lifted to Level 1.5 earlier this week amid a surge in COVID-19 cases there.
Level 1 -- the lowest in the five-tier scheme -- signifies a controllable level of transmission that allows people to carry on with their ordinary lives while wearing masks and following social distancing rules at designated facilities.
Under Level 1.5, use of multiuse facilities is restricted. At Level 2, the pandemic is considered to be spreading nationwide, and nonessential outdoor visits and gatherings are discouraged in the affected zones.
Level 2.5 will be put in place when the situation is considered to be exceeding the health system's routine response levels, and the government will urge the public to remain at home.
At Level 3, which will be imposed in the event that more than 800 new daily cases are reported for a week, the nation will effectively be placed on lockdown.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-07--Seoul shares may face post-U.S. presidential election correction next week

`` Markets seem to have strongly responded to the favorable short-term event , but once the election heat has cooled @ @ @ @ @ to look at new sources of uncertainties , '' NH Investment & Securities analyst Kim @ @ @

By Chung Joo-won
SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Yonhap) -- South Korean shares may face corrections next week after enjoying a fifth consecutive day of rise on eased uncertainties over the U.S. presidential election, analysts said.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 2,416.5 points Friday, up 6.59 percent from a week ago.
The weekly gain came amid growing hopes for the victory of Democratic candidate Joe Biden and a Republican-dominated Senate -- a combination hailed by investors as supportive to a fiscal spending expansion and difficult for a corporate tax increase.
EV battery makers and bio stocks were among the best performers this week.
Electronic signboards at the trading room of Hana Bank in Seoul show the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 2,416.5 on Nov. 6, 2020, up 2.71 points or 0.11 percent from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)
But after a five-day winning streak on the election, analysts are warning that local stocks may have neared their short-term peak, ready for a price adjustment in the coming week.
"Markets seem to have strongly responded to the favorable short-term event, but once the election heat has cooled off, they will have to look at new sources of uncertainties," NH Investment & Securities analyst Kim Young-hwan said.
"If (Donald) Trump begins a large-scale legal battle, the U.S. may not be able to reach a stimulus deal by early December (safe harbor deadline)," he said.
jwc@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-07--S. Korea's new coronavirus cases reduced to double digits

South Korea confirmed 89 COVID-19 cases , raising the total caseload to 27,284 , according to the Korea Disease Control @ @ @ @ @ more patient died , raising the death toll to 477 .

SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 100 on Saturday for the first time in four days as health authorities introduced a revised social distancing scheme.
South Korea confirmed 89 COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload to 27,284, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. One more patient died, raising the death toll to 477.
The number of daily virus cases had stayed in the triple digits from Wednesday through Friday.
Of the 89 new cases Saturday, local infections stood at 72, while the rest are imported cases.
The greater Seoul area -- home to half of South Korea's 51 million population -- accounted for 51 new cases out of 72 locally transmitted cases.
South Korea had seen a recent uptick in the number of daily cases due to sporadic cluster infections from senior nursing homes and hospitals.
Health authorities remain vigilant as such group transmissions were reported from private gatherings of families and friends.
The number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 24,910, up 89 from the previous day.
On Saturday, South Korea reported 17 imported cases, raising the cumulated number of imported cases to 3,907.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-07--(URGENT) 89 more patients released from coronavirus treatment, total released now at 24,910: KDCA

(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--2020-11-07--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 1 additional coronavirus death, total now at 477: KDCA


yna--2020-11-07--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 89 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 27,284: KDCA


yna--2020-11-07--Top headlines in major S. Korean newspapers

Korean-language dailies -- Biden wins upset victory in Georgia , Pennsylvania ; Trump vows to defy election results ( Kyunghyang @ @ @ @ @ waiting to be called the winner of the U.S. presidential election , says democracy requires @ @ @ @ @ Daily ) -- Seoul High Court sentenced South Gyeongsang Province Gov .
Kim Kyoung-soo to @ @ @ @ @ conspiring to manipulate online opinions ( Donga llbo ) -- Trump claims vote rigging , @ @ @ @ @ results ( Segye Times ) -- Seoul High Court sentenced Kim Kyoung-soo to two years @ @ @ @ @ manipulate online opinions ( Chosun Ilbo ) -- U.S. election draws to its conclusion , @ @ @ @ @ for its results ( JoongAng Ilbo ) -- Biden wins upset victory in Pennsylvania ( @ @ @ @ @ ... into yet another war ( Hankook Ilbo ) -- Biden vows to be a @ @ @ @ @ Maeil Business Newspaper ) -- Trump claims vote rigging in unprecedented defiance of election results @ @ @ @ @ ( END )

SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Yonhap) -- The following are the top headlines in major South Korean newspapers on Nov. 7.
Korean-language dailies
-- Biden wins upset victory in Georgia, Pennsylvania; Trump vows to defy election results (Kyunghyang Shinmun)
-- Biden, waiting to be called the winner of the U.S. presidential election, says democracy requires a little patience (Kookmin Daily)
-- Seoul High Court sentenced South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo to two years in prison for conspiring to manipulate online opinions (Donga llbo)
-- Trump claims vote rigging, formalizing process of defying election results (Segye Times)
-- Seoul High Court sentenced Kim Kyoung-soo to two years in prison for conspiring to manipulate online opinions (Chosun Ilbo)
-- U.S. election draws to its conclusion, but what remains is respect for its results (JoongAng Ilbo)
-- Biden wins upset victory in Pennsylvania (Hankyoreh)
-- America divided ... into yet another war (Hankook Ilbo)
-- Biden vows to be a president for all Americans (Maeil Business Newspaper)
-- Trump claims vote rigging in unprecedented defiance of election results (Korea Economic Daily)
(END)


Saturday's weather forecast

SEOUL , Nov. 07 ( Yonhap ) -- The following is the weather forecast for South Korea 's 12 major @ @ @ @ @ .


yna--2020-11-07--(US election) Biden continues to expand lead over Trump in Pennsylvania for imminent victory

(ATTN: RECAPS previous story; CHANGES headline, lead; UPDATES with latest vote counts, additional information)
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 (Yonhap) -- Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden continued to expand his lead Friday over President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, one state that now alone could land him the presidency.
As of 2:30 p.m., the former vice president had 13,662 more votes than Trump in Pennsylvania, about five hours after he made a surprising comeback to overtake Trump in the state that was won by the president in the 2016 election.
The gap expanded from 5,587 at 9 a.m. Biden was once behind the president by more than 600,000 votes in Pennsylvania.
Biden is currently projected to have secured 253 electoral votes, 17 votes short of the 270 needed to win the White House. Trump has 213 electoral votes. The numbers have remained unchanged since late Wednesday.
A win in Pennsylvania, which has 20 electoral votes, would be enough to carry Biden over the finish line.
The vote count in Pennsylvania was at 96 percent, with more than 100,000 votes waiting to be counted, suggesting a chance to win for both Biden and Trump.
State officials of Pennsylvania have said it may take days before they can have every vote counted.
However, once the margin of votes between Biden and Trump exceeds the number of outstanding votes there, the state may be called and Biden declared the next president of the United States.
Vote counting was still under way in four other states -- Alaska, Arizona, Georgia and Nevada -- and Biden was leading in all but Alaska.
His win in any two of the three states where he currently has a lead will also give him enough electoral votes to win the White House.
Trump, on the other hand, will lose all chance of winning the election if he loses either Georgia or Pennsylvania.
The image provided by Yonhap News TV shows U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. American voters began hitting the polls on Nov. 3, 2020, to elect the next U.S. president. (Yonhap)
Biden has come from behind to overtake Trump in both Georgia and Pennsylvania.
Election watchers here have largely attributed the last-minute flip to Biden in the key states to a record number of mail-in ballots that they said are "heavily skewed toward the Democrats."
They noted that Democrats had urged their supporters to vote early and by mail if possible, partly to avoid the danger of contracting the new coronavirus, while Trump had encouraged his voters to show up in person, partly by repeatedly raising questions over the validity of mail-in ballots.
More than 101 million Americans are reported to have voted early either by mail-in ballots or in person, marking the highest number in the country's history.
Many states also accept mail-in ballots for days after Election Day, as long as they are postmarked on or before the election day.
Trump's Republican Party on Friday asked the federal Supreme Court to block late-arriving votes from being counted in Pennsylvania.
Trump earlier called late, mail-in votes illegal and vowed to launch lawsuits against states that accept them.
"If you count the legal votes, I easily win. If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us, if you count the votes that came in late," he said in a White House press conference on Thursday.
The captured image from the White House website shows U.S. President Donald Trump holding a press conference at the White House on Nov. 5, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Trump has also claimed what he called the "election apparatus" was being run by Democrats, even in states with Republican governors, and that they were running "secret count rooms" to count "mystery" and "illegal" votes.
He argued he had won in Michigan and Wisconsin but that his lead in the states got "miraculously whittled down."
Trump earlier accused the Democrats of "dumping" ballots in key battleground states, where he said his earlier leads tended to "magically" disappear.
He has filed lawsuits in Georgia, Michigan and Pennsylvania to have their vote counting halted, partly on grounds of alleged vote-counting irregularities.
The Trump campaign has also said it will demand a recount of votes in Wisconsin, where the president is projected to have lost to Biden by a margin of less than 1 percentage point.
Trump also continued to question the validity of vote counts, saying, "Stop the fraud!" in one Twitter message and then repeating "STOP THE COUNT!" in at least two other tweets.
Biden, on the other hand, expressed his faith in the system, saying, "The process is working.
"The count is being completed, and we will know very soon," he said at a brief press conference in Wilmington, Delaware, that was also attended by his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris of California.
"We have no doubt that when the count is finished, Sen. Harris and I will be declared the winners. So I ask everyone to stay calm, all people to stay calm," he added.
Biden earlier said he will not be hasty in declaring victory, noting vote counting must continue until each and every vote is counted.
Still, he has expressed confidence over his win.
"It's clear that we're winning enough states to reach 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency," he said at a press conference on Wednesday.
The captured image from the website of U.S. cable news network C-Span shows Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden speaking at a press conference in Wilmington, Delaware, on Nov. 5, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Should the two presidential candidates split the electoral votes exactly in half, the decision will go to the new House of Representatives to be formed early next year.
The Democratic Party is widely expected to maintain its House majority as the result of general elections held simultaneously with the presidential election this week.
However, in a presidential runoff vote by the House of Representatives, each state is given one vote and thus how each state votes depends on the number of Republican and Democratic representatives from each state.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-07--(3rd LD) (US election) Biden continues to close in on presidency amid slow vote counting

`` The tallies are n't just numbers .
They represent votes and voters .
Men and women who have exercised @ @ @ @ @ their voice heard .
And what 's becoming more clear each hour is that a @ @ @ @ @ of all races , faiths , religions -- chose change over more of the same @ @ @ @ @ 's press conference .

(ATTN: CHANGES dateline; RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with latest vote counts, more details, minor changes in paras 2-6, 9-14)
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 (Yonhap) -- Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden was only steps away from victory on Saturday with his lead over President Donald Trump continuing to grow in Pennsylvania, which, if won, could alone carry him over the finish line.
As of 9 a.m. the former vice president had 28,833 more votes than Trump in Pennsylvania, one of six battleground states that were all won by Trump in the 2016 election.
Biden has come from more than 600,000 votes behind to overtake Trump in Pennsylvania that has 20 electoral votes, and his lead has continued to widen.
With 253 electoral votes projected to have been won by Biden so far, the 20 votes, if called, will push him over the 270 votes needed to win the White House.
Trump is projected to have won 213 electoral votes. The figures for both Biden and Trump have remained unchanged since late Wednesday.
The captured image from the website of U.S. cable news network C-Span shows Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden speaking at a press conference in Wilmington, Delaware, on Nov. 6, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The former vice president stopped short of declaring victory, but he expressed confidence over his imminent victory in a press conference held late Friday.
"We don't have a final declaration of victory yet. But the numbers tell us a clear story, tells us a clear and convincing story," he told the press conference, held in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, which marked the third of its kind since polling closed Tuesday.
"We are going to win this race," he added, noting his lead in the key battleground states, including Pennsylvania, continued to grow by the hour.
So far, Biden is projected to have won two of the six battleground states -- Michigan and Wisconsin -- while he is also leading in Arizona. Trump is projected to have taken Florida and North Carolina.
The race, however, has largely come down to Pennsylvania.
Anyone who wins a majority of 270 electoral votes out of the total 538 wins the presidency.
Vote counting was still under way in four other states -- Alaska, Arizona, Georgia and Nevada -- in addition to Pennsylvania.
While Trump is widely expected to win Alaska, Biden's win in any two of the remaining three states will carry him over the finish line.
Biden currently leads in Arizona, Georgia and Nevada, though by razor-thin margins.
The image provided by Yonhap News TV shows U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. American voters began hitting the polls on Nov. 3, 2020, to elect the next U.S. president. (Yonhap)
Trump, on the other hand, will lose all chance of winning the election if he loses either Georgia or Pennsylvania.
Biden has come from behind to overtake Trump in both Michigan and Wisconsin.
Election watchers here have largely attributed the last-minute flip to Biden in the key states to a record number of mail-in ballots that they said are "heavily skewed toward the Democrats."
They noted that Democrats had urged their supporters to vote early and by mail if possible, partly to avoid the danger of contracting the new coronavirus, while Trump had encouraged his voters to show up in person, partly by repeatedly raising questions over the validity of mail-in ballots.
More than 101 million Americans are reported to have voted early either by mail-in ballots or in person, marking the highest number in the country's history.
Many states also accept mail-in ballots for days after Election Day, as long as they are postmarked on or before the election day.
Trump's Republican Party on Friday asked the federal Supreme Court to block late-arriving votes from being counted in Pennsylvania.
Trump earlier called late, mail-in votes illegal and vowed to launch lawsuits against states that accept them.
"If you count the legal votes, I easily win. If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us, if you count the votes that came in late," he said in a White House press conference on Thursday.
Biden highlighted the importance of counting each and every vote.
"The tallies aren't just numbers. They represent votes and voters. Men and women who have exercised their fundamental right to have their voice heard. And what's becoming more clear each hour is that a record number of Americans -- of all races, faiths, religions -- chose change over more of the same," he told Friday's press conference.
The captured image from the White House website shows U.S. President Donald Trump holding a press conference at the White House on Nov. 5, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
He also laid out how he planned to run the country over the next four years.
"While we are waiting for the results, I want people to know that we are not waiting to get the work done," Biden told the press conference, also attended by his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris.
He reaffirmed his promise to work for all Americans.
"We may be opponents, but we are not enemies. We are Americans ... I want you to know that I will work as hard for those who voted against me as those who voted for me," he said.
"I hope to be talking to you tomorrow," he added, apparently expressing his hope to see the election result within the next 24 hours.
Trump, on the other hand, has made it clear that he has no intention of conceding his defeat, while accusing the Democrats of "dumping" ballots in key battleground states that he claims made his earlier lead in such states "magically disappear."
"I had such a big lead in all of these states late into election night, only to see the leads miraculously disappear as the days went by," he tweeted.
He has filed lawsuits in Georgia, Michigan and Pennsylvania to have their vote counting halted.
He has also warned he would launch "numerous litigations" against states that he claims included "illegal" votes in their vote counts.
"Perhaps these leads will return as our legal proceedings move forward," he said on Twitter on Friday.
The president had called for a halt to vote counting in the states where he had a lead over his Democratic rival, including Michigan and Wisconsin, while prematurely declaring victory only hours after polling closed.
"Joe Biden should not wrongfully claim the office of the President. I could make that claim also. Legal proceedings are just now beginning!" he tweeted Friday.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-07--(4th LD) S. Korea's new coronavirus cases reduced to double digits

The KDCA said it plans to expand COVID-19 tests on all patients and people working at senior care hospitals and @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus across the country .
The public health agency said tests will be conducted on @ @ @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES with prime minister's social distancing campaign in last 3 paras; ADDS photo)
SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 100 on Saturday for the first time in four days as health authorities introduced a revised social distancing scheme.
South Korea confirmed 89 COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload to 27,284, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). One more patient died, raising the death toll to 477.
The number of daily virus cases had stayed in the triple digits from Wednesday through Friday.
Of the 89 new cases Saturday, local infections stood at 72, while the rest were imported cases.
This file photo shows a coronavirus testing center in Seoul. (Yonhap)
The greater Seoul area -- home to half of South Korea's 51 million population -- accounted for 51 new cases out of 72 locally transmitted cases.
The public health agency said sporadic cluster infections continued from senior nursing homes and hospitals, as well as private gatherings of families and friends.
As of noon Saturday, an insurance company in western Seoul had reported 26 cases, including 14 employees of the company and eight of their family members.
A total of 19 patients were traced to a brokerage house in western Seoul, up five from a day earlier.
The public health agency said a golf gathering in Yongin, south of Seoul, added five more COVID-19 cases, bringing the cumulative cases traced to the group to 64.
The KDCA said it plans to expand COVID-19 tests on all patients and people working at senior care hospitals and other facilities vulnerable to the coronavirus across the country. The public health agency said tests will be conducted on a regular basis.
So far, 38 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed from three nursing hospitals and four other facilities in Seoul, the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, the southeastern port city of Busan and South Chungcheong Province.
On Saturday, South Korea reported 17 imported cases, raising the cumulated number of imported cases to 3,907.
Of the 17 imported cases, 11 were foreigners and six were South Koreans. They came from the United States, Russia, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, France, Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, Algeria, Liberia and Ghana.
The KDCA said the total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 24,910, up 89 from the previous day.
Also Saturday, South Korea shifted to a five-tier social distancing scheme from the previous three-tier scheme to enforce more detailed and regionally tailored antivirus guidelines while mitigating the impact on businesses.
Currently, South Korea is under Level 1, except the central city of Cheonan and the adjacent city Asan, where social distancing rules were lifted to Level 1.5 earlier this week amid a surge in COVID-19 cases there.
Level 1 -- the lowest in the five-tier scheme -- signifies a controllable level of transmission that allows people to carry on with their ordinary lives while wearing masks and following social distancing rules at designated facilities.
Under Level 1.5, the operation of multiuse facilities is restricted. At Level 2, the pandemic is considered to be spreading nationwide, and nonessential outdoor visits and gatherings are discouraged in the affected zones.
Level 2.5 will be put in place when the situation is considered to be exceeding the health system's routine response levels, and the government will urge the public to remain at home.
At Level 3, which will be imposed in the event that more than 800 new daily cases are reported for a week, the nation will effectively be placed on lockdown.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun joined a street campaign to publicize the new social distancing system and importance of wearing masks.
He handed out face masks to citizens in the bustling western Seoul district of Hongdae.
"I hope we will overcome COVID-19 with the power of wearing masks, which is a surefire method for COVID-19 prevention," he said.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun (L) hands out face masks to citizens during an antivirus campaign in the Hongdae district of Seoul on Nov. 7, 2020. (Yonhap)
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-07--Foreign man arrested for posting threatening signs on French Embassy's wall

Those included `` Do not ignore Muslims , '' `` Do not destroy our religion '' and `` Those who @ @ @ @ @ be killed by the knife . ''

SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Yonhap) -- A Seoul court issued a warrant Saturday for the arrest of a foreign national for posting threatening signs on the wall of the French Embassy here, police said.
The 25-year-old man, whose name and nationality remain undisclosed, was caught earlier this week after allegedly putting up five signs with threatening messages on the wall.
Those included "Do not ignore Muslims," "Do not destroy our religion" and "Those who point knife at us will be killed by the knife."
Another sign carried a picture of French President Emmanuel Macron painted with a red "X" and footprint on his face, according to police.
The Seoul Western District Court allowed police to put him in custody, citing concerns about a possible destruction of evidence and flight risk.
Police are also considering whether to seek an arrest warrant for his accomplice who was caught later.
This undated file photo shows the French Embassy complex in Seoul. (Yonhap)
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-07--(3rd LD) S. Korea's new coronavirus cases reduced to double digits

(ATTN: UPDATES with details in paras 6, 10-11)
SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 100 on Saturday for the first time in four days as health authorities introduced a revised social distancing scheme.
South Korea confirmed 89 COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload to 27,284, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). One more patient died, raising the death toll to 477.
The number of daily virus cases had stayed in the triple digits from Wednesday through Friday.
Of the 89 new cases Saturday, local infections stood at 72, while the rest were imported cases.
This file photo shows a coronavirus testing center in Seoul. (Yonhap)
The greater Seoul area -- home to half of South Korea's 51 million population -- accounted for 51 new cases out of 72 locally transmitted cases.
The public health agency said sporadic cluster infections continued from senior nursing homes and hospitals, as well as private gatherings of families and friends.
As of noon Saturday, an insurance company in western Seoul had reported 26 cases, including 14 employees of the company and eight of their family members.
A total of 19 patients were traced to a brokerage house in western Seoul, up five from a day earlier.
The public health agency said a golf gathering in Yongin, south of Seoul, added five more COVID-19 cases, bringing the cumulative cases traced to the group to 64.
The KDCA said it plans to expand COVID-19 tests on all patients and people working at senior care hospitals and other facilities vulnerable to the coronavirus across the country. The public health agency said tests will be conducted on a regular basis.
So far, 38 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed from three nursing hospitals and four other facilities in Seoul, the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, the southeastern port city of Busan and South Chungcheong Province.
On Saturday, South Korea reported 17 imported cases, raising the cumulated number of imported cases to 3,907.
Of the 17 imported cases, 11 were foreigners and six were South Koreans. They came from the United States, Russia, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, France, Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, Algeria, Liberia and Ghana.
The KDCA said the total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 24,910, up 89 from the previous day.
Also Saturday, South Korea shifted to a five-tier social distancing scheme from the previous three-tier scheme to enforce more detailed and regionally tailored antivirus guidelines while mitigating the impact on businesses.
Currently, South Korea is under Level 1, except the central city of Cheonan and the adjacent city Asan, where social distancing rules were lifted to Level 1.5 earlier this week amid a surge in COVID-19 cases there.
Level 1 -- the lowest in the five-tier scheme -- signifies a controllable level of transmission that allows people to carry on with their ordinary lives while wearing masks and following social distancing rules at designated facilities.
Under Level 1.5, the operation of multiuse facilities is restricted. At Level 2, the pandemic is considered to be spreading nationwide, and nonessential outdoor visits and gatherings are discouraged in the affected zones.
Level 2.5 will be put in place when the situation is considered to be exceeding the health system's routine response levels, and the government will urge the public to remain at home.
At Level 3, which will be imposed in the event that more than 800 new daily cases are reported for a week, the nation will effectively be placed on lockdown.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-07--Death toll among flu vaccine recipients approaching 100: agency

The rising number of deaths has stoked public anxiety over the safety of flu vaccines , but the KDCA said @ @ @ @ @ link between 96 deaths and their flu shots .
Only one case is currently under @ @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Yonhap) -- The number of South Koreans who died this fall after getting seasonal flu shots has risen close to 100, health authorities said Saturday, though any correlation has not been confirmed between nearly 99 percent of the fatalities and the flu vaccinations.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said the death toll among recipients of flu vaccinations, most of whom are elderly, rose to 97 as of midnight Friday, up three from two days earlier.
The rising number of deaths has stoked public anxiety over the safety of flu vaccines, but the KDCA said there have been no confirmed link between 96 deaths and their flu shots. Only one case is currently under investigation, it added.
The 97 fatalities are broken down into 41 people aged 80 or older, 40 people in their 70s, eight in their 60s and another eight under 60, the agency noted.
The health agency has repeatedly said it has found no direct link between flu shots and deaths, urging people to get flu vaccinations before the onset of winter amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Public anxiety has heightened over the safety of flu vaccines after some vaccine bottles -- part of the country's free inoculation program -- were exposed to room temperature during distribution. The authorities, however, said there was no safety issue.
So far, more than 11.6 million South Koreans received a free state flu shot, accounting for 59.6 percent of the vaccination rate for about 19.6 million people, including teenagers and senior citizens.
Generally, flu season arrives between end-November and December. Considering that flu vaccines cause antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after vaccination, experts recommend people get flu shots by mid-November.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-07--(2nd LD) S. Korea's new coronavirus cases reduced to double digits

(ATTN: UPDATES with details in paras 8-10)
SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 100 on Saturday for the first time in four days as health authorities introduced a revised social distancing scheme.
South Korea confirmed 89 COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload to 27,284, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). One more patient died, raising the death toll to 477.
The number of daily virus cases had stayed in the triple digits from Wednesday through Friday.
Of the 89 new cases Saturday, local infections stood at 72, while the rest are imported cases.
This file photo shows a coronavirus testing center in Seoul. (Yonhap)
The greater Seoul area -- home to half of South Korea's 51 million population -- accounted for 51 new cases out of 72 locally transmitted cases.
South Korea had seen a recent uptick in the number of daily cases due to sporadic cluster infections from senior nursing homes and hospitals.
Health authorities remain vigilant as such group transmissions were reported from private gatherings of families and friends.
As of noon Saturday, an insurance company in western Seoul had reported 26 cases, including 14 employees of the company and eight of their family members.
A total of 19 patients were traced to a brokerage house in western Seoul, up five from a day earlier.
The public health agency also said a golf gathering in Yongin, south of Seoul, added five more COVID-19 cases, bringing the cumulative cases traced to the group to 64.
On Saturday, South Korea reported 17 imported cases, raising the cumulated number of imported cases to 3,907.
Of the 17 imported cases, 11 were foreigners and six were South Koreans. They came from the United States, Russia, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, France, Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, Algeria, Liberia and Ghana.
The KDCA said the total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 24,910, up 89 from the previous day.
Also Saturday, South Korea shifted to a five-tier social distancing scheme from the previous three-tier scheme to enforce more detailed and regionally tailored antivirus guidelines while mitigating the impact on businesses.
Currently, South Korea is under Level 1, except the central city of Cheonan and the adjacent city Asan, where social distancing rules were lifted to Level 1.5 earlier this week amid a surge in COVID-19 cases there.
Level 1 -- the lowest in the five-tier scheme -- signifies a controllable level of transmission that allows people to carry on with their ordinary lives while wearing masks and following social distancing rules at designated facilities.
Under Level 1.5, use of multiuse facilities is restricted. At Level 2, the pandemic is considered to be spreading nationwide, and nonessential outdoor visits and gatherings are discouraged in the affected zones.
Level 2.5 will be put in place when the situation is considered to be exceeding the health system's routine response levels, and the government will urge the public to remain at home.
At Level 3, which will be imposed in the event that more than 800 new daily cases are reported for a week, the nation will effectively be placed on lockdown.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-07--Berlin district council adopts resolution opposing removal of sex slave statue

Korea Verband and its supporters set up the statue in a public place in the Mitte district on Sept. 25 @ @ @ @ @ of wartime sexual slavery victims .
Twelve days after its unveiling ceremony , however , @ @ @ @ @ ordered Korea Verband to remove the statue by Oct. 14 after the Japanese government expressed @ @ @ @ @

BERLIN/SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Yonhap) -- A Berlin district council has adopted a resolution urging municipal authorities to retract a removal order for a statue symbolizing victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery, reports and officials said Saturday.
The council of Mitte Borough, a central Berlin district, voted overwhelmingly in favor of the resolution in a plenary session on Thursday, calling for the retention of the "Statue of Peace," they said.
The resolution, passed in a 28-9 vote, states that the Statue of Peace is productively contributing to the discussion on sexual violence against women in armed conflicts.
This file photo, taken on Oct. 23, 2020, shows activists rallying in support of the "Statue of Peace" in the central Berlin district of Mitte. (Yonhap)
Experts in Seoul said the resolution has heightened the possibility of the statue remaining in central Berlin until its expiry date of Aug. 14, 2021, while paving the ground for its permanent installation there.
The latest development came after the Mitte borough office decided in mid-October to withhold its earlier order to remove the statue following protests from activists and citizens.
The Mitte district office said at that time that its removal order was no longer applicable due to an injunction filed by local civic group Korea Verband, which brands itself as a platform for all who are interested in Korea.
Korea Verband and its supporters set up the statue in a public place in the Mitte district on Sept. 25 to internationally publicize the issue of wartime sexual slavery victims. Twelve days after its unveiling ceremony, however, the Mitte district office had ordered Korea Verband to remove the statue by Oct. 14 after the Japanese government expressed regrets over its installation.
The statue symbolizes 200,000 Asian women, mostly Koreans, who were forcibly sent to front-line brothels to work as sex slaves for Japanese troops during World War II. The sexual slavery victims, euphemistically called "comfort women," are one of the many thorny issues stemming from the 1910-45 period when Korea was a Japanese colony.
Similar statues have been erected in several countries around the world, including in front of the former Japanese Embassy building in Seoul and at five locations across the United States.
The Statue of Peace is the third comfort women statue installed in Germany and the first to stand in a public place with approval from the Berlin authorities. The other two statues are erected on private properties.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-07--Today in Korean history

Today in Korean history

Earlier in the day , Trump canceled his plan to make a surprise visit to the Demilitarized Zone that bisects @ @ @ @ @ bad weather conditions .
( END )

Nov. 8
1991 -- President Roh Tae-woo declares South Korea will not arm itself with nuclear weapons.
1995 -- South Korea is elected a non-permanent member of the U.N. Security Council.
2011 -- President Lee Myung-bak holds a summit with visiting Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang in Seoul to seek greater cooperation on nuclear power plant construction.
2017 -- U.S. President Donald Trump addresses South Korea's National Assembly a day after summit talks with President Moon Jae-in and warns North Korea not to underestimate U.S. strength.
Earlier in the day, Trump canceled his plan to make a surprise visit to the Demilitarized Zone that bisects the two Koreas due to bad weather conditions.
(END)


yna--2020-11-07--Experts call for new U.S. gov't to craft viable approach to N.K. nukes

`` The fatal flaw was that working-level discussions that would really set the scene for a successful summit meeting could @ @ @ @ @ of the chairman and the representatives of the president would ... looking over their shoulders @ @ @ @ @

By Song Sang-ho
SEOUL/JEJU, Nov. 7 (Yonhap) -- North Korea watchers voiced hope Saturday for a new U.S. administration to craft a more viable approach to engage with Pyongyang, pointing to the countries' deep-seated distrust and lack of working-level engagement as causes of the current deadlock in their nuclear talks.
Former U.S. nuclear negotiator, Robert Gallucci, former Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Ning Fukui and other experts explored the causes of the protracted nuclear impasse during the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity, days after the U.S. presidential election.
Under the Trump administration, the nuclear talks kicked off in a top-down formula with much fanfare -- and high hopes for a breakthrough. But the talks have stalled since the no-deal Hanoi summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in February last year.
Gallucci, known for his role in negotiating a landmark 1994 nuclear agreement with Pyongyang, pointed out a "fatal flaw" in the negotiation process that proceeded based on a direct leader-to-leader diplomacy.
"The fatal flaw was that working-level discussions that would really set the scene for a successful summit meeting could not succeed when the representatives of the chairman and the representatives of the president would ... looking over their shoulders," he said.
"The heads of state are not going to come together and resolve substantive differences," he added.
Gallucci also highlighted the "substance" issue in the negotiations, noting both Washington and Pyongyang had different expectations about what each other has to do in moving forward their negotiations.
"Generally speaking, the U.S. expectation was North Koreans would perform before the U.S. performed. I use the word 'perform,' in the way American negotiators use it," the former negotiator said.
"The North expected something more like action for action, I believe. We may call it reciprocity. We might call it a process of step by step," he added.
Former Ambassador Ning said that a lack of understanding about each other and unwillingness to recognize each other's matters of concern and concede ground have combined to a deadlock in the two countries' negotiations.
He also called attention to the lack of specifics in the Singapore summit agreement between Trump and Kim in 2018.
"They agreed to the basic principle vis-a-vis the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, but they failed to make a practical road map, specific timeline for implementation and direction for this," Ning said through an interpreter.
Former South Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Choi Young-jin echoed that view.
"I was rather puzzled because there was no substance in it," he said, casting the agreement as entailing "so amazing catchphrase, empty promise and dreamy rhetoric."
Gallucci stressed the importance of normalizing relations between the U.S. and the North
"I really believe the U.S. has to approach North Koreans with a clear message that it is interested in normalization of relations. This is not a gift or a reward for North Koreans," he said.
"It also includes normal diplomatic relations, normal economic relations, normal social and political relations. It means in other words, the U.S. will address the North Korean concerns about regime change in a serious way," he added.
Jeju Gov. Won Hee-ryong speaks during the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity on the southern resort island of Jeju on Nov. 6, 2020, in this photo provided by the forum. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-07--(2nd LD) (US election) Biden continues to expand lead over Trump in Pennsylvania for imminent victor

(2nd LD) (US election) Biden continues to expand lead over Trump in Pennsylvania for imminent victory

(ATTN: UPDATES with remarks from Biden, minor changes in paras 5-7, 23-30; REPLACES photo)
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 (Yonhap) -- Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden continued to close in on winning the White House on Friday as he further expanded his lead over President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, a state that alone could land him the presidency.
As of 10 p.m. the former vice president had 27,130 more votes than Trump in Pennsylvania, one of six battleground states that were all won by Trump in the 2016 election.
The race, however, has yet to be called, with potentially more than 300,000 ballots still left to be counted in Pennsylvania.
Biden came from more than 600,000 votes behind to overtake Trump in that state.
The captured image from the website of U.S. cable news network C-Span shows Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden speaking at a press conference in Wilmington, Delaware, on Nov. 6, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The former vice president stopped short of declaring victory, but he expressed confidence over his imminent victory in a press conference.
"We don't have a final declaration of victory yet. But the numbers tell us a clear story, tells us a clear and convincing story," he told the press conference, held in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, which marked the third of its kind since polling closed Tuesday.
"We are going to win this race," he added, noting his lead in the key battleground states, including Pennsylvania, continued to grow by the hour.
So far, Biden is projected to have won two of the six battleground states -- Michigan and Wisconsin -- and is leading in Arizona and Pennsylvania.
Trump is projected to have taken Florida and North Carolina.
The race, however, has largely come down to Pennsylvania, which carries 20 electoral votes that, if won, could push Biden over the finish line with a total of 273 electoral votes.
Anyone who wins a majority of 270 electoral votes out of the total 538 wins the presidency.
Vote counting was still under way in four other states -- Alaska, Arizona, Georgia and Nevada -- in addition to Pennsylvania.
While Trump is widely expected to win in Alaska, Biden's win in any two of the remaining three states will carry him over the finish line.
The image provided by Yonhap News TV shows U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. American voters began hitting the polls on Nov. 3, 2020, to elect the next U.S. president. (Yonhap)
Trump, on the other hand, will lose all chance of winning the election if he loses either Georgia or Pennsylvania.
Biden has come from behind to overtake Trump in both Michigan and Wisconsin.
Election watchers here have largely attributed the last-minute flip to Biden in the key states to a record number of mail-in ballots that they said are "heavily skewed toward the Democrats."
They noted that Democrats had urged their supporters to vote early and by mail if possible, partly to avoid the danger of contracting the new coronavirus, while Trump had encouraged his voters to show up in person, partly by repeatedly raising questions over the validity of mail-in ballots.
More than 101 million Americans are reported to have voted early either by mail-in ballots or in person, marking the highest number in the country's history.
Many states also accept mail-in ballots for days after Election Day, as long as they are postmarked on or before the election day.
Trump's Republican Party on Friday asked the federal Supreme Court to block late-arriving votes from being counted in Pennsylvania.
Trump earlier called late, mail-in votes illegal and vowed to launch lawsuits against states that accept them.
"If you count the legal votes, I easily win. If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us, if you count the votes that came in late," he said in a White House press conference on Thursday.
Biden highlighted the importance of counting each and every vote.
"The tallies aren't just numbers. They represent votes and voters. Men and women who have exercised their fundamental right to have their voice heard. And what's becoming more clear each hour is that a record number of Americans -- of all races, faiths, religions -- chose change over more of the same," he told Friday's press conference.
The captured image from the White House website shows U.S. President Donald Trump holding a press conference at the White House on Nov. 5, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
He also laid out how he planned to run the country over the next four years.
"While we are waiting for the results, I want people to know that we are not waiting to get the work done," Biden told the press conference, also attended by his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris.
He reaffirmed his promise to work for all Americans.
"We may be opponents, but we are not enemies. We are Americans ... I want you to know that I will work as hard for those who voted against me as those who voted for me," he said.
"I hope to be talking to you tomorrow," he added, apparently expressing his hope to see the election result within the next 24 hours.
Trump, on the other hand, has made it clear that he has no intention of conceding his defeat, while accusing the Democrats of "dumping" ballots in key battleground states that he claims made his earlier lead in such states "magically disappear."
"I had such a big lead in all of these states late into election night, only to see the leads miraculously disappear as the days went by," he tweeted.
He has filed lawsuits in Georgia, Michigan and Pennsylvania to have their vote counting halted.
He has also warned he would launch "numerous litigations" against states that he claims included "illegal" votes in their vote counts.
"Perhaps these leads will return as our legal proceedings move forward," he said on Twitter on Friday.
The president had called for a halt to vote counting in the states where he had a lead over his Democratic rival, including Michigan and Wisconsin, while prematurely declaring victory only hours after polling closed.
"Joe Biden should not wrongfully claim the office of the President. I could make that claim also. Legal proceedings are just now beginning!" he tweeted Friday.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)