yna--2020-05-17--Nexon's market cap tops 20 tln won on soaring demand amid virus pandemic

SEOUL , May 17 ( Yonhap ) -- Nexon Co. became the first South Korean game developer to log a @ @ @ @ @ 20 trillion won ( US $ 16 billion ) , data showed Sunday , on @ @ @ @ @ for home entertainment contents during the virus pandemic .

SEOUL, May 17 (Yonhap) -- Nexon Co. became the first South Korean game developer to log a market capitalization of more than 20 trillion won (US$16 billion), data showed Sunday, on the back of soaring demand for home entertainment contents during the virus pandemic.
The gaming giant saw its market value reach 1.9 trillion yen (21 trillion won) on the Tokyo Stock Exchange as of Friday, with its shares closing at 2,152 yen, up 3.86 percent from a session earlier, industry data showed.
Shares in Nexon jumped a whopping 14.5 percent on Thursday to surpass the 20-trillion won threshold for the first time despite an 11-percent on-year decrease in its first-quarter sales, as investors betted on the future growth potential.
Nexon was listed on the Tokyo stock exchange in late 2011. Its market cap was estimated at around 8 trillion won then.
The recent stock rally came amid rising demand for entertainment contents that can be enjoyed from home as countries around the globe have been implementing lockdowns and social-distancing guidelines during the pandemic.
Nexon earlier suggested that its South Korean sales are anticipated to jump by up to 52 percent on-year in the April-June period, along with 12-percent growth from China.
The company is preparing to launch a mobile edition of its flagship title "Dungeon Fighter" in China later this year. Some 34 million users have made early registrations for the game so far, it added.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-17--KBO manager maintains 'glass half-full' outlook amid losing streak

`` I think these guys are making me stronger , and I am grateful for that , '' Son said @ @ @ @ @ This is such a difficult job .
Sometimes , things do n't go quite the @ @ @ @ @ , but there are also times when things go better than I expected .
There @ @ @ @ @ I have to pay attention to than I thought . ''

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, May 17 (Yonhap) -- Kiwoom Heroes' rookie manager Son Hyuk is an optimist by nature. Even with his Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club mired in a four-game losing skid heading into Sunday's action, Son is maintaining his "glass half-full" mindset.
"In the past two, three seasons, we had mediocre starts and then picked things up in the summer," Son noted before facing the LG Twins at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul. "As long as we stay afloat, I think we'll be just fine."
This file photo from April 21, 2020, shows Kiwoom Heroes' manager Son Hyuk during a Korea Baseball Organization preseason game against the SK Wyverns at SK Happy Dream Park in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul. (Yonhap)
The Heroes won four consecutive games before dropping the next four, starting on Wednesday. They lost both games of the double header against the Twins on Saturday. They blew a 3-0 lead in the second game to fall 5-3.
Son, a long-time pitching coach, said managing a team has brought on a whole new level of stress, and he's only getting by because of his players.
"I think these guys are making me stronger, and I am grateful for that," Son said with a smile. "This is such a difficult job. Sometimes, things don't go quite the way I want them to, but there are also times when things go better than I expected. There is a lot more that I have to pay attention to than I thought."
Son will be without his starting center fielder Lim Byeong-wuk for up to eight weeks. Lim suffered a hamstring injury while trying to run out a bunt single in the second game of Saturday's double header.
"I thought he was going to be in for a big year, and it's really disappointing," Son said. "But I still have a lot of great players on this team. I just have to make sure I don't get too impatient in the dugout."
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-17--Aching back aside, KBO manager rejoices over double header sweep

The Twins-Heroes twin bill from Saturday will almost certainly not be the last double header of this season .
The @ @ @ @ @ was delayed by more than a month due to the coronavirus outbreak , but the @ @ @ @ @ all 144 games into the compressed calendar .
The league will make the use of @ @ @ @ @ and will also ask teams to play on Monday , which is usually the designated @ @ @ @ @

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, May 17 (Yonhap) -- LG Twins' manager Ryu Joong-il got out of bed Sunday morning with his back hurting a little more than usual.
He had just managed a double header against the Kiwoom Heroes for more than six hours on Saturday, and he spent the majority of that time standing in and pacing around the dugout at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul. This was the first double header of the young Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season.
That the Twins won both games eased Ryu's pain.
"This was our first double header in quite some time, and it felt good to take both games," Ryu said Sunday, before the final game of the three-game series against the Heroes at Jamsil.
In this file photo from May 13, 2020, members of the LG Twins celebrate their 14-2 victory over the SK Wyverns in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul. (Yonhap)
With Saturday's double header sweep, the Twins stretched their winning streak to six games and improved to 7-3 on the season, two games behind the first-place NC Dinos.
Ryu said a come-from-behind win last Sunday against the Dinos, which started the current streak, was an important boost to team morale.
"That win ended our three-game losing streak and gave our guys some confidence," Ryu said. The Twins went down 6-0 against the Dinos after the first inning but rallied to win 10-8. "Winning streaks are nice, but it's more important to avoid losing multiple games in a row."
The Twins-Heroes twin bill from Saturday will almost certainly not be the last double header of this season. The start of the regular season was delayed by more than a month due to the coronavirus outbreak, but the KBO still hopes to get all 144 games into the compressed calendar. The league will make the use of double headers whenever possible, and will also ask teams to play on Monday, which is usually the designated offday in the KBO.
Ryu said he's concerned about the toll double headers will inevitably take on his pitching staff. On Saturday, his two key relievers, Lee Sang-kyu and Jung Woo-young, both made an appearance in the first game, a 3-1 LG victory. They didn't even warm up for the second game, as the Twins clawed back from an early deficit to win 5-3.
In this file photo from May 10, 2020, LG Twins' manager Ryu Joong-il (R) congratulates his catcher, Yoo Kang-nam (No. 27), after Yoo's solo home run against the NC Dinos in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)
"Even if a relief pitcher makes just one pitch in the game, he still has to throw about 20 pitches to warm up in the bullpen," Ryu said. "Both Sang-kyu and Woo-young threw about 20 pitches in the first game, and I didn't want them to go through their routine again in the second game."
With his All-Star closer Go Woo-suk sidelined for months with knee injury, Ryu will rely on Lee and Jung to save games. Lee is a hard-throwing right-hander with a traditional, overhand delivery, and Jung is a finesse type with a sidearm delivery.
"We'll play it by ear with our closer," Ryu said. "Even though Woo-young throws sidearm, I think he can still handle left-handed batters well. With Sang-kyu, he's pitching with a lot of energy out there. He's also become more efficient."
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--Ruling party absorbs sister party, cementing mega-majority for new term

The DP and the Platform Party , a satellite party that the ruling party created as an election strategy for @ @ @ @ @ , submitted a declaration of their merger to the NEC a day earlier .
Approving @ @ @ @ @ officially announced the merger the same day .

SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- The ruling Democratic Party (DP) has merged with its sister party, cementing its mega-majority status for the National Assembly's new term, according to the National Election Commission (NEC) on Tuesday.
The DP and the Platform Party, a satellite party that the ruling party created as an election strategy for the April 15 parliamentary elections, submitted a declaration of their merger to the NEC a day earlier. Approving the declaration, the NEC officially announced the merger the same day.
Under the merger, the DP absorbs the Platform Party and its 14 proportional representation seats, controlling a total of 177 parliamentary seats for the 21st National Assembly, whose four-year term starts May 30.
This makes the DP the mega-majority ruling party in the 300-seat unicameral National Assembly for President Moon Jae-in's last two years of his presidency.
Top officials of the ruling Democratic Party and its satellite Platform Party pose for photos during a joint meeting on May 13, 2020, at the National Assembly. (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--Schools reopen for high school seniors Wednesday as planned

Forging ahead with the reopening now , despite concerns , shows the ministry 's willingness to regain a sense of @ @ @ @ @ when the pandemic will end and there is social consensus that schools can not be @ @ @

SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- Schools finally reopen Wednesday for high school seniors after a spate of delays due to safety concerns over the novel coronavirus.
According to education officials, the planned school reopening for high school third graders will proceed as scheduled, 79 days after the original semester start day of March 2.
The education ministry postponed the reopening of schools five times, as parents and school officials had misgivings about preparedness for the COVID-19 pandemic. Sporadic coronavirus outbreaks added to the anxiety already high amid monthslong social distancing.
A Seoul high school is disinfected on May 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
South Korean schoolchildren have been attending online classes at home since April 9.
The ministry originally planned for a phased school reopening starting from last Wednesday, but it was postponed yet again by a week amid a cluster of infections emerging in nightclubs in Itaewon, a multicultural neighborhood in Seoul.
Forging ahead with the reopening now, despite concerns, shows the ministry's willingness to regain a sense of normalcy, as nobody knows when the pandemic will end and there is social consensus that schools cannot be closed indefinitely.
For high school seniors, in-person classes are important in the run-up to the national university entrance exam slated for November. In the case of households where the parents are both working, school reopening is also a pressing matter.
Against this backdrop, the ministry said it would stick to its phased reopening plan for lower grades.
For high school second graders, schools are scheduled to reopen on May 27, and the phased reopening is set to finish on June 8.
To make schools safer, measures have been put in place, such as alternating school days for different grades. Also, local educational offices can apply different school schedules depending on their respective safety and quarantine conditions.
Desks are spaced out in a Seoul high school in this undated file photo. (Yonhap)
Concerns remain, however, among parents over possible infections at school and children spreading the virus in the community.
A petition has been filed on the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae website asking that school reopening be put on hold, with more than 230,000 petitioners showing support.
Education offices have left room for last minute changes.
"If the coronavirus crisis deepens, we will surely review school reopening for high schoolers," Cho Hee-yeon, the superintendent of the Seoul Education Office, said in a briefing Monday, adding the university exam could be delayed by a month in case of an emergency.
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--S. Korea still vigilant over community spread; club cluster brought under control

Itaewon emerged as a hotbed for cluster infections , with the number of cases tied to bars and clubs in @ @ @ @ @ 170 as of Monday , according to the KCDC and the Seoul city government .

SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea added 13 more cases of the new coronavirus Tuesday, marking the fourth consecutive day that new infections stayed below 20, as the country saw a marked slowdown in nightclub-linked cluster infections connected to Itaewon, a nightlife district of Seoul.
The new COVID-19 cases detected Monday brought the total caseload to 11,078, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Of them, nine were local infections.
A quarantine official disinfects a classroom in a high school in the administrative city of Sejong on May 18, 2020. (Yonhap)
Itaewon emerged as a hotbed for cluster infections, with the number of cases tied to bars and clubs in the district reaching at least 170 as of Monday, according to the KCDC and the Seoul city government.
South Korea has successfully flattened the virus curve with massive testing and contact tracing, with its single-day infection falling to a single digit figure in the first week of May.
But the country saw a sharp rise in Itaewon-linked cases after a 29-year-old man tested positive on May 6 after visiting five clubs in the district in early May.
The country, meanwhile, added four more imported cases and no additional deaths, bringing the total death toll to 263.
The total number of people released from quarantine after full recoveries stood at 9,938, up 34 from the previous day.
As club-linked cases slowed, the country will reopen schools Wednesday starting from high school seniors as scheduled.
South Korea switched an "everyday life quarantine" scheme on May 6 to enable citizens to carry out social and economic activities under quarantine rules.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--(URGENT) 34 more people released after full recovery from coronavirus, bringing total cured patients

(URGENT) 34 more people released after full recovery from coronavirus, bringing total cured patients to 9,938: KCDC

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


yna--2020-05-19--(URGENT) S. Korea reports no additional virus death, death toll now at 263: KCDC


yna--2020-05-19--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 13 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 11,078: KCDC


yna--2020-05-19--Int'l Olympic meeting in Seoul postponed due to coronavirus pandemic

`` ANOC and KSOC mutually agreed that given the current global pandemic and wide-spread restrictions on international travel , it @ @ @ @ @ of the National Olympic Committees ( NOCs ) and all Olympic stakeholders to cancel this @ @ @ @ @ , '' ANOC said in a statement posted on its website .
It added that @ @ @ @ @ General Assembly will be announced after further review .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- A meeting of national Olympic organizations set to take place in Seoul this fall has been postponed to next year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) and the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) jointly announced on Tuesday that the 2020 ANOC General Assembly, scheduled to be held Nov. 25-26 this year in Seoul, will instead take place in 2021.
This image, captured from the website of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) on May 19, 2020, shows the emblems for the ANOC and the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"ANOC and KSOC mutually agreed that given the current global pandemic and wide-spread restrictions on international travel, it was in the best interests of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and all Olympic stakeholders to cancel this year's ANOC General Assembly," ANOC said in a statement posted on its website. It added that the new dates for the General Assembly will be announced after further review.
The ANOC General Assembly is an annual gathering of 206 NOCs. The KSOC had planned to use that occasion to promote its bid to co-host the 2032 Summer Olympics with North Korea. KSOC President Lee Kee-heung once talked about organizing a meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, along with international sports leaders, near the 38th parallel border during the ANOC General Assembly.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--April domestic air travelers fall to lowest level since 1997

Local airlines have suspended most of their flights on international routes since March as an increasing number of countries have @ @ @ @ @ taken other measures related to incoming passengers due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic .

SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- The number of domestic air travelers hit a record low in more than two decades in April due to the coronavirus impact on the airline industry, industry data showed Tuesday.
The number of passengers on the domestic routes plunged to 1.35 million last month, down 22 percent from 1.74 million a month earlier, according to Air Portal, an aviation data provider operated by the Korea Civil Aviation Association (KCA).
The April figure marked the lowest level since January 1997. It is also sharply down from 10.63 million passengers on the domestic routes in January, the data showed.
Local airlines have suspended most of their flights on international routes since March as an increasing number of countries have closed their borders or have taken other measures related to incoming passengers due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.
In May, Air Portal said it expected travel demand to recover compared with last month as domestic air travel demand is on the rise as the COVID-19 outbreak seems to have passed its peak.
From May 1-17, the number of domestic air travelers jumped 55 percent to 1.04 million from 8,143 in the same period of last month, Air Portal said.
Korean Air Lines Co. and Asiana Airlines Inc., the country's two biggest carriers, plan to start resuming flights on dozens of their international routes in June as they prepare for increased travel demand after countries ease entry restrictions.
This undated file photo shows planes of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. (Yonhap)
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--Cultural exports jump 9.1 pct in 2018, led by games, character IP

By volume , the gaming sector was the largest cultural exporter with $ 6.4 billion , followed by character IP @ @ @ @ @ .
Shipments of knowledge information products came third with $ 633 million , followed by @ @ @ @ @ .

SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's exports of cultural goods jumped nearly 10 percent on-year in 2018, led by games and character intellectual property (IP), a government survey showed Tuesday.
The combined overseas sales in 11 culture and entertainment sectors reached about US$9.62 billion, up 9.1 percent from 2017, according to the annual content industry statistics published by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
The figure compares with the country's overall export growth of 5.4 percent that year.
The industries surveyed included movies, broadcasting, publishing, music, games, cartoons, animation, advertising, characters, knowledge information and content solutions.
By volume, the gaming sector was the largest cultural exporter with $6.4 billion, followed by character IP goods with $745 million. Shipments of knowledge information products came third with $633 million, followed by music with $564.23 million.
Broadcasting posted the biggest year-on-year expansion with 32 percent in 2018, followed by animation with 20.5 percent. Comics and character IP products grew 14.9 percent and 12.2 percent, respectively.
Imports of cultural goods were tallied at $1.22 billion, up 1.3 percent from the previous year. As a result, the trade balance in the sectors recorded a surplus of $8.4 billion.
In this file photo, Kim Taek-jin, CEO of online game publisher NCSOFT Corp., gives a keynote speech in Seoul on May 15, 2018, on the anniversary of the megahit product Lineage M. (Yonhap)
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--NC Dinos roar to 1st place in KBO behind hitting machine, breakout starter

Thanks to that uncanny ability to make contact , Park is batting a robust .432 .
He went hitless in @ @ @ @ @ the season and then has hit safely in each of his next nine games .
@ @ @ @ @ on Opening Day on May 5 , and has not struck out since .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- In the young Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season, NC Dinos' leadoff man Park Min-woo is elevating the term "hitting machine" to a whole new level.
In one of the most remarkable stats so far in 2020, Park has swung and missed on just one pitch in the strike zone.
Park has been to the plate 48 times in 11 games through Sunday, and has seen 120 strikes. And he has fanned on exactly one of those 120 pitches, or 0.8 percent of the time. Park has put 43 of those strikes in play, fouled off 36 of them, and looked at 40 of them for a strike call.
Park Min-woo of the NC Dinos runs to first base after hitting a double against the SK Wyverns in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at SK Happy Dream Park in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, on May 15, 2020. (Yonhap)
His overall contact rate, or the number of times a batter makes contact with the ball divided by the total number of swings, sits at 98.8 percent. In layman's terms, it means Park hits the ball, whether it's fair or foul, about 99 percent of the time when he swings.
And it's never a bad thing to be able to connect with the ball so frequently. At worst, you can foul off a pitch with two strikes to stay alive in the at-bat -- Park is great at that, too, with a 97.1 percent contact rate after two strikes.
If you put the ball in play and make defenders work, anything could happen in the KBO, given the general inconsistency on defense.
Thanks to that uncanny ability to make contact, Park is batting a robust .432. He went hitless in the first two games of the season and then has hit safely in each of his next nine games. He struck out swinging once on Opening Day on May 5, and has not struck out since.
With Park setting the table at the top of the order, the Dinos have roared to first place at 10-1. Only the 2003 Samsung Lions, who won 10 straight to start that year, reached the double digits in wins faster than this year's Dinos.
NC manager Lee Dong-wook marveled at Park's ability to adjust.
"I think he just has that gift to make solid contact against any pitcher," Lee said Sunday. "He struggled a bit in the first two games of the season, and then he began tweaking his mechanics."
Park, a lifetime .329 hitter, finished third in batting average in 2017 and 2019. He'll be chasing his first batting title this year as the Dinos look to maintain their early dominance.
For all of Park's heroics, the Dinos aren't statistically the best hitting team. But on the mound, with the 23-year-old left-hander Koo Chang-mo leading the charge, the Dinos have posted the lowest team ERA at 3.26.
Koo Chang-mo of the NC Dinos pitches against KT Wiz in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on May 14, 2020. (Yonhap)
Koo has pitched two straight scoreless starts. He first blanked the Samsung Lions over six innings on May 7, and then shut down the KT Wiz for eight more innings a week later.
In those 14 innings, Koo has struck out 18, while giving up six hits and three walks.
Koo, who made his KBO debut as a 19-year-old in 2016, has always had the raw talent with high strikeout potential. He looked to be finally putting it together in 2019, with a 10-7 record, a 3.20 ERA with 114 strikeouts in 107 innings. And now he's off to a brilliant start to 2020.
"He has so much promise, and this could be the year when he takes a huge step forward," manager Lee said.
One opposing scout noted that Koo seems to have learned to change speeds more effectively this season. He has touched 148 kilometers per hour with his four-seam fastball, but he has also thrown them in the high-130 range to keep hitters off balance.
"He used to just throw hard all the time," the scout said. "With more experience, he is mixing things up a little more."
NC Dinos players celebrate their 11-5 victory over the SK Wyverns in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at SK Happy Dream Park in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, on May 15, 2020. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--Seoul stocks open sharply higher on hopes of virus vaccine

On Sunday , Powell said the Fed has not run out of ammunition to help the economy .
On Monday @ @ @ @ @ a `` full range of tools '' to minimize the economic fallout from the virus @ @

SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korean shares opened sharply higher Tuesday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street that followed reports of positive results from a vaccine development test.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) surged 40.35 points, or 2.08 percent, to 1,977.46 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
The stock market rally follows overnight gains on Wall Street, where hopes of COVID-19 vaccine development and a pledge from U.S. Fed chief to support the economy helped boost investor sentiment.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average spiked 911.35 points, or 3.85 percent, to close at 24,597.37 on Monday.
On Sunday, Powell said the Fed has not run out of ammunition to help the economy. On Monday he again pledged to use a "full range of tools" to minimize the economic fallout from the virus outbreak.
Also, U.S. pharmaceutical firm Moderna reported what it called promising results from its very early stage testing of a candidate vaccine.
In Seoul, most large caps opened in positive terrain.
Market kingpin Samsung Electronics soared 2.66 percent, with No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix adding 1.48 percent.
Top automaker Hyundai Motor surged 4.68 percent while its smaller affiliate Kia Motors jumped 7.16 percent.
The local currency sharply rose against the U.S. dollar, trading at 1,221.90 won per dollar, up 10.50 won from the previous session's close.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--LG Electronics' overseas patents pass 60,000 mark

LG has been ramping up its portfolio of patents related to 5G , autonomous driving , artificial intelligence and other @ @ @ @ @ .
LG set up an in-house patent body in 1997 and expanded it in 2001 @

SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- LG Electronics Co. boasts more than 60,000 overseas patents on the back of its push to preemptively secure 5G and other future technologies, a company report showed Tuesday.
The cumulative number of LG's overseas patents stood at 61,164 as of the end of March, up about 5,000 from a year earlier, according to the first-quarter business report.
The figure was also up 1,320 from three months earlier. The company's international and domestic patents totaled 87,733 as of end-March.
LG has been ramping up its portfolio of patents related to 5G, autonomous driving, artificial intelligence and other future technologies since last year. LG set up an in-house patent body in 1997 and expanded it in 2001.
According to a recent report by German intellectual property research firm Iplytics, LG had the third-largest number of 5G patent applications in the world at 2,236.
LG also has 367 patents related to self-driving, the seventh highest globally, while ranking sixth in the number of U.S. patent grants after Intel.
LG's quarterly report also showed its spending on research and development nearing 1.1 trillion won in the first quarter, taking up 7.4 percent of its sales.
(END)


KOSPI 1,977.47 UP 40.36 points (open)


KOSDAQ 696.01 UP 5.16 points (open)


Tuesday's weather forecast

SEOUL , May 19 ( Yonhap ) -- The following is the weather forecast for South Korea 's 12 major @ @ @ @ @ .


yna--2020-05-19--Dollar opens at 1,224.5 won DN from 1,232.4 won


yna--2020-05-19--N. Korea among 47 countries facing food shortages due to global pandemic: U.N. agency

`` Globally , the COVID-19 pandemic is already directly affecting food systems through impacts on food supply and demand , @ @ @ @ @ purchasing power , the capacity to produce and distribute food , and the intensification of @ @ @ @ @ which will have differentiated impacts and will more strongly affect the poor and vulnerable , @ @ @ @

SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- Around 183 million people in 47 countries, including North Korea, are facing the possibility of severe food insecurity as border closures and disruptions in global supply chains have restricted their access to farming products, a U.N. food agency said.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) also estimated in the report that around US$350 million will be needed this year to provide necessary assistance to those countries facing a looming crisis.
"While the COVID-19 pandemic is devastating lives, public health systems, livelihoods and economies across the world, populations living in food crisis contexts and those whose resilience has been eroded by previous crises are particularly exposed to its effects," the report said.
"Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic is already directly affecting food systems through impacts on food supply and demand, and indirectly through decreases in purchasing power, the capacity to produce and distribute food, and the intensification of care tasks, all of which will have differentiated impacts and will more strongly affect the poor and vulnerable," it added.
The report noted, "There is a serious risk that people will experience famine conditions if needs are not met," saying that around $350 million will be needed "to ensure the provision of critical assistance where there are already high levels of need."
It, however, did not provide details on situations in North Korea, such as how many people are facing food shortage problems.
In March, the FAO designated North Korea as a country facing a food shortage, while the World Meteorological Organization, another U.N. agency, also projected that around 10 million people in the country with a population of 25 million will require urgent food assistance.
North Korea is believed to be suffering from chronic food shortage problems caused by unfavorable weather and global sanctions, restricting its access to fertilizer and other key farming materials. It has recently ramped up calls for "food self-reliance" as the rice transplanting season has started in full swing.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--Global TV market sinks 16 pct in Q1 on virus impact

In terms of the value of TVs sold , Samsung 's market share is estimated at 31.9 percent in the @ @ @ @ @ of LG reaching 17 percent , according to their business reports .

SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- The global TV market shrank nearly 16 percent in the first quarter of the year due to the coronavirus pandemic, with only South Korean makers reporting slight growth, a market tracker said Tuesday.
Worldwide TV shipments stood at 43.29 million units in the January-March period, down 16.4 percent from a year earlier, according to Omdia, formerly IHS Markit.
TCL and other Chinese TV manufacturers saw their sales dip 14.4 percent to 15.13 million, with those of Sony and other Japanese players tumbling 26.2 percent to 4.42 million.
But combined shipments by Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. increased 2.6 percent on-year to 16.78 million units.
South Korean TV makers recaptured the world's No. 1 spot in terms of shipments in the first quarter after giving up the title to Chinese rivals last year.
The combined market share of Samsung and LG surged to 38.8 percent in the first quarter from 31.6 percent a year earlier. Samsung saw its share grow to 24.1 percent from 18.8 percent.
China's market share edged up to 35 percent from 34.1 percent, while Japan's proportion dropped to 10.2 percent from 11.6 percent.
Shipments of LCD TVs sank 16.6 percent on-year to 42.66 million units during the three-month period, but those of OLED TVs gained 2.5 percent to 620,000.
An industry source said Chinese TV makers were pounded by the coronavirus pandemic, with South Korean firms taking a smaller hit.
But the coronavirus outbreak is expected to deal a harsh blow to shipments of South Korean manufacturers in the second quarter, he added.
In terms of the value of TVs sold, Samsung's market share is estimated at 31.9 percent in the first quarter, with that of LG reaching 17 percent, according to their business reports.
Samsung topped the global TV market for the 14th consecutive year in 2019, with a market share of 30.9 percent, followed by its local rival LG Electronics Inc. with 16.3 percent and Japan's Sony Corp. with 9.4 percent.
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--(EDITORIAL from Korea JoongAng Daily on May 19)

The suspicions are threefold .
The first is whether she embezzled public donations and government subsidies for the council .
@ @ @ @ @ system , it is difficult to find out where and how the money was spent @ @ @ @ @ a lot to simple mistakes in accounting .
Yet it does not reveal the details @ @ @ @ @ past .
The second question is whether Yoon used the donations for private purposes after @ @ @ @ @ bank accounts .
The third question relates to the purchase and sale of a house @ @ @ @ @ allegedly help the survivors spend time peacefully .
A predecessor of the civic group had @ @ @ @ @ million won ( $ 689,000 ) seven years ago and recently sold it for 430 @ @ @

Digging into suspicions
In a shameful development, prosecutors have kicked off an investigation of Yoon Mee-hyang, a lawmaker-elect from the Citizen Party, a satellite party of the ruling Democratic Party, and former head of the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, a civic group aimed at helping former wartime sex slaves. She has been involved in an alleged misuse of public donations. If proven true, that charge constitutes a serious moral lapse and clear violation of the law.
Circumstantial evidence strongly suggests that Yoon was engaged in embezzlement and a breach of trust. Nevertheless, she refuses to make clear how she spent certain money. The prosecution's probe into such allegations translates into a blot on the integrity of civic groups across the country. It all started with Yoon herself.
The suspicions are threefold. The first is whether she embezzled public donations and government subsidies for the council. Due to its crude accounting system, it is difficult to find out where and how the money was spent. The civic group attributes a lot to simple mistakes in accounting. Yet it does not reveal the details of its expenditures in the past. The second question is whether Yoon used the donations for private purposes after collecting them through her own bank accounts. The third question relates to the purchase and sale of a house the civic group bought to allegedly help the survivors spend time peacefully. A predecessor of the civic group had purchased the house for 850 million won ($689,000) seven years ago and recently sold it for 430 million won.
It is easy for investigators and accounting experts to affirm how and where the money was spent. If they trace the flow of the money, they can check the details of any transactions between Yoon and her friends. The prosecution has a number of financial experts who know how to dig out various types of slush funds in the public or private sectors. If the top law enforcement agency displays a determination to get to the bottom of all the suspicions, it can reach a conclusion sooner or later.
In the meantime, vital clues to the mounting suspicions about Yoon are disappearing one after another. Not to mention a number of online postings removed recently, her own bank accounts also have been closed, which points to the possibility of concealment of evidence after possibly colluding with her friends. The prosecution certainly knows that the success of its investigation of the case depends on obtaining evidence in the initial stages.
Hwang Hee-seok, another lawmaker-elect and former senior official at the Ministry of Justice, warned the prosecution not to take a "political approach" to the case. The government and ruling Democratic Party must stop trying to obstruct or block the prosecution's investigations. Prosecutors must dig into the suspicions according to the law so as not to be stigmatized as a law enforcement body that is easily swayed by outside forces.
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--(EDITORIAL from Korea Times on May 19)

(EDITORIAL from Korea Times on May 19)

The latest episode involves the former House of Peace and Healing the council purchased in 2013 in Anseong , Gyeonggi @ @ @ @ @ was bought for 750 million won ( $ 608,000 ) using a 1 billion won @ @ @ @ @ for the surviving victims of wartime sexual slavery .
Far from Seoul , it was @ @ @ @ @ including workshops .
In a poor judgment , the council also paid 75 million won @ @ @ @ @ 's father to manage the house .

Deep disappointment
Ex-council chief needs to explain why new allegations appear
The controversy over financial mishandlings by the Korean Council for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan and its former chief Yoon Mi-hyang, is deepening the disappointment for many who rallied for the peaceful civic movement.
The latest episode involves the former House of Peace and Healing the council purchased in 2013 in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province. A country house was bought for 750 million won ($608,000) using a 1 billion won corporate donation to provide shelter for the surviving victims of wartime sexual slavery. Far from Seoul, it was mainly used for other purposes including workshops. In a poor judgment, the council also paid 75 million won over six years to Yoon's father to manage the house.
The house was recently sold for 420 million won, about half of the purchase price and interior costs that it later accrued. Because Yoon's acquaintance introduced the house to the council, there are suspicions whether insider perks were involved in the "overpriced" purchasing of the home.
On Monday, a civic group filed a complaint against Yoon over the transactions regarding the house. Yoon and the advocacy group already face investigation by the prosecution after civic groups filed a complaint over the council's lack of financial transparency, including the use of Yoon's personal bank account for a donation drive for special occasions. Yoon and the advocacy group should respond fully to clear all areas of suspicion.
It is a bit dizzying to hear further allegations since Lee Yong-soo, 92, a former "comfort woman," raised questions about the council's financial mishandling of donations in early May.
The council has acknowledged "minor" errors in accounting, and has apologized for employing Yoon's father. In a recent interview, Yoon has expressed apology for the ongoing situation, but vowed to prove her sincerity through parliamentary activities.
Calls are growing for Yoon, who won a ruling party proportional representation seat, to resign. It is unfortunate these controversies over a thorny issue question her decades of commitment to a peaceful movement. In fairness, it must devastate the civic group to find its management falling short, whether it be in hindsight or not.
Yoon has dubbed the intense scrutiny over her and the advocacy group as a political scheme by conservative forces. But slowly, ruling party officials are expressing concern over the allegations and controversy surrounding her. She and the council owe clear answers to the survivors and those who rallied for and donated to the civic movement.
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--(LEAD) FM Kang talks with Australian, Indian ministers on coronavirus

Cho called on the ambassadors to Argentina , Brazil , Paraguay and Uruguay and the consul-general in Sao Paulo to @ @ @ @ @ cooperation in the health and quarantine sectors with the members of Mercosur , a regional @ @ @ @ @ four countries , the ministry said .

(ATTN: UPDATES with talks with Australia, India; CHANGES headline; ADDS photo)
SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top diplomat had separate talks Tuesday with her Australian and Indian counterparts on the coronavirus response, Seoul's foreign ministry said.
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Australian counterpart, Marise Payne, exchanged views by phone on ways for bilateral cooperation against the pandemic, it said.
Both nations are known to be coping with the crisis effectively.
The ministers agreed on the need to prepare for the recurrence of incidents similar to COVID-19, provide assistance to countries vulnerable to the spread of infectious diseases and strengthen regional quarantine cooperation, according to the ministry.
As the two sides commemorate the 60th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties next year, the ministers agreed to bolster bilateral and multilateral partnerships. They are members of the MIKTA middle-power group along with Mexico, Indonesia and Turkey
Kang also had a virtual meeting with India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. She requested India's support for South Koreans planning to make urgent visits there despite tight border controls over the virus.
The Indian minister agreed to continue consultations on how to allow "inevitable" cross-border economic activities amid quarantine measures.
Earlier in the day, First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Sei-young held a videoconference with heads of South Korean missions in four South American nations.
Cho called on the ambassadors to Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay and the consul-general in Sao Paulo to explore various ways to enhance cooperation in the health and quarantine sectors with the members of Mercosur, a regional trade bloc consisting of the four countries, the ministry said.
Cho noted the need to pay more attention to South Korean citizens living in those countries and Korean companies engaged in business there, calling for stepped-up efforts to provide them with the best support possible.
The meeting also included sharing up-to-date assessments on the COVID-19 outbreak situation in the South American region, as well as in South Korea.
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--(4th LD) Hospital virus outbreak rekindles concerns over cluster infections

Gangnam Ward , where the hospital is located , said a total of 623 people need to be screened , @ @ @ @ @ in the day .
It said that of the total , besides the infected nurses @ @ @ @ @ with the rest awaiting lab results .
It said efforts are under way to broaden @ @ @ @ @ may have been infected can be quarantined and checked .

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details in paras 5-8)
SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korean health authorities were put on edge again on Tuesday as yet another cluster case looms, at a major hospital in Seoul, following mass infections tied to nightclubs and bars in the nightlife district of Itaewon.
Four nurses working at Samsung Medical Center, one of the country's five major general hospitals, were confirmed to have been infected with COVID-19, and more related cases are likely to come as transmission routes are unknown, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
A 29-year-old nurse working at an operating room of the hospital tested positive for COVID-19 Monday and three others were confirmed to have been infected earlier in the day, according to health authorities and the Seoul city government.
This file photo, taken on May 19, 2020, shows Samsung Medical Center in southern Seoul, where four nurses tested positive for the new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
The 13 virus cases detected Monday brought the total caseload to 11,078, according to the KCDC. Of them, nine were local infections, seven of which were tied to the Itaewon outbreak.
The outbreak at the general hospital put health authorities back on high alert after respite from club-linked infections in the district of Itaewon in Seoul. An outbreak at a hospital is of grave concern because the fatality rate among people with underlying illnesses is particularly high. The hospital, which on average has 8,500 to 9,700 outpatients per day, has some 2,000 beds and a staff of 8,900.
KCDC Deputy Director Kwon Joon-wook said contact tracing is being conducted to determine who came into contact with the infected nurses.
Gangnam Ward, where the hospital is located, said a total of 623 people need to be screened, up from 277 announced earlier in the day. It said that of the total, besides the infected nurses, 347 tested negative, with the rest awaiting lab results. It said efforts are under way to broaden contact tracing so anyone who may have been infected can be quarantined and checked.
The first infected nurse neither visited Itaewon clubs nor came into contact with those that were in the neighborhood.
"The number of virus patients will likely increase, given its 14-day incubation period. There is a high possibility that infections of health workers will rise," Kwon said at a briefing.
Kwon said an epidemiological study is under way to determine the source of COVID-19 infections at the hospital.
Samsung Medical Center has shut down 25 operating rooms, including a surgery room where the infected nurses worked. It will not accept new inpatients for the next three days.
A Seoul city official said the infected nurses took part in a surgery in a negative pressure operating room last week.
The hospital has been on high alert over the COVID-19 pandemic, as 85 out of the country's 186 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) cases in 2015 were reported from the hospital.
The KCDC said a total of 266 medical workers here have been infected with the coronavirus so far.
This photo, provided by the Daegu Fire Department on May 19, 2020, shows a designated ambulance that the fire service operates to carry people who show symptoms of COVID-19 in Daegu, 302 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
South Korea has successfully flattened the virus curve with massive testing and contact tracing, with its daily infections falling to a single digit figure in the first week of May.
But Itaewon emerged as a hotbed for cluster infections, after a 29-year-old man tested positive on May 6 with visits to five clubs in the district in early May. The total caseload tied to the Itaewon outbreak reached 187 as of Tuesday noon, with additional 12 patients linked to the cluster being reported over past 36 hours.
"We urge citizens to implement quarantine steps in their daily routines as if we lower our guard against the virus, new infections can occur at any time," Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health official, said in a separate briefing.
South Korea's daily infections of the new coronavirus stayed below 20 for the fourth straight day Tuesday due to a marked slowdown in cluster infections liked to Itaewon.
The country added four more imported cases. It reported no additional death, bringing the death toll to 263. The fatality rate was 2.38 percent.
The total number of people released from quarantine after full recoveries stood at 9,938, up 34 from the previous day.
The country, with a population of more than 50 million, has carried out 765,574 tests since Jan. 3, including 12,363 the previous day.
As club-linked cases slowed, the country will reopen schools Wednesday starting from high school seniors as scheduled.
South Korea switched an "everyday life quarantine" scheme on May 6 to enable citizens to carry out social and economic activities under quarantine rules.
The KCDC said it will draw up specific quarantine measures that can be applied to highly crowded facilities, based on the risk of virus spread. Health authorities said they are considering mandatory imposition of core quarantine guidelines on such facilities.
Teachers put up screening barriers on students' desks at a high school in Daegu, 302 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on May 19, 2020. South Korea will reopen schools, starting with high school seniors, the next day. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--(4th LD) 4 nurses at major Seoul hospital infected with COVID-19, facilities partially closed

`` An epidemiological investigation is under way to determine whether the infection occurred within the hospital , and if so @ @ @ @ @ infection is , or whether it came from outside the hospital , '' said Kwon @ @ @ @ @ the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( KCDC ) .

(ATTN: ADDS details in paras 3, 6-7, 12)
SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- Four nurses working at Samsung Medical Center have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, authorities said Tuesday, raising concerns over the first infection involving health workers at a major hospital here.
Four nurses working at the cardiothoracic and OB-GYN operating rooms in the hospital in southern Seoul tested positive on Monday and Tuesday, local government officials said.
Of the 623 patients and hospital workers who must be checked for the virus, 347 have tested negative for infection so far, with the remainder awaiting lab results, according to officials of Gangnam Ward, where the hospital is located.
As a precautionary measure, the hospital has closed down 25 operating rooms on the third floor of the main building and will not treat new in-patients for the next three days, the ward office said.
Samsung Medical Center in Seoul (Yonhap)
The case, the first time in which medical workers at a major general hospital have been infected, has put authorities on alert over the possibility of a bigger outbreak.
An outbreak at a hospital is of grave concern because the fatality rate among people with underlying illnesses is particularly high.
Authorities have yet to identify the exact infection route, heightening concerns over the source of the transmission.
"An epidemiological investigation is under way to determine whether the infection occurred within the hospital, and if so, what the source of infection is, or whether it came from outside the hospital," said Kwon Joon-wook, deputy director at the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
The new group infection began when a nurse working at the hospital's cardiothoracic operating rooms tested positive Monday. Three other nurses later were confirmed to be infected.
The first nurse did not report for work during the weekend and showed symptoms of a fever Sunday night, according to the health authorities.
The hospital said the nurse had not visited Seoul's popular nightlife district of Itaewon, which has recently become an infection cluster.
Public health officials said they are tracing the footsteps of all four nurses to identify where they were and the people they may have contacted who need to be checked for COVID-19 as soon as possible.
"The entire process can take up to a week," a source said.
Hospital workers wait to get checked for the coronavirus at a screening center set up at the outdoor parking lot of Samsung Medical Center in the southern Seoul ward of Gangnam on May 19, 2020. (Yonhap)
The country added 13 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, bringing the total caseload to 11,078. Of the number, nine were local infections.
The total caseload in the capital has reached 742, up six from the previous day.
Samsung Medical Center is one of the country's biggest general hospitals, with around 8,900 employees and 2,000 beds. Up to 9,700 outpatients are estimated to visit the hospital daily.
The hospital, which had reported scores of patients during the 2015 Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreak, has been checking all employees for virus symptoms twice a day and all visitors at its entrance. It has also limited the number of visitors per patient to one.
khj@yna.co.kr
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--(2nd LD) Fire at LG Chem lab kills 1, injures 2

The accident came as the nation 's leading chemicals company is reeling from a toxic gas leak at its plant @ @ @ @ @ , which killed 12 people and sickened more than 1,000 people .

(ATTN: ADDS info in paras 3-7)
SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- A fire at a research center of LG Chem Ltd. killed one worker and injured two others Tuesday, firefighters said.
The blaze occurred at the company's catalyst lab in the central city of Seosan, some 120 kilometers south of Seoul, at around 2:20 p.m. Firefighters extinguished it at around 3:30 p.m.
A 39-year-old researcher was killed and two workers, aged 47 and 27, respectively, suffered second-degree burns to the face and neck and were sent to a nearby hospital, they said.
Fire authorities presumed the fire started when heavy pressure caused a pyrophoric substance in a catalyst to be exposed to air in the center's packing room.
The fine powder material had alkylaluminum, which ignites rapidly on contact with ambient air, they said.
There was no leak of harmful chemicals, according to the local fire department.
Police and fire authorities are investigating the cause of the accident.
The facility was immediately shut down.
The accident came as the nation's leading chemicals company is reeling from a toxic gas leak at its plant in India on May 7, which killed 12 people and sickened more than 1,000 people.
Firefighters work at LG Chem's catalyst lab in Seosan, some 120 kilometers south of Seoul, after extinguishing a fire that killed one worker and injured two others on May 19, 2020, in this contributed photo. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--S. Korea welcomes recent power-sharing deal between rival Afghan leaders

`` The government expects that the domestic political situation in Afghanistan will stabilize based on this agreement , '' Kim @ @ @ @ @ spokesman , said in a statement .
`` Our government will continuously participate in international @ @ @ @ @ establishment of peace in Afghanistan . ''

SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- The foreign ministry on Tuesday welcomed a recent power-sharing deal between rival Afghan leaders that paved the way for political stability in the conflict-laden country.
On Sunday, Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah inked the deal under which the latter will appoint half of the cabinet ministers in pursuit of a balance of power between the leaders.
"The government expects that the domestic political situation in Afghanistan will stabilize based on this agreement," Kim In-chul, the ministry's spokesman, said in a statement. "Our government will continuously participate in international efforts toward stability and the establishment of peace in Afghanistan."
Afghanistan has gone through a political crisis as both Ghani and Abdullah claimed to have won the presidential poll in September despite the election authorities' view that the incumbent leader narrowly won the election.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--Vice FM discusses anti-virus efforts with mission chiefs in South America

Cho called on the ambassadors to Argentina , Brazil , Paraguay and Uruguay and the consul-general in Sao Paulo to @ @ @ @ @ cooperation in the health and quarantine sectors with the members of Mercosur , a regional @ @ @ @ @ four countries , the ministry said in a release .

SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Sei-young held a videoconference Tuesday with chiefs of South Korean missions in four South American nations and discussed ways for greater cooperation in the region amid the coronavirus pandemic, the foreign ministry in Seoul said.
Cho called on the ambassadors to Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay and the consul-general in Sao Paulo to explore various ways to enhance cooperation in the health and quarantine sectors with the members of Mercosur, a regional trade bloc consisting of the four countries, the ministry said in a release.
Cho noted the need to pay more attention to South Korean citizens living in those countries and Korean companies engaged in business there, calling for stepped-up efforts to provide them with the best support possible.
The meeting also included sharing up-to-date assessments on the COVID-19 outbreak situation in the South American region, as well as in South Korea.
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


Yonhap News Summary

Four nurses working at Samsung Medical Center , one of the country 's five major general hospitals , were confirmed @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 , and more related cases are likely to come as transmission routes are unknown @ @ @ @ @ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( KCDC ) .

The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday.
-----------------
(LEAD) Fire at LG Chem lab kills 1, injures 2
SEOUL -- A fire at a research center of LG Chem Ltd. killed one worker and injured two others Tuesday, firefighters said.
The blaze occurred at the company's catalyst lab in the central city of Seosan, some 120 kilometers south of Seoul, at around 2:20 p.m. Firefighters extinguished it at around 3:30 p.m.
-----------------
(LEAD) schools reopen for high school seniors Wednesday as planned
SEOUL -- Schools finally reopen Wednesday for high school seniors after a spate of delays due to safety concerns over the novel coronavirus.
The planned school reopening for high school third graders will proceed as scheduled, 79 days after the original semester start day of March 2, the education ministry said. But it will proceed in a limited fashion: Classes will be shortened and no extracurricular activities will be allowed.
-----------------
(LEAD) Seoul stocks soar to over 2-month high on hope of vaccine development
SEOUL -- South Korean stocks jumped by more than 2 percent on Tuesday, joining other Asian and global stock markets in a rally that came on hopes of a vaccine for COVID-19. The local currency sharply rose against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) spiked 43.50 points, or 2.25 percent, to close at 1,980.61, extending its winning streak to a third day.
-----------------
(3rd LD) Hospital virus outbreak rekindles concerns over cluster infections
SEOUL -- South Korean health authorities were put on edge again on Tuesday as yet another cluster case looms, at a major hospital in Seoul, following mass infections tied to nightclubs and bars in the nightlife district of Itaewon.
Four nurses working at Samsung Medical Center, one of the country's five major general hospitals, were confirmed to have been infected with COVID-19, and more related cases are likely to come as transmission routes are unknown, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
-----------------
(3rd LD) 4 nurses at major Seoul hospital infected with COVID-19, facilities partially suspended
SEOUL -- Four nurses working at Samsung Medical Center have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, authorities said Tuesday, raising concerns over the first infection involving health workers at a major hospital here.
Four nurses working at the cardiothoracic and ob-gyn operating rooms in the hospital in southern Seoul tested positive on Monday and Tuesday, local government officials said Tuesday.
-----------------
(2nd LD) N. Korea faces 860,000-ton grain shortage: unification ministry
SEOUL -- North Korea is presumed to be facing a shortage of around 860,000 tons of grain this year amid worries that the coronavirus pandemic could aggravate the situation, a unification ministry official said Tuesday.
The projection is based on an earlier estimate by a local state-run institute that the North produced around 4.64 million tons of grain last year, which was below the 5.5 million tons widely believed to a minimum amount needed to feed its 25 million people.
-----------------
(2nd LD) S. Korea files protest at Japan over repeated Dokdo claims in annual diplomatic book
SEOUL -- The foreign ministry called in a senior Japanese diplomat on Tuesday to lodge a protest after Tokyo's latest annual diplomatic book repeated territorial claims to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo.
Kim Jung-han, director general for Asia and Pacific affairs at Seoul's foreign ministry called in Hirohisa Soma, a senior official from the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, to express regret over the book's content and urge for Tokyo to retract the claims.
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--(LEAD) Cluster infections traced to dishonest instructor spreading in Incheon

The controversial instructor , a 25-year-old university senior , tested positive for the virus on May 9 after visiting King @ @ @ @ @ 's nightspots at the center of the recent resurgence of virus infections , on May @ @ @ @ @ about his teaching job at an Incheon private academy , hampering quarantine efforts by the @ @ @ @ @ now under police investigation after the government filed a criminal complaint .

(ATTN: UPDATES with revised figures and details in paras 1,4,5,8,10 and more details in last three paras)
INCHEON, May 19 (Yonhap) -- The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Incheon traced to an infected private academy instructor at the center of the port city's latest outbreak of cluster infections have increased by eight to 25, the municipal government said Tuesday.
The latest victims include a Chinese couple who used a taxi driven by a 66-year-old man who contracted COVID-19 after driving the instructor in Incheon, about 50 kilometers west of Seoul, on May 4, the government said.
The Chinese couple, aged 53 and 48, who reside in the city's Yeonsu Ward, took the infected driver's taxi last Saturday, it said.
This file photo taken on May 14, 2020, shows a masked citizen passing by a private academy in Incheon, where a coronavirus-infected instructor taught students. (Yonhap)
Separately, a 49-year-old taxi driver and his 17-year-old son, who visited a coin karaoke room in Michuhol Ward on May 6, and his 36-year-old wife have all tested positive, the government said, noting two of the instructor's infected academy students visited the same karaoke room on the same day.
A 23-year-old man, who visited the same karaoke room on May 6, and another 17-year-old, who visited an internet cafe located in the same building as the karaoke room on the same day, also tested positive Tuesday.
The latest infections have been confirmed as quarantine authorities have been conducting coronavirus tests on all 143 passengers who made credit card payments after taking the infected driver's taxi from May 4 to last Saturday, as well as on all citizens who visited the Michuhol karaoke room on May 6.
The 66-year-old driver, who had sat behind the wheel before developing symptoms of cough and sore throat last Saturday, and his 67-year-old wife tested positive on Sunday and Monday, respectively.
The driver's four-year-old grandson, who lives in Yongin, just south of Seoul, has also been found to be infected, according to Yongin officials. The boy had reportedly stayed at his grandparent's home in Incheon's Namdong Ward from May 9-17.
The controversial instructor, a 25-year-old university senior, tested positive for the virus on May 9 after visiting King Club, one of Itaewon's nightspots at the center of the recent resurgence of virus infections, on May 2, but he lied about his teaching job at an Incheon private academy, hampering quarantine efforts by the local government. He is now under police investigation after the government filed a criminal complaint.
So far, a total of 25 confirmed cases, including one child and 13 students, have been traced to the instructor.
The instructor was found to have taken taxis 13 times from May 2-8, prompting authorities to conduct virus tests on all 13 drivers. Except for the 66-year-old driver, the 12 others have tested negative.
Quarantine officials are particularly embarrassed as the instructor had probably infected the taxi driver even though both of them wore face masks during the ride.
Meanwhile, municipal officials are tracking down passengers who used the taxi driven by the 49-year-old driver from May 9-17, during which he sat behind the wheel wearing a face mask, though he developed symptoms of cough, chills and muscle pain from May 12.
The driver was also found to have worked as a freelance photographer at buffet restaurants in Bucheon and Goyang, both in Gyeonggi Province, on May 9, 10 and 16, prompting the officials to search for people who visited the places on those dates.
They are also paying attention to the driver's wife, as she has worked as a home-study teacher. They have so far put 34 students taught by the woman and 30 of her fellow teachers under self-isolation and plan to conduct coronavirus tests on all of them.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--Lawmaker-elect under pressure to resign over suspicious use of donations for 'comfort women'

Yoon has been at the vanguard of South Korea 's civic efforts to draw attention to World War II sexual @ @ @ @ @ forces and press the Japanese government to apologize and provide compensation .
From 2002-2005 , @ @ @ @ @ for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan , the predecessor of the @ @ @ @ @ Remembrance .

SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- Yoon Mee-hyang, a leading activist for wartime sex slave victims in South Korea who recently won a parliamentary seat, is facing growing suspicions that she misappropriated funds donated to the victims.
Yoon first came under fire early this month after Lee Yong-soo, a victim of the imperial Japanese military's wartime sexual enslavement, claimed that public donations intended for the victims were not spent transparently and that victims were exploited over the past 30 years by the civic group Yoon led.
Lee, 92, also called on Yoon give up her parliamentary seat to resolve the problems associated with the accused civic group, the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan.
Yoon has been at the vanguard of South Korea's civic efforts to draw attention to World War II sexual atrocities by the imperial Japanese forces and press the Japanese government to apologize and provide compensation. From 2002-2005, she headed the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, the predecessor of the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance.
Historians say up to 200,000 women, mostly Koreans, were coerced into sexual servitude in front-line Japanese brothels during the war, when the Korean Peninsula was a Japanese colony. The women are euphemistically called "comfort women."
In April, Yoon won a seat in the National Assembly on the proportional representation ticket of the Platform Party, a satellite party of the ruling Democratic Party (DP).
Activist-turned-lawmaker elect Yoon Mee-hyang (Yonhap)
Lee's recent allegations led to a slew of other accusations of financial improprieties involving Yoon's real estate transactions and condolence money from a victim's funeral, prompting the opposition bloc to demand her resignation.
The allegations center on the Korean Council's purchase of a shelter for comfort women victims in Anseong, south of Seoul.
Media reports alleged that the civic group, using a 1 billion won (US$815,727) corporate donation, purchased the shelter building at a price far above market value in 2013 and resold it below the market price this year, raising the possibility of fund misappropriation.
The media also accused the council of splurging donated money on renovating the building's interior and renting space in the shelter for profit.
Yoon has also been accused of lying about how she funded her purchase of a flat in 2012 and using her private bank account to collect financial gifts during the funeral of an elderly female victim in 2019.
Yoon denied most of the allegations and remains adamant that she will not give in to the opposition's demand for her resignation.
"I am not considering (resigning)," Yoon said during a radio interview on Monday. "I sincerely apologize for the current situation ... (but) the purchase price (of the shelter) was reasonable for us then, given the quality of its construction material and other factors," she said.
As the corruption allegations snowballed, however, the prosecution has reportedly decided to launch an official investigation into the civic group and Yoon after several social groups filed complaints against them on embezzlement and fraud accusations.
The main opposition United Future Party is also pushing for an official parliamentary investigation into the case during the new parliamentary term although it is technically impossible to do so without the approval of the DP, which controls a mega-majority.
"A parliamentary probe into Yoon Mee-hyang is a must because it's a call from the public," the opposition party's deputy floor leader Kim Sung-won told Yonhap News Agency.
With no sign of Yoon giving up her parliamentary seat, the DP is reportedly planning to decide on the issue in the near future on fears that the corruption allegations could overshadow the opening of the new parliamentary session on May 30.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Lee Nak-yon, a former prime minister who is likely to run for leadership of the DP, said "(I) am stringently looking into the issue," hinting that the party could take disciplinary action.
If expelled from the party, Yoon would be the second lawmaker-elect on the Platform Party's proportional representation ticket to be ousted, after Yang Jung-suk in April.
The front door of a shelter for comfort women victims in Anseong, run by the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, is closed on May 17, 2020. (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--Retail investors' stock sell-off at over 8-year high

Retail investors offloaded a net 1.19 trillion won worth of stocks on the main local bourse , marking the first @ @ @ @ @ surpassed the 1-trillion won threshold since Sept. 14 , 2012 , according to the data @ @ @ @ @ KRX ) .

SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- Individual investors in South Korea net sold more than 1 trillion won (US$816 million) worth of local stocks on Tuesday, the largest sum in more than eight years, bourse operator data showed.
Retail investors offloaded a net 1.19 trillion won worth of stocks on the main local bourse, marking the first time that their stock selling surpassed the 1-trillion won threshold since Sept. 14, 2012, according to the data from the Korea Exchange (KRX).
The largest-ever sell-off by retail investors was 1.68 trillion won on Dec. 1, 2011.
"Individuals seem to have dumped their stocks to cash in gains built up recently," Samsung Securities Co. researcher Jeong Myeong-ji said.
"Since early this year, they had raked in a massive amount of local stocks, hoping to take advantage of the coronavirus-caused market crash this year," Jeong added.
Individuals' selling binge on Tuesday countered foreigners' net purchase of 331 billion won and institutions' 842 billion won in net buying.
Their selling spree mostly centered around heavyweight stocks.
They sold off the largest 354.4 billion won worth of market kingpin Samsung Electronics, followed by a 171.1 billion-won sell-off of Hyundai Motor Co.
The stock price of Samsung Electronics jumped 5.07 percent to close at 50,300 won, and Hyundai Motor advanced 7.83 percent to end at 99,100 won.
jwc@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--S. Korea to assess risks of 6 financial groups

`` Stress tests suggest that banks and insurers , in aggregate , can weather severe macro financial shocks , although @ @ @ @ @ of capital conservation buffers , '' the IMF said in a report on the Financial @ @ @ @ @ its website .

SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to conduct a comprehensive assessment of six financial groups over their potential risk factors, the financial regulator said Tuesday.
The Financial Services Commission (FSC) said it will look into whether the poor performance of a group's affiliate can spill over to its financial affiliates.
The six business groups are Kyobo Group; Mirae Asset Financial Group; DB Group; financial affiliates of Hanwha Group; financial affiliates of Hyundai Motor Group and financial affiliates of Samsung Group.
The six business groups can carry out regular stress tests to assess their capabilities in dealing with a crisis, the commission said.
The commission also said the six business groups are required to make public their governance structure, financial health and other details on their websites and in regulatory filings in September.
The integrated regulatory filing is meant to provide a clear picture on a financial group's risk factors, according to the FSC.
In April, the International Monetary Fund said that South Korea's overall financial system appears resilient, but it warned of growing vulnerabilities.
The IMF said most parts of South Korea's banking system appear prudentially strong, but prospects for banks and insurers are dimming due to growth-related uncertainties, low interest rates, potentially disruptive financial technologies and adverse demographic shifts.
"Stress tests suggest that banks and insurers, in aggregate, can weather severe macro financial shocks, although some banks would make use of capital conservation buffers," the IMF said in a report on the Financial Sector Assessment Program posted on its website.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--(LEAD) Fire at LG Chem lab kills 1, injures 2

One employer was killed and two others suffered second-degree burns to the face and neck and were sent to a @ @ @ @ @ .

(ATTN: ADDS more info from 2nd para; REPLACES photo)
SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- A fire at a research center of LG Chem Ltd. killed one worker and injured two others Tuesday, firefighters said.
The blaze occurred at the company's catalyst lab in the central city of Seosan, some 120 kilometers south of Seoul, at around 2:20 p.m. Firefighters extinguished it at around 3:30 p.m.
One employer was killed and two others suffered second-degree burns to the face and neck and were sent to a nearby hospital, they said.
The fire reportedly broke out when a catalyst, which was being transported, exploded under excessively high pressure. No harmful chemicals leaked, according to the local fire department.
The facility was immediately shut down.
Police and fire authorities will begin to investigate the cause of the accident as soon as they clear up the scene.
The accident came as the nation's leading chemicals company reels from a toxic gas leak at its plant in India on May 7, which killed 12 people and sickened more than 1,000 people.
Firefighters work at LG Chem's catalyst lab in Seosan, some 120 kilometers south of Seoul, after extinguishing a fire that killed one worker and injured two others on May 19, 2020, in this contributed photo. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--S. Korean football chief named among most influential figures

The Korea Football Association ( KFA ) said its president ranked 30th on the list of 50 most influential people @ @ @ @ @ by the France Football magazine .
The prestigious weekly magazine is also famous for presenting @ @ @ @ @ the top football player each year .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korean football chief Chung Mong-gyu has been named one of the sport's most influential figures.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) said its president ranked 30th on the list of 50 most influential people in football, as compiled by the France Football magazine. The prestigious weekly magazine is also famous for presenting the Ballon d'Or Award to the top football player each year.
The magazine noted that Chung, in addition to leading the KFA, is a vice president of the Asian Football Confederation and a former member of FIFA Council, and recognized his contribution to raising South Korean football's profile internationally.
Paris Saint-Germain President Nasser Al-Khelaifi topped the list, followed by Juventus' star Cristiano Ronaldo. FIFA President Gianni Infantino came in third.
This image, provided by the Korea Football Association (KFA) on May 19, 2020, shows the cover of the France Football magazine unveiling the 50 most influential people in football, along with a blurb on KFA President Chung Mong-gyu, who ranked 30th. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--BTS producer Bang Si-hyuk named executive producer of K-pop reality TV

The TV program will combine the K-pop-focused production expertise of Mnet with the music producing experience of Big Hit and @ @ @ @ @ partnership among K-pop star wannabes , according to Mnet .

SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- Bang Si-hyuk, the chief producer for K-pop sensation BTS, will serve as executive producer in the upcoming reality TV show "I-Land," his company, Big Hit Entertainment, announced Tuesday.
The new show airs on cable music network Mnet starting June 26.
Bang will play a key role in unearthing and discovering fresh idol hopefuls and developing them into K-pop stars, the company said.
The reality show is the first joint project between Mnet and Big Hit after the two established a joint venture, Belif Lab, in March of last year.
The TV program will combine the K-pop-focused production expertise of Mnet with the music producing experience of Big Hit and feature tales of competition and partnership among K-pop star wannabes, according to Mnet.
In January, Bang was included in the 2020 Billboard Power List, joining the likes of Universal Music Group Chairman Lucian Grainge, Sony Music Group Chairman Rob Stringer and Spotify founder Daniel Ek.
In this file photo, Big Hit Entertainment CEO Bang Si-hyuk, who has helped the career of global K-pop sensation BTS, gives a lecture at the 2019 Culture Innovation Summit at BEXCO in Busan, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul on Nov. 25, 2019. (Yonhap)
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--(LEAD) schools reopen for high school seniors Wednesday as planned

`` I understand that this is not an easy path we are on , but we have to go through @ @ @ @ @ is uncertain when the COVID-19 pandemic might end , '' she said .

(ATTN: ADDS details in paras 2-7, 16-19, 21-23)
SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- Schools finally reopen Wednesday for high school seniors after a spate of delays due to safety concerns over the novel coronavirus.
The planned school reopening for high school third graders will proceed as scheduled, 79 days after the original semester start day of March 2, the education ministry said. But it will proceed in a limited fashion: Classes will be shortened and no extracurricular activities will be allowed.
Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae said during a briefing Tuesday that classes will be divided into smaller groups to make each class as sparse as possible.
She also called on schools to closely follow a response manual in case of a potential outbreak.
"I understand that this is not an easy path we are on, but we have to go through this once, as it is uncertain when the COVID-19 pandemic might end," she said.
"The ministry and relevant education offices will try our best and respond swiftly to whatever comes along."
She asked students, parents and teachers to follow the seven principles in the manual: check health conditions every day; stay home from school when feeling sick; wipe desks every morning; open windows for ventilation; wear masks except for at lunch time; wash hands for 30 seconds and inform school nurses immediately when feeling sick.
A Seoul high school is disinfected on May 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
The ministry postponed the reopening of schools five times, as parents and school officials had misgivings about preparedness for the COVID-19 pandemic. Sporadic coronavirus outbreaks added to the anxiety already high amid monthslong social distancing.
South Korean schoolchildren have been attending online classes at home since April 9.
The ministry originally planned for a phased school reopening starting from last Wednesday, but it was postponed yet again by a week amid a cluster of infections emerging in nightclubs in Itaewon, a multicultural neighborhood in Seoul.
Forging ahead with the reopening now, despite concerns, shows the ministry's willingness to regain a sense of normalcy, as nobody knows when the pandemic will end and there is social consensus that schools cannot be closed indefinitely.
For high school seniors, in-person classes are important in the run-up to the national university entrance exam slated for November. In the case of households where the parents are both working, school reopening is also a pressing matter.
Against this backdrop, the ministry said it would stick to its phased reopening plan for lower grades.
For high school second graders, schools are scheduled to reopen on May 27, and the phased reopening is set to finish on June 8.
To make schools safer, measures have been put in place, such as alternating school days for different grades. Also, local educational offices can apply different school schedules depending on their respective safety and quarantine conditions.
In the southern port city of Busan, senior students at high and middle schools are required to attend school every day. The other students will alternate between online classes and in-person classes.
Also small schools nationwide with fewer than 60 students are permitted to open Wednesday. In the sparsely populated Gangwon Province, there are 170 schools, including 46 elementary schools, that are subject to the change.
The southeastern city of Daegu, the country's former epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreaks, has taken a more cautious approach. It allowed students with underlying health issues or other difficulties to stay home from school.
Desks are spaced out in a Seoul high school in this undated file photo. (Yonhap)
Concerns remain, however, among parents and students alike, over possible infections at school and children spreading the virus in their communities.
A petition has been filed on the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae website asking that school reopening be put on hold, with more than 234,000 petitioners showing support.
Kim Min-jae, a high school senior from Daegu, said "I don't understand why we should go to school at all at a time when everyone is on edge and has to comply with all the stringent regulations."
Another student, Lee Ji-woo, who is also from the city, worried about the effect even one infection case would have on schools.
"If that happens, there will be more difficulties in preparing for the (university) entrance exam," she said.
Education offices have left room for last minute changes.
"If the coronavirus crisis deepens, we will surely review school reopening for high schoolers," Cho Hee-yeon, the superintendent of the Seoul Education Office, said in a briefing Monday, adding the university exam could be delayed by a month in case of an emergency.
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--Revised laws take effect to punish even possessors of illegal sexual videos

The revised Criminal Act also raised the age of sexual consent from the previous 13 to 16 .
Therefore , @ @ @ @ @ minors under 16 will be charged with rape , regardless of consent .
When the @ @ @ @ @ and 16 , only perpetrators aged 19 and over will be punished .

SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- Starting Tuesday, anybody caught possessing or watching illegally filmed sexual videos could face up to three years in prison under revised laws on the aggravated punishment of digital sex crimes, government officials said.
The government promulgated the revisions of the Criminal Act, the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc, of Sexual Crimes, and the Act on Regulation and Punishment of Criminal Proceeds Concealment, which passed the National Assembly late last month, saying they will immediately take effect.
The latest legal revisions came as the nation has recently been shocked by a string of sexual exploitation cases centered on group chatrooms of the Telegram messenger service.
Under the new laws, people who possess, buy, store or watch illegally filmed obscene materials could face up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won (US$24,490).
Previously, the possession of illegally filmed sexual footage was not punishable. Only those caught possessing child and youth sexual abuse materials were subject to criminal punishment.
The statutory punishment for the act of producing and distributing sexual abuse materials will rise from imprisonment of up to five years or a fine of up to 30 million won to a prison term of up to seven years or a maximum fine of 50 million won.
Unpermitted distribution of sexual materials produced by abuse victims will also be punishable. The act of threatening and blackmailing with videos of a sexual nature will be punished with prison sentences of up to one and three years, respectively.
The revised Criminal Act also raised the age of sexual consent from the previous 13 to 16. Therefore, anybody caught having sex with minors under 16 will be charged with rape, regardless of consent. When the victim is aged between 13 and 16, only perpetrators aged 19 and over will be punished.
The statutory punishment for sex crimes against minors under the age of 13 will also be strengthened. Indecent assaults on children under 13 will be punished only with more than five years in prison. The statute of limitations for statutory rape and indecent assaults will be abolished from Nov. 20.
The revised laws also stipulate a criminal confiscation system in which all proceeds from illegally filmed and manipulated videos are seized.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--(LEAD) Seoul stocks soar to over 2-month high on hope of vaccine development

`` It was the Fed that had led the stock market rally before Moderna announced the result of its clinical @ @ @ @ @ the Fed has not run out of ammunition and that it may take additional steps @ @ @ @ @

(ATTN: ADDS bond yields at bottom, photo)
SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks jumped by more than 2 percent on Tuesday, joining other Asian and global stock markets in a rally that came on hopes of a vaccine for COVID-19. The local currency sharply rose against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) spiked 43.50 points, or 2.25 percent, to close at 1,980.61, extending its winning streak to a third day.
The Tuesday closing marks the highest since March 6 when the comparable figure was 2,040.22 points.
Trading volume was moderate at some 762 million shares worth about 11.7 trillion won (US$9.55 billion), with gainers outnumbering loser 654 to 203.
An electronic signboard at a Hana Bank trading room in Seoul shows the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) having closed sharply up on May 19, 2020. (Yonhap)
The index got off to a firm start after reports of positive results from a COVID-19 vaccine test sparked stock market rallies in the U.S. and other major economies.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 911.35 points, or 3.85 percent, on Monday to close at 24,597.37.
Japan's Nikkei was up 1.49 percent as of 3:40 p.m. Tuesday (Seoul time), while the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.73 percent.
"The U.S. stock market closed sharply higher Monday after U.S. pharmaceutical company Moderna announced the test results of its coronavirus vaccine testing where all participants generated antibodies," Eugene Investment strategist Huh Jae-hwan said.
U.S. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell also helped boost investor sentiments throughout the globe, according to Noh Dong-kil, an analyst at NH Investment and Securities.
"It was the Fed that had led the stock market rally before Moderna announced the result of its clinical test. Chairman Powell said the Fed has not run out of ammunition and that it may take additional steps," Noh said.
In Seoul, foreign investors snapped their six-session selling streak to purchase a net 331 billion won, with institutions scooping a net 842 billion won. Retail investors sold a net 1.18 trillion won, the largest sell-offs in almost eight years.
Most large caps closed in positive terrain.
Market kingpin Samsung Electronics surged 3.07 percent to 50,300 won while No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix advanced 1.97 percent to 82,700 won.
Top automaker Hyundai Motor jumped 7.83 percent to 99,100 won, with its smaller affiliate Kia Motors soaring 8.01 percent to 31,700 won.
The Korean won closed at 1,225.30 won per dollar, up 7.10 won from the previous session's close.
Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, closed mixed. The yield on three-year Treasurys shed 1.1 basis points to 0.876 percent, while the return on the benchmark five-year government bond added 0.4 basis point to 1.132 percent.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--(3rd LD) Hospital virus outbreak rekindles concerns over cluster infections

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details throughout)
SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korean health authorities were put on edge again on Tuesday as yet another cluster case looms, at a major hospital in Seoul, following mass infections tied to nightclubs and bars in the nightlife district of Itaewon.
Four nurses working at Samsung Medical Center, one of the country's five major general hospitals, were confirmed to have been infected with COVID-19, and more related cases are likely to come as transmission routes are unknown, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
A 29-year-old nurse working at an operating room of the hospital tested positive for COVID-19 Monday and three others were confirmed to have been infected earlier in the day, according to health authorities and the Seoul city government.
This file photo, taken on May 19, 2020 shows Samsung Medical Center in southern Seoul where four nurses tested positive for the new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
The 13 virus cases detected Monday brought the total caseload to 11,078, according to the KCDC. Of them, nine were local infections, seven of which were tied to the Itaewon outbreak.
The outbreak at the general hospital put health authorities back on high alert after respite from club-linked infections in the district of Itaewon in Seoul.
KCDC Deputy Director Kwon Joon-wook said 277 people, including 262 health workers, came into contact with the infected nurses.
The first infected nurse neither visited Itaewon clubs nor came into contact with visitors to the neighborhood.
"The number of virus patients will likely increase, given its 14-day incubation period. There is a high possibility that infections of health workers will rise," Kwon said at a briefing.
Kwon said an epidemiological study is under way to determine the source of COVID-19 infections at the hospital.
Samsung Medical Center has shut down 25 operating rooms, including a surgery room where the infected nurses worked. It will not accept new inpatients for the next three days.
A Seoul city official said the infected nurses took part in a surgery in a negative pressure operating room last week.
Samsung Medical Center is on high alert over the COVID-19 pandemic, as 85 out of the country's 186 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) cases in 2015 were reported from the hospital.
The KCDC said a total of 266 medical workers here have been infected with the coronavirus so far.
This photo, provided by the Daegu Fire Department on May 19, 2020, shows a designated ambulance that the fire service operates to carry people who show symptoms of COVID-19 in Daegu, 302 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
South Korea has successfully flattened the virus curve with massive testing and contact tracing, with its daily infections falling to a single digit figure in the first week of May.
But Itaewon emerged as a hotbed for cluster infections, after a 29-year-old man tested positive on May 6 with visits to five clubs in the district in early May. The total caseload tied to the Itaewon outbreak reached 187 as of Tuesday noon, with additional 12 patients linked to the cluster being reported over past 36 hours.
"We urge citizens to implement quarantine steps in their daily routines as if we lower our guard against the virus, new infections can occur at any time," Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health official, said in a separate briefing.
South Korea's daily infections of the new coronavirus stayed below 20 for the fourth straight day Tuesday due to a marked slowdown in cluster infections liked to Itaewon.
The country added four more imported cases. It reported no additional death, bringing the death toll to 263. The fatality rate was 2.38 percent.
The total number of people released from quarantine after full recoveries stood at 9,938, up 34 from the previous day.
The country, with a population of more than 50 million, has carried out 765,574 tests since Jan. 3, including 12,363 the previous day.
As club-linked cases slowed, the country will reopen schools Wednesday starting from high school seniors as scheduled.
South Korea switched an "everyday life quarantine" scheme on May 6 to enable citizens to carry out social and economic activities under quarantine rules.
The KCDC said it will draw up specific quarantine measures that can be applied to highly crowded facilities, based on the risk of virus spread. Health authorities said they are considering mandatory imposition of core quarantine guidelines on such facilities.
Teachers put up screening barriers on students' desks at a high school in Daegu, 302 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on May 19, 2020. South Korea will reopen schools, starting with high school seniors, the next day. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--(LEAD) Buddhist community cancels lantern festival amid lingering fears of coronavirus

`` No one can predict whether new cluster infections will happen again , regarding the recent nightclub-linked cases , '' @ @ @ @ @ Orders , whose members include the country 's biggest Jogye Order , said in a @ @ @ @ @ `` We made the decision after careful consideration and hope that all people will go @ @ @ @ @ when the pandemic comes to an end as soon as possible . ''

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 6-7)
SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean Buddhist community on Tuesday canceled the Lotus Lantern Festival slated for next week due to growing concerns over the recent resurgence of the novel coronavirus infections in the country.
"No one can predict whether new cluster infections will happen again, regarding the recent nightclub-linked cases," the Association of Korea Buddhist Orders, whose members include the country's biggest Jogye Order, said in a press conference in Seoul. "We made the decision after careful consideration and hope that all people will go back to a peaceful life when the pandemic comes to an end as soon as possible."
It said the Lotus Lantern Festival, or "Yeon Deung Hoe" in Korean, including the famous lantern parade in downtown Seoul slated for Saturday and other festive events over the weekend, will be canceled as precautionary measures.
The festival is usually attended by 20,000 people, including Buddhists and tourists.
But religious events celebrating Buddha's Birthday will take place on May 30 as scheduled, under the strict quarantine guidelines, it added.
It is the first time in modern Korean history that the Buddhist circle scrapped its annual lantern festival on its own initiative.
Since 1961, the festival has been called off three times, including once in 1961 when martial law was proclaimed in Seoul due to the April 19 Revolution. It was last canceled in 1980 amid a democratic movement, dubbed "Seoul Spring," in the capital.
Tuesday's cancellation came as South Korea has been struggling to handle a spike in daily new COVID-19 cases related to clubbers from Itaewon, a multicultural and nightlife district in central Seoul.
At least 170 people, including Itaewon visitors, their family members and colleagues, have tested positive for the virus, with the area becoming one of the biggest cluster of infections in the capital city with a population of 10 million.
The Buddhist community had postponed events for Buddha's Birthday, which fell on April 30 this year, and the Lotus Lantern Festival by one month amid the monthslong coronavirus pandemic.
Colorful lanterns light up the courtyard at Jogye Temple in downtown Seoul on April 23, 2020. (Yonhap)
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-19--(LEAD) Mortar shell goes way off target during Army exercise

The bullet flew some 600 to 700 km and fell into the Han River .
The Marine Corps said it @ @ @ @ @ with measures to prevent similar incidents from recurring .

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 6, 7; UPDATES with minor edits)
SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- A mortar shell launched during a recent firing exercise landed about 1 kilometer away from the target, the Army acknowledged Tuesday, in the latest in a series of incidents highlighting lax discipline in the military.
The shell fired from a 4.2-inch mortar at a training field in Yangju, just north of Seoul, missed the target and fell on a nearby hill Thursday, according to the Army.
No human casualty or property damage was reported.
"It appears there were some errors in checking the firing charge," Army spokesperson Col. Jeon Ha-kyu told a regular press briefing.
Authorities are looking into the exact cause of the incident.
Separately, a KR-6 machine gun was accidentally fired during an inspection at a Marine unit in Gimpo, west of Seoul, last Wednesday.
The bullet flew some 600 to 700 km and fell into the Han River. The Marine Corps said it is working to come up with measures to prevent similar incidents from recurring.
The recent cases came as the military has come under fire for a series of incidents indicating lapses in discipline.
Earlier this month, the military vowed to beef up regular inspections of weapons after a malfunction in a KR-6 gun caused a delay in response to North Korea's gunfire.
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-20--N. Korea's official paper calls for localization to defend dignity

`` Localization is our republic 's war to defend dignity to the last death , '' the Rodong Sinmun , @ @ @ @ @ 's ruling party , said .
`` Without one 's own and with weak power @ @ @ @ @ others and eventually lose its right to autonomy and survival . ''

SEOUL, May 20 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's official newspaper Wednesday urged the use of locally made products over imported goods, stressing that localization is key to safeguarding the sovereignty and survival of the communist nation.
North Korea has emphasized localization as part of efforts to build a self-reliant economy amid bleak outlooks for any immediate sanctions lifting due to a stalemate in denuclearization negotiations with the United States.
"Localization is our republic's war to defend dignity to the last death," the Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the North's ruling party, said. "Without one's own and with weak power, it would bow to others and eventually lose its right to autonomy and survival."
"Only with self-reliance and self-sufficiency will we be able to speed up our move toward a socialism victory," the paper added. "We would never realize our vision to become a powerhouse with a way to depend on materials of others."
The paper called reliance on imported goods an "illness," saying that using locally made products would help people become patriotic and committed to the country.
North Korea has intensified its calls for the use of its own products recently since it closed its border with China due to the coronavirus pandemic, which might be disrupting imports from its powerful neighbor.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)