yna--2020-08-25--N. Korea's economy continues to slow amid 'triple whammy' of challenges: unification ministry

North Korea 's tight border controls put in place since early this year to ward off the coronavirus virus have @ @ @ @ @ its trade with China .
It was also recently pummeled by heavy downpours , which @ @ @ @ @ rice-producing areas .

SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's economy appears to be continuing to slow down due to global sanctions, the protracted anti-epidemic campaign and damage from recent heavy downpours, Seoul's unification ministry said Tuesday.
In a report to lawmakers on key inter-Korean issues, the ministry said that the North is facing a "triple whammy," which is making it hard for Pyongyang to achieve its intended major economic goals by the 75th party founding anniversary in October.
"(North Korea) has been striving to make economic achievements in time for the 75th party founding anniversary, but an economic slowdown continues amid the triple whammy of sanctions, coronavirus and damage caused by heavy rains," the ministry said.
North Korea saw its trade with China, its biggest benefactor and trading partner, plunge 67.2 percent on-year during the first half of this year to US$411 million, the ministry added.
North Korea's tight border controls put in place since early this year to ward off the coronavirus virus have apparently taken a toll on its trade with China. It was also recently pummeled by heavy downpours, which reportedly wrought havoc on its rice-producing areas.
With unusual candor, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un acknowledged "shortcomings" in his five-year economic development plan last week due to severe and unexpected internal and external challenges. He said that he will unveil a new development scheme in a rare party congress to be held in January.
The ministry said that it will continue to push for cross-border cooperation in the humanitarian area irrespective of political and military situations and that it will seek joint efforts with international aid agencies to that end.
The ministry also vowed to keep seeking "small-scale trading" with the North in a way that will "steadily" expand "room" for inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation.
Inter-Korean relations remain stalled as North Korea has not responded to Seoul's calls for exchanges and cooperation since the no-deal summit between Pyongyang and Washington in early 2019.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--All soldiers ordered to wear masks at all times in public

The measure is in line with the government 's stricter social distancing scheme , which has been in place since @ @ @ @ @ of a drastic surge in confirmed COVID-19 cases .
The Seoul city government also began @ @ @ @ @ face masks in public places Monday , except for when they are eating and drinking @

SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- The defense ministry has ordered all service members to wear masks at all times in public, both indoors and outdoors, as part of efforts to battle the coronavirus pandemic, officials said Tuesday.
Under the rule effective Monday, any gatherings or training involving more than two people are banned unless masks are worn, according to the ministry.
The measure is in line with the government's stricter social distancing scheme, which has been in place since last week in the wake of a drastic surge in confirmed COVID-19 cases. The Seoul city government also began to mandate that people wear face masks in public places Monday, except for when they are eating and drinking.
"This tougher mask rule will be effective until the level of the state anti-coronavirus guidance is lowered," the ministry said in a message to reporters.
On Tuesday, South Korea reported 280 new virus cases, including 264 local infections, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Since mid-August, the country's daily cases have been in the triple digits.
As of Tuesday, the total COVID-19 caseload among military members came to 94. Currently, 1,051 service members are in isolation in accordance with the health authorities' guidelines, and the military has quarantined an additional 3,860 people under stricter anti-virus schemes of its own as a preventive step, according to the ministry.
The military authorities have been implementing diverse measures to stem the spread of the virus. The ministry has restricted all service members from vacationing and off-installation trips since last week. It also called off annual field training for reserve forces for the first time in 52 years.
Citizens wear masks on a Seoul street on Aug. 25, 2020. (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--(LEAD) Infections coming from unknown routes spike in Seoul

The recent spike in infections with unidentified routes was also attributed to a rise in elderly patients , who are @ @ @ @ @ instead of credit cards and may have memory difficulties , making it tougher for health @ @ @ @ @ .

(ATTN: UPDATES latest figures in last two paras)
SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- New coronavirus cases with unknown infection routes have spiked more than sevenfold in the past week, data showed Tuesday, heightening concern over the infectious virus further spreading here.
Cases with unknown infection routes reached 191 between Aug. 16 and 22, accounting for 21.2 percent of 902 cases reported in the capital during the one-week period, according to the data by the Seoul city government.
This marks a sharp uptick compared with how there were roughly 10 cases coming from unidentified infection routes each week since the first week of June.
The cases were attributed to chain transmissions coming from Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul and an anti-government rally led by conservative pastor Jun Kwang-hoon, who leads the church.
A pedestrian wears a mask in central Seoul on Aug. 25, 2020. Seoul city has mandated masks starting from earlier this week. (Yonhap)
In addition to the church-related cases that were first reported on Aug. 12, cluster infections have also been reported at other religious facilities as well as an educational institution, a theater group and a child care center.
The recent spike in infections with unidentified routes was also attributed to a rise in elderly patients, who are more prone to using cash instead of credit cards and may have memory difficulties, making it tougher for health workers to trace their routes.
The data showed that such cases accounted for 23.3 percent of patients in their 80s and 18.1 percent of those in their 70s, compared with 6.5 percent and 7.4 percent of patients who are in their teens or 20s, respectively.
A health worker prepares to conduct screening tests at a community health center in the southwestern Seoul ward of Gwanak on Aug. 24, 2020. (Yonhap)
Data by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), meanwhile, showed cases with unknown infection routes accounted for 15.5 percent of 3,039 new cases identified in the country during the two weeks between Aug. 11 and 24.
The figure, which had tumbled to around 6 percent earlier this month, peaked at over 20 percent on Aug. 22.
Over the past two weeks, roughly 18.5 percent of the newly identified patients had unknown infection routes. This marks a drastic increase from the 8.3 percent posted in the two-week period earlier.
On Tuesday, South Korea reported 280 new COVID-19 cases, including 264 local infections, raising the total caseload to 17,945, according to the KCDC.
Of the locally transmitted cases, 134 were identified in Seoul. By age, 25.3 percent of the country's COVID-19 patients were aged 60 or older as of midnight.
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--(LEAD) Moon urges emergency economic response in 'harmony' with full anti-virus efforts

`` If needed , ( we ) will be able to hold an emergency economic council meeting chaired by the @ @ @ @ @ .
Moon presided over six rounds of such weekly meetings from March 19 , during @ @ @ @ @ of major plans , including the allocation of supplementary budgets , to minimize the economic @ @ @ @ @

(ATTN: MODIFIES headline, lead para with additional remarks; ADDS photo)
SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in called Tuesday for a "pan-governmental emergency response" to the rapid spread of COVID-19 and its impact on the economy.
He said he would resume chairing an emergency economic council session in person, if necessary, as he spoke at the outset of a weekly Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae.
Moon instructed the government to "concentrate its efforts on stabilizing employment, minimizing economic damage and mapping out measures for economic recovery," along with the operation of an emergency anti-virus system.
President Moon Jae-in speaks during a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Aug. 25, 2020. (Yonhap)
"If needed, (we) will be able to hold an emergency economic council meeting chaired by the president," he said. Moon presided over six rounds of such weekly meetings from March 19, during which he approved a set of major plans, including the allocation of supplementary budgets, to minimize the economic fallout of the coronavirus.
He described winning the coronavirus fight and economic recovery as "two rabbits" that South Korea must catch together.
"I would like you to keep in mind that the emergency economic response this time should be done in a way that harmonizes with efforts to contain the virus," he emphasized.
The two are not separable, he pointed out, saying that succeeding in the anti-virus fight is to revive the economy.
He added the strengthening of anti-virus measures is a "short cut" to economic recovery, as well as the protection of the people's safety and lives.
Moon expressed concern about the economic impact from the recent sharp spikes in confirmed coronavirus cases across South Korea.
If the ongoing tough social distancing restrictions prolong, economic difficulties would deepen, he said.
In particular, he added, domestic consumption and demand, which have shown signs of recovery, may shrink again.
A Cabinet meeting, chaired by President Moon Jae-in, is under way at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Aug. 25, 2020. (Yonhap)
The president, nonetheless, voiced confidence that South Korea will get ahead of other advanced countries in terms of economic recovery.
"The government's goal is to achieve a rebound beginning in the third quarter (of this year)," he said.
He again cited the OECD's assessment that South Korea has done better so far than other members of the group in economic response to the pandemic.
The nation's gross domestic product is estimated to shrink 0.8 percent in 2020, less than the OECD average of 7.5 percent, it said in a recent report.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--(2nd LD) Schools in greater Seoul area ordered to shift online until Sept. 11 amid virus resurgence

The country , once seen as having successfully tamed the virus , has reported infection cases in the triple digits @ @ @ @ @ that has alarmed the ministry , which believed in-person learning at school was possible even @ @ @ @ @ anti-virus measures were enforced .

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details in paras 5-8; ADDS photo)
By Woo Jae-yeon
SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korean pupils in Seoul and its surrounding areas will return to full remote learning, starting Wednesday, as the country has lately experienced a resurgence of the novel coronavirus and concerns are growing over school safety.
The Ministry of Education announced Tuesday that all school kids, including those in kindergartens, in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province will stay at home and take online classes until Sept. 11, as a preemptive measure to slow the spread of the highly infectious virus.
The emergency policy, announced in a joint briefing by the ministry and the education offices of Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, does not apply to high school seniors, who are scheduled to take the national university entrance exam in early December.
Small-size schools of less than 60 students and special education schools are given autonomy in whether to follow the ministry's instruction.
The file photo, taken June 18, 2020, shows a student taking a practice university entrance exam. (Yonhap)
This undated file photo shows a teacher giving online instructions at an elementary school in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. (Yonhap)
The sharp policy reversal is a response to what health authorities described as the biggest crisis yet since the pandemic began early this year.
The country, once seen as having successfully tamed the virus, has reported infection cases in the triple digits since mid-August, a rate that has alarmed the ministry, which believed in-person learning at school was possible even during the pandemic if thorough anti-virus measures were enforced.
Amid a spike in new infections, a record number of 1,845 schools halted in-person classes Monday, more than double the previous record of 849 from Friday. Some schools shut down as a preemptive measure.
Of the total, 40 percent were located in the greater Seoul area, with 148 in Seoul, 422 in Gyeonggi Province and 167 in Incheon. Over the past two weeks, 150 students and 43 teachers and faculty members have tested positive for the virus in the area.
Seniors sit for a nationwide test on their scholastic abilities at a classroom of Dorim High School in Incheon, west of Seoul, on July 22, 2020, in the runup to the state-administered annual scholastic aptitude test in November, a crucial test seen as a deciding factor in an applicant's choice of college and subsequent career. (Yonhap)
During the briefing, Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae stressed the need to minimize disruption to the academic schedule due to the spread of the virus, particularly in the run-up to the annual College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) slated for Dec. 3.
Approximately 480,000 students are expected to take the state-run test, which was postponed once by two weeks earlier this year.
"The most urgent thing right now is to quickly bring the spread under control so as to administer CSAT as scheduled," Yoo said, citing the importance of the test for high school seniors.
But she did not give a direct answer when asked if the ministry has a contingency plan in the event that the pandemic further deteriorates and near lockdown measures are put in place.
The country carefully instituted a phased reopening of schools, starting May 20, amid a slowdown in new cases. Since then, 283 students and 70 faculty members and teachers have tested positive for the virus.
The government on Saturday expanded the Level Two guidelines of the three-tier system around the country, as COVID-19 cases were confirmed in all of the country's 17 major cities and provinces, a grim sign that the country might have entered a national epidemic. Previously, it had been imposed in the greater Seoul area.
When Level Three is enforced, all schools nationwide are required to switch to remote learning.
The ministry said it will decide whether to further extend the measure after closely monitoring the spread of the virus until Sept. 11.
The policy for the rest of the region remains the same, with attendance capped at one-third in elementary and middle schools and two-thirds in high schools, and with schools offering a mix of in-person and remote instruction.
An elementary school in Seongbuk Ward, Seoul, is closed on Aug. 18, 2020, shifting to online classes for two weeks, as kindergartens and schools in the ward were ordered to take the step due to the coronavirus outbreak in the area. (Yonhap)
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--Korea Shipbuilding wins $220 mln order for 2 ethane ships

`` With the global shipbuilding market still suffering a lack of orders , we will focus on developing new ( @ @ @ @ @ marketing activities through untact channels to win more orders in the second half , '' @ @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co., South Korea's biggest shipbuilder, said Tuesday it has received a US$220 million order for two very large ethane carriers (VLECs) from an Asian shipper.
Korea Shipbuilding plans to deliver two 98,000-cubic-meter VLECs for an unidentified shipper in the Asia region by May 2022, the company said in a regulatory filing.
"With the global shipbuilding market still suffering a lack of orders, we will focus on developing new (shipbuilding) technologies and strengthening marketing activities through untact channels to win more orders in the second half," a company official said.
Korea Shipbuilding has three shipbuilding affiliates -- Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Hyundai Mipo Dockyard and Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries Co. -- under its wing.
The two VLECs will be built in the shipyard of Hyundai Heavy in Ulsan, about 410 kilometers southeast of Seoul, the company said.
With the VLEC deal taken into account, the three shipbuilding affiliates have obtained orders for a total of 57 ships valued at $4 billion won so far this year.
This undated file photo provided by Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. shows a liquefied natural gas carrier under test operation. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--The Korea Interbank Offered Rates (KORIBOR)

SEOUL , Aug. 25 ( Yonhap ) -- The Korea Interbank Offered Rates ( KORIBOR ) as posted by Yonhap @ @ @ @ @ and information arm of Yonhap News Agency , at 11:00 a.m .

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


yna--2020-08-25--With rule change, K League club to retain Montenegrin striker during FIFA int'l window

Trying to climb out of the K League 1 cellar , Incheon United asked the Montenegrin football federation last week @ @ @ @ @ .
In addition to playing two UEFA matches in early September , Mugosa would have @ @ @ @ @ days upon returning to South Korea , as mandated by the South Korean government for @ @ @ @ @ meant Incheon would n't have Mugosa , their leading scorer last season and again this @ @ @ @ @ of September .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- Thanks to a rule change by FIFA on the release of players for international matches, South Korean football club Incheon United will retain the service of their leading scorer for a crucial stretch next month.
Incheon's Montenegrin striker Stefan Mugosa had been called up by his country for the Aug. 31-Sept. 8 FIFA window, with the group stage matches for the UEFA Nations League tournament scheduled during that period. Clubs are obligated to release their international players for FIFA-sanctioned matches.
This file photo, provided by the Korea Professional Football League on June 8, 2020, shows Incheon United forward Stefan Mugosa. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Trying to climb out of the K League 1 cellar, Incheon United asked the Montenegrin football federation last week to reconsider calling up Mugosa. In addition to playing two UEFA matches in early September, Mugosa would have to be quarantined for 14 days upon returning to South Korea, as mandated by the South Korean government for all international arrivals. That meant Incheon wouldn't have Mugosa, their leading scorer last season and again this year, for the majority of September.
Incheon's plea was more of a desperate prayer than anything else, but it was answered Tuesday.
FIFA announced a temporary rule change on the release of players for the September window, after consultation with UEFA. The mandatory release will not apply to clubs if players must be quarantined for at least five days upon arrival at the country of that club, with no specific exemption for athletes in such instances.
Last Wednesday, FIFA announced it would move the Aug. 31-Sept. 8 to Jan. 24-Feb. 1, 2022, for all continents except for Europe. At that time, it meant Incheon had no choice but to send Mugosa back home, unless the Montenegrin football governing body had a change of heart.
In this file photo from Aug. 16, 2020, Stefan Mugosa of Incheon United (2nd from L) is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a goal against Daegu FC in their K League 1 match at Daegu DGB Bank Park in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)
But citing the "rapidly evolving" situation with the pandemic, FIFA said Tuesday that it wanted to ensure the well-being and health of all individuals involved in international competitions.
After going winless in their first 15 matches, Incheon have shown some signs of life with two straight victories. At 11 points, Incheon are still in last place among 12 clubs but sit just three points behind Suwon Samsung Bluewings, with 10 matches remaining.
Mugosa led Incheon with 14 goals in 32 matches last season, good for fifth overall in the K League 1. After a slow start to 2020, Mugosa has scored four goals in his last nine appearances.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--S. Korea's CO2 standards for residential buildings get U.N. approval

The U.N. climate change body presented standardized baselines for energy efficiency measures in residential , commercial and institutional buildings in @ @ @ @ @ baselines have not been applied due to lack of a related database , it said @

SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea said Tuesday it has received approval from the U.N. climate change body for its calculation standards of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for residential buildings.
On Aug. 11, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) approved the CO2 emissions standards for residential buildings in South Korea as UNFCCC Clean Development Mechanism, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a statement.
The U.N. climate change body presented standardized baselines for energy efficiency measures in residential, commercial and institutional buildings in August 2018, but the baselines have not been applied due to lack of a related database, it said.
South Korea is the first country that has developed the CO2 emissions standards for apartment buildings, based on the country's 7.1 million apartment buildings, which accommodate 16 million households, the ministry said.
This photo, taken on Aug. 16, 2020, shows apartment buildings in Seoul. (Yonhap)
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--N. Korea's No. 3 leader, new premier make rare joint 'field guidance' visit

`` They called upon officials , technicians and workers to map out a correct construction plan and thoroughly carry it @ @ @ @ @ designing on the principle of convenience and architectural beauty first and observe technical regulations in @ @ @ @ @ assembling , '' it added .

By Koh Byung-joon
SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's No. 3 leader and the country's new premier visited a construction site related to a coal gasification project, state media reported Tuesday, a rare "joint field guidance" trip seen as aimed at sharing expertise between the top economic technocrats.
Pak Pong-ju, vice chairman of the State Affairs Commission, and Premier Kim Tok-hun "inspected the construction site of the project for establishing the C1 chemical industry," according to the Korean Central News Agency.
The C1 chemical industry refers to a coal gasification project that North Korea has sought to develop for years to diversify its energy sources amid difficulties in securing oil supplies due to global sanctions. It is one of leader Kim Jong-un's pet projects
"Walking round the construction site, they stressed the need to thoroughly embody the Party's idea and intention of turning the chemical industry into energy-, labor-saving one in establishing the Korean-style chemical industry," the KCNA said.
"They called upon officials, technicians and workers to map out a correct construction plan and thoroughly carry it out, complete the architecture designing on the principle of convenience and architectural beauty first and observe technical regulations in the construction and the equipment assembling," it added.
It is rare for such high-ranking officials to make a joint field guidance trip. Observers said that it is intended for Pak to share his expertise and experience with the new premier. Pak served as premier twice during the 2003-2007 and 2014-2019 periods.
The trip also came after South Korea's intelligence agency told a closed-door parliamentary session last week that leader Kim has delegated part of his authority to close aides, including his sister Kim Yo-jong, in handling state affairs.
Pak and Kim Tok-hun were also granted more power in handling economic affairs, according to lawmakers who attended the session.
North Korea's No. 3 leader Pak Pong-ju (R) and new premier Kim Tok-hun (C) make a joint inspection of a construction site related to the development of the country's chemical industry, in this photo disclosed by the Rodong Sinmun on Aug. 25, 2020. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--(LEAD) Hospital bed shortage looms as virus cases spike

Since Aug. 14 , the country 's daily COVID-19 cases have been in the triple digits , with a whopping @ @ @ @ @ the nation over the past 12 days .
On Tuesday , South Korea reported 280 @ @ @ @ @ , raising the nation 's total caseload to 17,945 .

(ATTN: UPDATES with latest figures in paras 2, 5, 12)
SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- Concerns are mounting over a possible hospital bed shortage in South Korea as new daily virus cases are increasing at alarming rates, with those patients in critical conditions on an upward path, experts said Tuesday.
Since Aug. 14, the country's daily COVID-19 cases have been in the triple digits, with a whopping 3,175 new cases reported across the nation over the past 12 days. On Tuesday, South Korea reported 280 additional cases of the virus, raising the nation's total caseload to 17,945.
Stoking fears is the high rate of elderly patients among the newly confirmed cases.
A medical worker checks body temperatures at a hospital in Seoul on Aug. 24, 2020. (Yonhap)
Of the patients identified from Aug. 9-22, 773, or 32 percent, were aged 60 or older, mostly traced to a conservative church in northern Seoul and an anti-government march on Aug. 15 Liberation Day.
The number of patients in critical condition also rose by six to 38 on Tuesday, with the figure expected to rise further. On Aug. 18, the comparable figure stood at nine.
The latest uptick in the number of new infections has set alarm bells ringing, as they were mostly reported from Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, home to half of the country's 51 million people.
In Gyeonggi Province, the bed utilization rate for coronavirus patients came to 97 percent Monday, with 554 of 571 beds at 14 hospitals occupied.
Medical workers wearing protective gear prepare to carry out tests for the new coronavirus at a makeshift clinic of Konyang University Hospital in the central city of Daejeon on Aug. 20, 2020. (Yonhap)
The government is operating community treatment centers to treat mild cases, with plans to open six more that can house around 2,000 patients in the Seoul metropolitan area, but concerns persist.
"We are witnessing an actual shortage of hospital beds following a spike in the number of COVID-19 patients," Lim Seung-kwan, a senior Gyeonggi official, said. "While community treatment centers are in fact a complement, they cannot be a perfect substitute for hospitals."
Also a strain on the authorities' fight against the virus is the ongoing strike by doctors over the government's medical workforce reform scheme.
Interns and residents at major general hospitals have been staging an indefinite walkout nationwide since last week, calling for the government to scrap its plan to increase admission quotas at medical schools.
On Tuesday, South Korea also reported one more fatality from the virus, raising the death toll to 310.
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--Moon calls for 'harmony' of anti-virus fight, emergency economic response

He again cited the OECD 's assessment that South Korea has done better so far than other members of the @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic .

SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in stressed Tuesday that the government should push for emergency economic policy measures "in harmony with" efforts to curb the rapid spread of COVID-19 infections.
A win in the anti-coronavirus fight and economic recovery are "two rabbits" that South Korea must catch together, he said during a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae.
The two are not separable, he pointed out, saying that succeeding in the anti-virus fight is to revive the economy.
President Moon Jae-in speaks during a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Aug. 25, 2020. (Yonhap)
He added the strengthening of anti-virus measures is a "short cut" to economic recovery, as well as the protection of the people's safety and lives.
Moon expressed concern about the economic impact from the recent shark spikes in confirmed coronavirus cases across South Korea.
If the ongoing tough social distancing restrictions prolong, economic difficulties would deepen, he said.
In particular, he added, domestic consumption and demand, which have shown signs of recovery, may shrink again.
The president, nonetheless, voiced confidence that South Korea will get ahead of other advanced countries in terms of economic recovery.
"The government's goal is to achieve a rebound beginning in the third quarter (of this year)," he said.
He again cited the OECD's assessment that South Korea has done better so far than other members of the group in economic response to the pandemic.
The nation's gross domestic product is estimated to shrink 0.8 percent in 2020, less than the OECD average of 7.5 percent, it said in a recent report.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--(LEAD) New virus cases stay under 300 for 2nd day; church-linked, untraceable cases still at large

The country reported 103 new cases on Aug. 14 , which nearly doubled from the previous day .
Since then @ @ @ @ @ virus cases have been in triple digits , as sporadic clusters have emerged , mostly @ @ @ @ @ northern Seoul and an anti-government march on Liberation Day on Aug. 15 .

(ATTN: ADDS details throughout; CHANGES photos)
SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- The number of daily new coronavirus cases in South Korea stayed below 300 for the second consecutive day Tuesday, but church-linked cases continued to build up, with a growing number of patients with unknown infection routes also straining the country's virus fight.
The country reported 280 new COVID-19 cases, including 264 local infections, raising the total caseload to 17,945, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
Tuesday's daily tally marks a slight increase from 266 cases identified the previous day. South Korea reported 324 new cases on Friday, followed by 332 and 397 infections on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
The country reported 103 new cases on Aug. 14, which nearly doubled from the previous day. Since then, the country's daily virus cases have been in triple digits, as sporadic clusters have emerged, mostly traced to a church in northern Seoul and an anti-government march on Liberation Day on Aug. 15.
Over the past 12 days, a whopping 3,175 new cases across the nation were identified.
Medical workers stand at a makeshift clinic in northern Seoul on Aug. 25, 2020. (Yonhap)
Of the locally transmitted cases, Seoul accounted for 134, and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province added 63 cases. The greater Seoul area is home to half of the country's 51 million people.
Other major cities reported additional infections. Incheon, just west of Seoul, reported 15 cases, and the central city of Daejeon added 10 new cases.
Gwangju, located 330 kilometers south of Seoul, reported four new cases, and the southeastern port city of Busan added three cases. The southern resort island of Jeju also had three new patients.
The Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul, a hotbed of the recent spike in new infections, has reported a total of 875 COVID-19 cases as of Monday noon.
Some 21.7 percent of the church members tested in the capital were confirmed to have been infected with the virus, indicating the figure may grow down the road when more people are tested.
New virus cases traced to the church have also been reported from multiple office buildings, day care centers, cram schools and medical institutions, where the church members visited.
A total of 176 patients were reported from the Aug. 15 demonstration in central Seoul as well. A large number of Sarang Jeil Church members, including its pastor who was also infected with the virus, took part in the rally.
Over the past two weeks, roughly 18.5 percent of the newly identified patients had unknown infection routes. This marks a drastic increase from the 8.3 percent posted in the two-week period earlier.
Health authorities have warned that the country may have to adopt the highest level of social distancing if the number of new infections does not slow down this week.
The country already decided to impose the Level 2 social distancing scheme in all regions, effective Sunday. It was initially in effect only in the greater Seoul area.
A medical worker carries out new coronavirus tests at a medical clinic in central Seoul on Aug. 25, 2020. (Yonhap)
Under the Level 2 scheme, indoor meetings of more than 50 people and open-air gatherings of over 100 people are banned in principle. So-called risk-prone facilities, including karaoke rooms, clubs, PC cafes and buffets, have been ordered to shut down.
If the current restrictions are elevated to the highest level, gatherings of more than 10 people will be banned.
Major cities have already decided to not allow any rallies with 10 or more participants. The capital city of Seoul made it mandatory for people to wear protective masks at all times in public, except when they are eating or drinking.
The highest anti-virus curbs can be issued when the number of daily virus cases reaches a two-week average of 100-200 and the doubling of new COVID-19 infections occurs more than twice a week.
Tighter measures, however, could lead to further economic fallout.
Starting Wednesday, all schools in the Seoul metropolitan area will have online classes through Sept. 11.
Can masks get COVID-19 back under control in Korea? Youtube https://youtu.be/k3T9KSyJV1o
The number of imported cases came to just 16. Seven of them were from the United States, and there were also patients from Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, and Switzerland.
South Korea reported one more death, raising the death toll to 310. The fatality rate came to 1.73 percent.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 14,286, up 67 from the previous day. This indicates 79.61 percent of the patients reported here were cured.
South Korea has carried out 1,825,837 COVID-19 tests since Jan. 3.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--New virus cases stay under 300 for 2nd day; church-linked, untraceable cases still at large

SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- The number of daily new coronavirus cases in South Korea stayed below 300 for the second consecutive day Tuesday, but church-linked cases continued to build up, with a growing number of patients with unknown infection routes also straining the country's virus fight.
The country reported 280 new COVID-19 cases, including 264 local infections, raising the total caseload to 17,945, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
Tuesday's daily tally marks a slight increase from 266 cases identified the previous day. South Korea reported 324 new cases on Friday, followed by 332 and 397 infections on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
The country reported 103 new cases on Aug. 14, which nearly doubled from the previous day. Since then, the country's daily virus cases have been in triple digits, as sporadic clusters have emerged, mostly traced to a church in northern Seoul and an anti-government march on Liberation Day on Aug. 15.
Over the past 12 days, a whopping 3,175 new cases across the nation were identified.
A medical worker disinfects equipment at a hospital in northern Seoul on Aug. 24, 2020. (Yonhap)
Of the locally transmitted cases, Seoul accounted for 134, and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province added 63 cases. The greater Seoul area is home to half of the country's 51 million people.
The Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul, a hotbed of the recent spike in new infections, has reported a total of 875 COVID-19 cases as of Monday noon.
Some 21.7 percent of the church members tested in the capital were confirmed to have been infected with the virus, indicating the figure may grow down the road when more people are tested.
New virus cases traced to the church have also been reported from multiple office buildings, day care centers, cram schools and medical institutions, where the church members visited.
A total of 176 patients were reported from the Aug. 15 demonstration in central Seoul as well. A large number of Sarang Jeil Church members, including its pastor who was also infected with the virus, took part in the rally.
Over the past two weeks, roughly 18.5 percent of the newly identified patients had unknown infection routes. This marks a drastic increase from the 8.3 percent posted in the two-week period earlier.
Health authorities have warned that the country may have to adopt the highest level of social distancing if the number of new infections does not slow down this week.
The country already decided to impose the Level 2 social distancing scheme in all regions, effective Sunday. It was initially in effect only in the greater Seoul area.
Medical workers transport a patient with symptoms of COVID-19, at a hospital in northern Seoul on Aug. 24, 2020. (Yonhap)
Under the Level 2 scheme, indoor meetings of more than 50 people and open-air gatherings of over 100 people are banned in principle. So-called risk-prone facilities, including karaoke rooms, clubs, PC cafes and buffets, have been ordered to shut down.
If the current restrictions are elevated to the highest level, gatherings of more than 10 people will be banned.
Major cities have already decided to not allow any rallies with 10 or more participants. The capital city of Seoul made it mandatory for people to wear protective masks at all times in public, except when they are eating or drinking.
The highest anti-virus curbs can be issued when the number of daily virus cases reaches a two-week average of 100-200 and the doubling of new COVID-19 infections occurs more than twice a week.
Tighter measures, however, could lead to further economic fallout.
Starting Wednesday, all schools in the Seoul metropolitan area will have online classes through Sept. 11.
The number of imported cases came to just 16.
South Korea reported one more death, with the death toll rising to 310, the KCDC said.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 14,286, up 67 from the previous day.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--Hospital bed shortage looms as virus cases spike

`` We are witnessing an actual shortage of hospital beds following a spike in the number of COVID-19 patients , @ @ @ @ @ senior Gyeonggi official , said .
`` While community treatment centers are in fact a @ @ @ @ @ be a perfect substitute for hospitals . ''

SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- Concerns are mounting over a possible hospital bed shortage in South Korea as new daily virus cases are increasing at alarming rates, with those patients in critical conditions on an upward path, experts said Tuesday.
Since Aug. 14, the country's daily COVID-19 cases have been in the triple digits, with a whopping 2,895 new cases reported across the nation over the past 11 days. As of Monday, the nation's total caseload stood at 17,665.
Stoking fears is the high rate of elderly patients among the newly confirmed cases.
A medical worker checks body temperatures at a hospital in Seoul on Aug. 24, 2020. (Yonhap)
Of the patients identified from Aug. 9-22, 773, or 32 percent, were aged 60 or older, mostly traced to a conservative church in northern Seoul and an anti-government march on Aug. 15 Liberation Day.
The number of patients in critical condition also rose by two to 32 on Monday, with the figure expected to rise further. On Aug. 18, the comparable figure stood at nine.
The latest uptick in the number of new infections has set alarm bells ringing, as they were mostly reported from Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, home to half of the country's 51 million people.
In Gyeonggi Province, the bed utilization rate for coronavirus patients came to 97 percent Monday, with 554 of 571 beds at 14 hospitals occupied.
Medical workers wearing protective gear prepare to carry out tests for the new coronavirus at a makeshift clinic of Konyang University Hospital in the central city of Daejeon on Aug. 20, 2020. (Yonhap)
The government is operating community treatment centers to treat mild cases, with plans to open six more that can house around 2,000 patients in the Seoul metropolitan area, but concerns persist.
"We are witnessing an actual shortage of hospital beds following a spike in the number of COVID-19 patients," Lim Seung-kwan, a senior Gyeonggi official, said. "While community treatment centers are in fact a complement, they cannot be a perfect substitute for hospitals."
Also a strain on the authorities' fight against the virus is the ongoing strike by doctors over the government's medical workforce reform scheme.
Interns and residents at major general hospitals have been staging an indefinite walkout nationwide since last week, calling for the government to scrap its plan to increase admission quotas at medical schools.
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--Samsung Heavy wins $220 mln order for 2 ethane carriers

`` If ethane exporters such as the United States and Norway increase their ethane production , there will be more @ @ @ @ @ a company official said .

SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Heavy Industries Co., a major South Korean shipbuilder, said Tuesday it has received a US$220 million order for two very large ethane carriers (VLEC) from an Asian shipper.
Samsung Heavy plans to build two 98,000-cubic-meter VLECs for an unidentified shipper in the Asian region by June 2022, the company said in a regulatory filing.
"If ethane exporters such as the United States and Norway increase their ethane production, there will be more orders for VLECs," a company official said.
Samsung Heavy said it has received 11 VLEC orders, or 61 percent, out of 18 VLEC orders placed in the market.
Samsung Heavy has obtained orders to build seven ships worth $700 million so far this year.
In the January-June period, the shipbuilder's net losses widened to 931 billion won ($785 million) from 412 billion won a year earlier.
This file photo provided by Samsung Heavy shows a very large ethane carrier built by the shipbuilder. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--(URGENT) 67 more patients released from coronavirus treatment, total now at 14,286: KCDC


yna--2020-08-25--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 1 additional coronavirus death, total at 310: KCDC


yna--2020-08-25--Victim advocate disappointed with FM's apology over New Zealand sexual misconduct case

On Monday , South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha in a meeting with senior officials made an apology over the @ @ @ @ @ minister 's office , Kang stated that the case has been `` a diplomatic burden @ @ @ @ @ apologized `` for causing concern to the public . ''

AUCKLAND, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- A New Zealand advocate for sexual assault victims has expressed disappointment towards the South Korean foreign minister's recent apology over sexual abuse allegations against a Korean diplomat in the Oceanian country, according to a news report Tuesday.
A former New Zealand employee at South Korea's Embassy in Wellington has accused a senior South Korean diplomat of groping his body on three occasions in 2017, a case that has drawn attention after the country's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern raised the issue in last month's phone talks with President Moon Jae-in.
On Monday, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha in a meeting with senior officials made an apology over the case. According to the minister's office, Kang stated that the case has been "a diplomatic burden" for the government and apologized "for causing concern to the public."
Louise Nicholas, a New Zealand advocate for victims of sexual assault, however, expressed frustration with Kang's apology for it not addressing the victim himself.
"He's quite distraught over (the apology) and I don't blame him at all," Nicholas, who has been supporting the victim, said in an interview with New Zealand broadcaster Newshub.
Nicholas added, "There's no apology or anything for him, and that's gut wrenching."
The senior South Korean diplomat in question was moved to a new post in the Philippines in 2018 and was disciplined with a reduction in salary for a month over the case. He was recently recalled home after the case resurfaced.
Kang has stressed that the ministry will apply stricter standards for sexual misconduct cases in the future, regardless of the time of the occurrence, and ordered the bolstering of related regulations and education.
Last week, the foreign ministry said it is considering resuming arbitration to settle the sexual abuse case after recently receiving a request from the complainant.
This file photo shows South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha speaking during a meeting on ways to cope with conflicts between Washington and Beijing at the foreign ministry in Seoul on July 28, 2020. (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--(3rd LD) Doctors to hold full-scale strike as scheduled amid pandemic

During the meeting , trainee doctors agreed to participate in medical services to respond to the novel coronavirus outbreak , @ @ @ @ @ return to work on a limited basis .
Both sides agreed Tuesday to launch working-level @ @ @ @ @ have yet to generate a major breakthrough , prompting the KMA to press ahead with @ @ @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES with minor edits in para 13, details on doctors on strike in paras 20-23)
SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- Tens of thousands of doctors will go on a full-scale strike as scheduled this week in protest of the government's medical workforce reform plan and proceed with a rally in a non-contact manner amid spiking virus cases.
Doctors, including interns and resident doctors at general hospitals and practitioners at neighborhood clinics, plan to begin a three-day nationwide strike starting Wednesday to protest the government's move to increase the number of medical students, according to the Korean Medical Association (KMA), which has some 130,000 members.
The collective action comes as thousands of trainee doctors have already been staging an indefinite strike since late last week, calling for the government to scrap the plan.
The move spawns concerns about disruptions in the health care system at a time when the country is struggling to contain the uptick in new coronavirus cases.
A trainee doctor pickets at a Seoul hospital on Aug. 25, 2020, one day before doctors will hold a full-scale strike in protest of the government's plan to increase the number of medical students. (Yonhap)
As part of the country's medical workforce reform plan, the health ministry is planning to expand admission quotas at medical schools by 4,000 over the next 10 years, starting in 2022, and to open a new public medical school, as it seeks to broaden the reach of health care services.
This will increase the number of students admitted annually to medical schools to 3,458 in the 2022-2031 period from the current 3,058, according to the plan.
Calling the government's move a "hasty and unilateral" decision, trainee doctors launched an indefinite strike Friday on a staggered basis, and such doctors at all levels are now staging the collective action.
Trainee doctors held a one-day strike on Aug. 7 and also participated in doctors' similar walkout a week later.
But Wednesday's move is feared to have far-reaching impacts on the health care system as patients have already suffered damage stemming from the latest walkout at hospitals.
Some major general hospitals in Seoul said they cannot receive critically ill patients at emergency rooms due to a lack of medical staff. Outpatients had either longer waiting times to meet doctors or saw their appointments with doctors delayed. Even surgery for brain tumors was put off.
"Outpatient treatments done by medical professors are in operation. But we cannot help curtailing surgery schedules as trainee doctors went on the walkout," a Samsung Medical Center official said.
This photo, provided by trainee doctors of Konkuk University in Seoul, shows trainee doctors lining up to take off their gowns in protest of the government's medical workforce reform plan at Konkuk University Medical Center in eastern Seoul on Aug. 23, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The health ministry warned Saturday that it will soon issue a return-to-work order to trainee doctors who are on strike, as part of its strong response to their strike.
The government said it plans to put the reform plan on hold until the COVID-19 pandemic is brought under control in the greater capital region. The medical sector rejected the offer as "political rhetoric," calling for the government to scrap the policy.
Apparently burdened by protracted tensions amid the pandemic, the government and the medical sector have sought to solve the contentious issue through dialogue.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun met representatives from the Korean Intern and Resident Association (KIRA) and the KMA earlier this week.
During the meeting, trainee doctors agreed to participate in medical services to respond to the novel coronavirus outbreak, signaling that KIRA members will return to work on a limited basis.
Both sides agreed Tuesday to launch working-level consultations. But the talks have yet to generate a major breakthrough, prompting the KMA to press ahead with the full-scale walkout.
The government said it will seek to find a solution with leaving all possibilities open for "sincere" talks with the medical sector.
The health ministry remains cautious about issuing a return-to-work order to striking trainee doctors as it will involve mandatory enforcement.
"It is not appropriate to bring up the issue as we are in talks with the medical sector," Son Young-rae, a senior health official, said in a briefing.
The official added that the government has gone into emergency mode, with district-based state health centers to respond to a potential vacuum in treatment.
"Community health service center will be mobilized to the fullest so as to reduce serious shortfalls in medical services offered to the public," Son said.
He said that the move by medical students not to take doctors' exam is a source of grave concern and hoped that such a situation will not occur.
The ministry said that 58.3 percent of the 10,277 trainee doctors working at 200 hospitals scross the country are on strike, although the percentage for so-called fellows physicians and clinical instructors stood at just 6.1 of the 2,639 total.
Citizens walk in front of the pediatric emergency center of Seoul National University Hospital in central Seoul on Aug. 25, 2020. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--Singapore competition regulator approves Daewoo shipbuilding, KSEO merger

The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore said the planned merger between Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. , ( @ @ @ @ @ & Marine Engineering Co. ( DSME ) did not violate any anti-trust rules or hurt @ @ @ @ @ .

SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- Singapore's state competition regulator approved the merger between two South Korean shipyards, possibly pushing forward the creation of the world's largest shipbuilder, industry sources said Tuesday,
The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore said the planned merger between Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co., (KSOE) and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. (DSME) did not violate any anti-trust rules or hurt fair competition in the sector.
The unconditional approval is the second of its kind for the ongoing business combination, following the similar verdict made by Kazakhstan in October, 2019.
KSOE, which is the sub-holding company of Hyundai Heavy Industries Group, submitted its merger request to the city state last September, with Singapore conducting first and second stage reviews.
This photo provided by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. shows a container carrier being built by the shipbuilder at its shipyard on Geoje Island. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"Initially Singaporean authorities did express reservations on fair competition and potential fallout for consumers, but these concerns were fully alleviated," a KSOE official said.
The latest decision is expected to positively impact anti-trust reviews being carried out by the European Union, China and Japan.
In March 2019, Hyundai Heavy Industries signed a contract to buy a 55.72 percent stake in Daewoo Shipbuilding. The deal can lead to the creation of the world's biggest shipbuilder with a global market share of around 21 percent.
To acquire DSME, Hyundai Heavy Industry Group reorganized Hyundai Heavy Industries with KSOE, a sub-holding marine engineering firm that governs shipbuilding units for the conglomerate, and made changes to Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.
KSOE currently manages the group's three shipbuilding units -- Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co. and Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries Co.
If the acquisition deal goes ahead, Hyundai Heavy Industries Group will have four shipbuilders under its wing.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--(3rd LD) Seoul city reports 134 new cases, infections with unknown routes on rise

Concerns were raised as to whether the broadcaster could carry on with its news programs as the employee worked on @ @ @ @ @ newsroom .
But quarantine authorities determined in a preliminary probe that it was safe for @ @ @ @ @ with proper disinfection procedures within the building .

(ATTN: UPDATES with details of temporary shutdown of broadcaster SBS at bottom)
SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- New coronavirus cases in Seoul reached 134 on Tuesday, marking a triple-digit figure due to a continued rise in cluster infections across the capital and cases coming from unknown transmission routes.
South Korea reported 280 new COVID-19 cases, including 264 local infections, raising the total caseload to 17,945, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Of the locally transmitted cases, 134 were identified in Seoul, bringing the city's total COVID-19 caseload to 3,120.
Since hitting 146 on Aug. 15, new infections have stayed at triple digits each day except for two days, including Sunday when the number of screening tests conducted was lower than usual, according to the city government's data.
A health worker assists people waiting to get tested for the new coronavirus at a screening center set up in front of the National Medical Center in central Seoul on Aug. 25, 2020. (Yonhap)
Cases coming from Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul account for around one-sixth of all infections in the capital. Infections have also been reported at other religious facilities, as well as an educational institution, a theater group and a child care center.
Of the 3,120 cases, there were more than 480 cases coming from unknown infection routes.
Some one-third of such cases were reported between Aug. 16 and 22 alone, putting authorities on alert over the infectious virus silently spreading across the city.
A pedestrian wears a mask in central Seoul on Aug. 25, 2020. Seoul city has mandated masks starting earlier this week. (Yonhap)
The recent spike in infections with unidentified transmission routes was attributed to a rise in elderly patients, who are more prone to using cash instead of credit cards and may have memory difficulties, making it tougher for health workers to trace their routes.
In efforts to stop the virus from further spreading in South Korea's biggest city, the city government has mandated face masks at most indoor and outdoor venues starting Monday. It has also banned rallies of more than 10 people.
On Tuesday, the government announced additional anti-virus measures for Seoul, such as mandating face masks in taxis and restricting the use of same work outfits, such as vests, at logistics facilities.
Meanwhile, major terrestrial TV network SBS was temporarily shut down earlier Tuesday after a worker tested positive for COVID-19. According to SBS, the worker in question did not report to work at the company headquarters in western Seoul's Mok-dong area this week after feeling sick over the weekend.
Concerns were raised as to whether the broadcaster could carry on with its news programs as the employee worked on the same floor as the newsroom. But quarantine authorities determined in a preliminary probe that it was safe for the network to continue operating with proper disinfection procedures within the building.
"We are disinfecting the building under the guidance of epidemiological experts. We plan to cooperate with health authorities moving forward," the company said.
A separate building owned by SBS in Sangam-dong was also shut down on Aug. 20 after a teacher at an in-house child care center tested positive for COVID-19.
A health worker prepares to conduct screening tests at a community health center in the southwestern Seoul ward of Gwanak on Aug. 24, 2020. (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--Daegu city hall partially shut down amid virus patient visit

DAEGU , Aug. 25 ( Yonhap ) -- The city hall of Daegu , South Korea 's third-largest city , @ @ @ @ @ after it became known that a person who tested positive of COVID-19 visited one of @ @ @ @ @ city officials said .

DAEGU, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- The city hall of Daegu, South Korea's third-largest city, was partially shut down Tuesday after it became known that a person who tested positive of COVID-19 visited one of its buildings last week, city officials said.
According to officials, the third floor of the city hall's annex building 103 was shut down after a non-employee who tested positive for the new coronavirus made a visit on Aug. 17.
The private citizen, who was in his 60s, was confirmed with the new coronavirus earlier in the day. City hall employees on the floor were ordered to go home.
"We are quarantining the area after learning of the patient's visit," a city official said. Authorities are trying to figure out other locations the person visited.
The metropolis, located 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, was the epicenter of the previous main outbreak in late February and March.
A file image of the Daegu city hall building (Yonhap)
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--HDC, creditor to meet seeking breakthrough in stalled Asiana deal: sources

Concerns over the possible rupture of the deal grew in June when HDC called for renegotiations with Kumho and Asiana @ @ @ @ @ , describing the virus crisis as an `` unexpected and very negative factor '' that @ @ @ @ @ .

SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- HDC Hyundai Development Co. and the main creditor of Asiana Airlines Inc. will meet to push for a breakthrough in the stalled deal over the carrier, financial sources said Tuesday.
HDC Chairman Chung Mong-gyu and Lee Dong-gull, chairman of the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB), are expected to meet Wednesday to discuss ways to revive the deal that HDC signed last year to acquire the carrier, according to corporate insiders.
Chung and Lee have met twice before but failed to narrow the gap over the acquisition terms.
This graphic image shows an Asiana Airlines passenger jet against the background of the Kumho Asiana Group and HDC headquarters buildings. (Yonhap)
In December, the HDC-led consortium signed the deal to acquire a 30.77 percent stake in Asiana Airlines from Kumho Industrial Co., a construction unit of Kumho Asiana Group, as well as new Asiana shares to be issued and the carrier's six affiliates, for 2.5 trillion won (US$2.2 billion).
The consortium was originally planning to complete the acquisition by June 27. But the new coronavirus outbreak emerged as a major stumbling block early this year.
HDC and Kumho Industrial recently agreed on a top-level meeting to push forward the deal following months of disputes over acquisition terms that HDC argues have changed dramatically due to the pandemic that has impacted the airline industry.
But the two sides ran into difficulties over the purpose and logistics of the meeting.
HDC wanted a second round of due diligence on Asiana Airlines to figure out the carrier's current financial status amid the pandemic. But Kumho Industrial wanted the meeting to be focused on wrapping up the deal.
Concerns over the possible rupture of the deal grew in June when HDC called for renegotiations with Kumho and Asiana creditors over the acquisition terms, describing the virus crisis as an "unexpected and very negative factor" that will affect its planned acquisition.
HDC demanded renegotiations through written documents, but the KDB asked the company to hold face-to-face talks.
At the time, HDC cited snowballing debts of the airline as another reason for renegotiations.
Asiana's debts jumped by 4.5 trillion won from July last year to March this year, and its debt-to-equity ratio skyrocketed by 16,126 percent during the same period.
HDC also asked for another round of due diligence for 12 weeks from mid-August on the carrier, which was balked at by Kumho and the KDB.
Asiana has suspended most of its flights on international routes as more than 180 countries have strengthened entry restrictions amid virus fears this year.
From January to June, its net losses deepened to 432.88 billion won from 267.4 billion won in the same period of last year.
To help Asiana stay afloat, the KDB and the Export-Import Bank of Korea plan to inject a combined 1.7 trillion won into Asiana.
Last year, the two state lenders extended a total of 1.6 trillion won to the carrier.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--KBO to mandate masks in dugouts during games, fine spitters

The league first put the ban on those activities in place before the start of the season in May to @ @ @ @ @ it has not yet disciplined violators despite repeated instances of spitting and high-fiving seen during @ @

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- In response to a recent nationwide spike in new coronavirus cases, the South Korean baseball league announced Tuesday it will mandate face coverings in dugouts during games, with fines to be levied on multiple offenders.
Effective immediately with Tuesday's games in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), players and coaches must wear masks while in their dugouts. Relief pitchers warming up in the bullpen and their bullpen catchers will be exempt from the rule.
Seoul and a few other municipalities are now requiring face coverings in public. The KBO said masks will be mandatory at all ballparks, regardless of rules in home cities.
In this file photo from April 29, 2020, members of the Kia Tigers wear masks during a Korea Baseball Organization preseason game against the Samsung Lions at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)
If players or members of coaching staffs are caught without masks during live broadcasts, in photos or on social media, first-time offenders will receive a warning. Second-time violators will be fined 300,000 won (US$250) and the third offense and beyond will result in a 1 million won fine.
Masks will not be mandatory during pregame batting practices and fielding drills, but will be "highly recommended," the KBO said. Players must maintain a distance of at least one meter from one another.
The league added that bottles of hand sanitizer will be placed inside dugouts, so that players and coaches will have easy access to them during games.
The KBO will also enforce a ban on spitting, barehanded high-fiving and embracing teammates more stringently. Dousing a walk-off hero with bottles of mineral water or sports drinks -- a common celebration in the KBO -- will be a no-go, too.
In this file photo from June 4, 2020, NC Dinos' catcher Yang Eui-ji adjusts his mask before an interview after a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game against the SK Wyverns at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)
The league first put the ban on those activities in place before the start of the season in May to prevent COVID-19 spread, but it has not yet disciplined violators despite repeated instances of spitting and high-fiving seen during broadcasts.
The scale of the penalty will be the same as non-mask wearers: warning for the initial offense, a 300,000 won fine for the second offense and a 1 million won fine for every violation afterward.
Players and coaches will also be banned from going to pubs, clubs and karaoke rooms, which are categorized as high-risk facilities under the current set of strict social distancing guidelines and must remained closed.
KBO club members caught visiting those places will be fined 1 million won for the first time. A second offense will force the KBO to open disciplinary proceedings.
In light of a surge in COVID-19 cases across the nation, South Korea is contemplating raising the intensity of social distancing guidelines to Level 3, in which case all sports leagues must come to a stop.
KBO clubs reopened gates to fans on a limited basis on July 26 but closed them again last week.
In this file photo from June 28, 2020, LG Twins' pitcher Im Chan-kyu speaks to reporters while wearing a mask after a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game against the SK Wyverns at SK Happy Dream Park in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--Samsung tops smartphone production in Q2 amid pandemic: report

`` Europe , the U.S. , and India are the major markets for Samsung smartphones when looking at sales by @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Their outbreaks were very severe during the second quarter of 2020 , and @ @ @ @ @ the other brands in the top six . ''

SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. was the top global smartphone manufacturer in the second quarter of the year, a report showed Tuesday, although its production declined due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Samsung led the industry in terms of smartphone production with 55 million units in the April-June period, accounting for 19.2 percent the total market share, according to market researcher TrendForce.
The South Korean tech titan, however, was the only brand among the top six that suffered production decline in the three month priod, according to TrendForce, adding that the company posted a 16 percent quarter-on-quarter drop.
"Europe, the U.S., and India are the major markets for Samsung smartphones when looking at sales by region," TrendForce said. "Their outbreaks were very severe during the second quarter of 2020, and this affected Samsung more than the other brands in the top six."
This photo taken on Aug. 7, 2020, shows Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy Note 20 smartphones displayed at a store in Seoul. (Yonhap)
China's Huawei Technologies Co. was the runner-up with an 18.2 percent market share after its smartphone production jumped 13 percent quarter-on-quarter to 52 million units in the second quarter.
U.S. tech titan Apple Inc. took the third spot with a 14.3 percent market share after its iPhone production reached 41 million units in the second quarter, up 8 percent from three months earlier.
Chinese brands Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo came in fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively, in the global smartphone production rankings.
Overall, global smartphone production dropped 16.7 percent on-year to 286 million units in the second quarter of the year, TrendForce said.
For the third quarter of the year, TrendForce said the total smartphone production is expected to reach 335 million units. The figure represents a 10.1 percent on-year decline, but still up 17.2 percent from the current quarter.
"Governments in many countries have started to ease some of the restrictive measures for containing COVID-19 and launched economic stimulus policies to generate consumer demand," it added.
TrendForce said Samsung's production volume is likely to increase in the current quarter and take a 23.5 percent market share, benefiting from the U.S. sanctions against Huawei and growing anti-China sentiment in India.
"Samsung has been building up its inventories as it targets the entry-level and mid-range segments in order to compensate for its poor performances in the previous quarter," it added.
Huawei was projected to take a 14 percent market share in terms of smartphone production in the third quarter, followed by Apple with a 13.3 percent market share, TrendForce said.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--(LEAD) Jeju coming under direct influence of year's most powerful typhoon

The Korea Meteorological Administration ( KMA ) said that as of 3 p.m. , the eighth typhoon of the season @ @ @ @ @ hit the nation this year , was traveling northward at 12 kilometers per hour from @ @ @ @ @ Seogwipo on Jeju Island .
Its central pressure was 955 hectopascals , with its maximum @ @ @ @ @ meters per second .

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details in paras 1-4, 11-13; ADDS photo; CHANGES headline)
SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju came under the direct influence of the powerful Typhoon Bavi, beginning Tuesday evening, meteorologists said.
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said that as of 3 p.m., the eighth typhoon of the season and the most powerful to hit the nation this year, was traveling northward at 12 kilometers per hour from waters 400 km south-southwest of Seogwipo on Jeju Island. Its central pressure was 955 hectopascals, with its maximum wind speed recorded at 40 meters per second.
Typhoon Bavi approaches the Korean Peninsula from waters south of Jeju Island on Aug. 25, 2020, in this photo provided by the National Meteorological Satellite Center. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The KMA forecast that Bavi, now classified as a very powerful mid-sized typhoon, is expected to gather strength while passing over warm sea waters near Jeju with temperatures of around 30 C, which is 1 to 2 degrees higher than usual.
It will then slightly lose strength while traveling along the Yellow Sea coasts with comparatively lower water temperatures but will maintain its powerful force before making landfall.
Due to the approaching typhoon, Jeju is to be hit by very powerful winds with speeds of 10 to 20 meters per second, or instantaneous maximum speeds of 40 to 60 mps, from Tuesday night, the agency warned.
Typhoon Bavi is forecast to be closest to the southern island Wednesday afternoon and move north along the nation's west coast before making landfall in North Korea's Hwanghae Province on Thursday.
Strong waves pound the southern shores of Jeju Island on Aug. 25, 2020, as Typhoon Bavi approaches the Korean Peninsula. (Yonhap)
The typhoon will also move nearest to Seoul Thursday morning, while bringing very strong winds and heavy rains to the entire nation, the KMA said.
Therefore, the southwestern coastal areas in the Jeolla provinces will be affected by very strong winds with maximum instantaneous speeds of 40 to 60 mps, or 144 to 216 km per hour, while the instantaneous wind speeds will also reach up to 35 mps in Seoul and other western and southern coastal areas, it warned.
If wind blows at speeds of between 40 to 60 mps, people cannot walk around and facilities can be blown away, damaged or broken.
The KMA cautioned that the typhoon is expected to disrupt aircraft operations in most parts of the country and deal significant damage to street and agricultural structures, among others.
Hundreds of fishing vessels lie at anchor at a port on Jeju Island on Aug. 25, as Typhoon Bavi approaches the Korean Peninsula. (Yonhap)
With a wind shear alert already in place on Jeju, the island's airport authorities canceled six flights, including a Korean Air flight set to depart from Seoul to Jeju, as of 4 p.m. and plan to cancel almost all flights slated for Wednesday.
At a beach on Jeju, five vacationers were swept away by swelling waves Tuesday morning. They were all recovered by authorities but one of them died at a hospital later.
Central and provincial governments have already ordered all public officials to brace for the onset of one of the strongest typhoons to hit the peninsula, strengthen inspections of vulnerable facilities and ensure that the powerful winds do not disturb the ongoing anti-coronavirus quarantine efforts.
Rain will gradually expand from Jeju to the southern regions Wednesday morning and the central regions in the afternoon. Rain will continue nationwide until Thursday.
Precipitation is forecast to reach 100 to 300 millimeters on Jeju Island and in the southwestern provinces of Jeolla over the next three days, while other areas will receive 30 mm to 150 mm in the same period, the KMA said.
The agency has already issued a typhoon alert for the high seas south of Jeju and a preliminary wind-wave alert for the seas around Jeju and the southern and southwestern coasts.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--(LEAD) 14 new coronavirus cases confirmed at Suncheon fitness center, stirring concerns about cluste

(LEAD) 14 new coronavirus cases confirmed at Suncheon fitness center, stirring concerns about cluster infections

A woman in her 40s who uses the health club in Suncheon , some 415 kilometers south of Seoul , @ @ @ @ @ with the new coronavirus late Saturday .
She is a friend of a door-to-door saleswoman @ @ @ @ @ confirmed to be infected last Thursday .

(ATTN: ADDS new info in paras 8-14, photo)
SUNCHEON, South Korea, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- Fourteen new coronavirus cases linked to a fitness center in the southwestern city of Suncheon were confirmed Tuesday, three days after a member was found to have contracted the disease, health officials said.
The outbreak at Cheongam Fitness and Spa, with more than 340 members, sparked concerns about possible cluster infections, as South Korea is struggling with new spikes in COVID-19 cases. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the day reported 280 new cases across the country, raising the total caseload to 17,945.
A woman in her 40s who uses the health club in Suncheon, some 415 kilometers south of Seoul, nearly every day was diagnosed with the new coronavirus late Saturday. She is a friend of a door-to-door saleswoman in her 70s who was confirmed to be infected last Thursday.
Cheongam Fitness and Spa in Suncheon, some 415 kilometers south of Seoul, is empty on Aug. 25, 2020, after 14 new coronavirus cases linked to the fitness center were confirmed the same day. Three days ago, a member was found to have contracted the virus, health officials said. (Yonhap)
An additional 14 people who used the fitness center tested positive Tuesday, the city government said.
All of them were sent to Suncheon Medical Center, while the facility has been closed and disinfected.
The authorities found the woman did not wear a mask while using the gym and sauna in the building and visited restaurants, cafes and retail outlets in the city.
The number of her contacts is estimated to be more than 400, including 30 people classified as close contacts. Her husband and two children tested negative and went into self-quarantine at home.
The local government ordered all users of the center to take coronavirus tests and self-quarantine.
Officials have secured the list of its 342 members and CCTV footage. Of the 292 people found to have used the center on the same days as her, 272 have been tested, they said.
The file photo taken April 20, 2020, shows health workers sterilizing Suncheon Station in Suncheon, some 415 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
The authorities closed seven places that the patients visited, including a public park, a school and a private institute.
All kindergartens and elementary and middle schools were ordered to switch to online classes.
The local government also suspended the operations of bars, karaoke rooms, PC cafes, sports centers and other high-risk facilities.
A total of 30 cases have been confirmed as of Monday in the city with a population of 280,000, according to the city government.
The number of confirmed patients across South Jeolla Province, to which the city belongs, totaled 97. It has a population of about 1.85 million.
"Epidemiological surveys have found an infection link around the fitness center," a South Jeolla official said.
"We are carrying out enhanced surveys and disease control measures in Suncheon as infections occurred at a fitness center and a large market and could spread further," the official added.
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--Korean Air signs deal to sell in-flight biz for 991 bln won

`` It will take two to three months before finalizing the deal .
Korean Air will invest in a 20 @ @ @ @ @ business entity to be set up by Hahn & Company to operate the ( in-flight @ @ @ @ @ , '' a company spokeswoman said over the phone .

SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- Korean Air Lines Co., South Korea's biggest carrier, said Tuesday it has signed a deal to sell its in-flight catering and duty-free business to a local private equity fund, as it strives to secure capital amid the new coronavirus crisis.
Korean Air held a board meeting to approve the asset sale plan earlier in the day before signing a "business transfer agreement" with Hahn & Company to sell the core business unit for 990.6 billion won (US$835 million), the company said in a statement.
"It will take two to three months before finalizing the deal. Korean Air will invest in a 20 percent stake in a new business entity to be set up by Hahn & Company to operate the (in-flight catering and duty-free) business," a company spokeswoman said over the phone.
This undated file photo, provided by Korean Air, shows chefs preparing in-flight meals at the Korean Air Catering Center in Incheon, just west of Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The national flag carrier plans to sign a contract with the new business entity for in-flight meals and duty-free services on its planes, the statement said.
Hahn & Company, which has 8.1 trillion won in assets under management, has recently completed due diligence on the business unit.
The move is part of the agreement reached in April with the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB) and the Export-Import Bank of Korea (Eximbank) to receive 1.2 trillion won in fresh liquidity from the creditors.
Under the agreement, Korean Air is required to secure 2 trillion won in self-help measures. The airline has raised 1.1 trillion won through a rights offering.
In February, Korean Air's parent firm Hanjin KAL Corp. announced its plan to sell low-profit, non-core assets to focus on the mainstay airline and logistics business and enhance shareholder value.
Korean Air has suspended most of its flights on international routes since March, as more than 180 countries and territories closed their borders or imposed entry restrictions on incoming passengers amid virus fears.
In other self-help efforts, Korean Air had 70 percent of its 20,000-strong workforce take paid leave for six months starting April 16, and it is in the process of selling non-core assets to secure cash.
From January to June, Korean Air's net losses deepened to 619.49 billion won from 482.01 billion won in the same period of last year.
This photo, taken on July 7, 2020, shows Korean Air planes at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, just west of Seoul. (Yonhap)
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--(LEAD) NK leader's sister in control of key Workers' Party unit, Seoul's defense chief says

`` No matter what the situation is , ( the military ) will do its best to protect the security @ @ @ @ @ , the lives and property of the people , '' he added , using the @ @ @ @ @ .

(ATTN: UPDATES with minister's remarks on SLBM in paras 9-10)
SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's defense minister said Tuesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's younger sister, Kim Yo-jong, seems to be in control of a key Workers' Party unit, as she is apparently in charge of South Korea and U.S. affairs.
Keen attention is being paid to the role and authority of Kim, whose official title is first vice department director of the Workers' Party Central Committee.
Asked by a lawmaker during a National Assembly session if she has a substantial grip on the Organization and Guidance Department of the committee, Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo said he thinks so.
But Kim Jong-un is believed to maintain his sole control of the party, the regime and the military, while he has delegated some "roles and responsibilities" to his aides, the minister said.
On a view that Kim's sister oversees Pyongyang's strategy on Seoul and Washington, the minister said, "It appears to be true, as she expressed so."
A file photo of Kim Yo-jong, younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (Yonhap)
Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo attends a National Assembly session in Seoul on Aug. 25, 2020. (Yonhap)
Jeong said there's no unusual activity by North Korea in connection with the possibility of a provocative move.
On a question about whether taking a military measure is an option to counter the North's possible provocation, he replied yes.
"No matter what the situation is, (the military) will do its best to protect the security of the Republic of Korea, the lives and property of the people," he added, using the formal name of South Korea.
Jeong also said the North is continuing to develop a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) off its eastern coast.
It has acquired the capability to fire a rocket from a fixed launcher placed under water and is conducting "various" related experiments, Jeong added.
During a separate parliamentary committee meeting, Suh Choo-suk, deputy director of national security at Cheong Wa Dae, said North Korea is known to be suffering the triple troubles of sanctions, COVID-19 and flood damages.
He predicted that North Korea's worsening economic situation will serve as a "foundation" for its push for "new changes."
Suh Choo-suk, deputy director of national security at Cheong Wa Dae, in a file photo (Yonhap)
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--(2nd LD) Doctors to hold full-scale strike as scheduled amid pandemic

The government said it plans to shelve the reform plan until the COVID-19 pandemic is brought under control in the @ @ @ @ @ medical sector rejected the offer as `` political rhetoric , '' calling for the government @ @ @ @ @ Apparently burdened by protracted tensions amid the pandemic , the government and the medical sector @ @ @ @ @ contentious issue through dialogue .

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with more details throughout)
SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- Tens of thousands of doctors will go on a full-scale strike as scheduled this week in protest of the government's medical workforce reform plan and proceed with a rally in a non-contact manner amid spiking virus cases.
Doctors, including interns and resident doctors at general hospitals and practitioners at neighborhood clinics, plan to begin a three-day nationwide strike starting Wednesday to protest the government's move to increase the number of medical students, according to the Korean Medical Association (KMA), which has some 130,000 members.
The collective action comes as thousands of trainee doctors have already been staging an indefinite strike since late last week, calling for the government to scrap the plan.
The move spawns concerns about disruptions in the health care system at a time when the country is struggling to contain the uptick in new coronavirus cases.
A trainee doctor pickets at a Seoul hospital on Aug. 25, 2020, one day before doctors will hold a full-scale strike in protest of the government's plan to increase the number of medical students. (Yonhap)
As part of the country's medical workforce reform plan, the health ministry is planning to expand admission quotas at medical schools by 4,000 over the next 10 years, starting in 2022, and to open a new public medical school, as it seeks to broaden the reach of health care services.
This will increase the number of students admitted annually to medical schools to 3,458 in the 2022-2031 period from the current 3,058, according to the plan.
Calling the government's move a "hasty and unilateral" decision, trainee doctors launched an indefinite strike Friday on a staggered basis, and such doctors at all levels are now staging the collective action.
Trainee doctors held a one-day strike on Aug. 7 and also participated in doctors' similar walkout a week later.
But Wednesday's move is feared to have far-reaching impacts on the health care system as patients have already suffered damage stemming from the latest walkout at hospitals.
Some major general hospitals in Seoul said they cannot receive critically ill patients at emergency rooms due to a lack of medical staff. Outpatients had either longer waiting times to meet doctors or saw their appointments with doctors delayed. Even surgery for brain tumors was put off.
"Outpatient treatments done by medical professors are in operation. But we cannot help curtailing surgery schedules as trainee doctors went on the walkout," a Samsung Medical Center official said.
This photo, provided by trainee doctors of Konkuk University in Seoul, shows trainee doctors lining up to take off their gowns in protest of the government's medical workforce reform plan at Konkuk University Medical Center in eastern Seoul on Aug. 23, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The health ministry warned Saturday that it will soon issue a return-to-work order to trainee doctors who are on strike, as part of its strong response to their strike.
The government said it plans to shelve the reform plan until the COVID-19 pandemic is brought under control in the greater capital region. The medical sector rejected the offer as "political rhetoric," calling for the government to scrap the policy.
Apparently burdened by protracted tensions amid the pandemic, the government and the medical sector have sought to solve the contentious issue through dialogue.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun met representatives from the Korean Intern and Resident Association (KIRA) and the KMA earlier this week.
During the meeting, trainee doctors agreed to participate in medical services to respond to the novel coronavirus outbreak, signaling that KIRA members will return to work on a limited basis.
Both sides agreed Tuesday to launch working-level consultations. But the talks have yet to generate a major breakthrough, prompting the KMA to press ahead with the full-scale walkout.
The government said it will seek to find a solution with leaving all possibilities open for "sincere" talks with the medical sector.
The health ministry remains cautious about issuing a return-to-work order to striking trainee doctors as it will involve mandatory enforcement.
"It is not appropriate to bring up the issue as we are in talks with the medical sector," Son Young-rae, a senior health official, said in a briefing.
The official added that the government is bracing for an emergency mode, with district-based state clinic centers to respond to a potential vacuum in treating patients.
Citizens walk in front of the pediatric emergency center of Seoul National University Hospital in central Seoul on Aug. 25, 2020. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--17 pct of S. Korean teens addicted to internet, smartphones: survey

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family released the result of its survey of teenagers ' internet and smartphone usage @ @ @ @ @ graders of elementary schools and first graders of middle and high schools across the country @ @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- Some 17 percent of young students in South Korea are addicted to the internet and smartphones, a government survey suggested Tuesday.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family released the result of its survey of teenagers' internet and smartphone usage, conducted on 1,331,441 fourth graders of elementary schools and first graders of middle and high schools across the country from June to July.
Of them, 228,120 students, or 17.1 percent, were found to be excessively dependent on either the internet or smartphones or both, up 1.1 percentage point from 16 percent last year. Respondents were allowed to give multiple answers.
A computer-generated image of students addicted to the internet and smartphones, provided by Yonhap News TV (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"As teenagers' media use is increasing amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we ask parents to pay special attention to prevent adverse effects, such as overdependence," Shim Min-chul, an official at the ministry, said.
The ministry said it plans to provide counseling, medical treatment and other care programs to severely addicted students.
The survey showed 175,496 students were addicted to the internet, while the number for smartphones was 136,538. A total of 83,914 were found to be overly dependent on both.
By age, 84,462 (37 percent) of those with overdependence were first graders of middle schools, followed by first graders of high schools with 77,884 (34.1 percent) and fourth graders of elementary schools with 65,774 (28.8 percent).
By gender, boys (116,731) outnumbered girls (111,389) overall in the category. But among the middle and high school students, more females than males were included in the vulnerable group.
nyway@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--(LEAD) Coronavirus resurgence raises specter of big-firm shutdowns

Samsung said Friday that an LED technology researcher at its Giheung Campus in Yongin , south of Seoul , tested @ @ @ @ @ The company said it has shuttered the building where the researcher worked and ordered others @ @ @ @ @

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 7, 9)
SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- A recent resurgence of coronavirus infections at home and abroad has sparked concern over possible factory shutdowns by major South Korean companies, industry sources said Tuesday.
Several large enterprises were forced to shutter domestic and overseas plants in the thick of the coronavirus pandemic between February and April.
Electronics giant LG Electronics Inc. is one of the latest victims. According to the sources, LG Electronics recently shut down its plant in western Indonesia after 200 workers were infected with the novel coronavirus.
The company plans to have all employees tested for COVID-19 and allow only those who test negative to report to work starting next week.
LG Chem Ltd., South Korea's top chemicals company, has also reported five infected workers at its electric vehicle battery plant in Wroclaw, southwestern Poland.
This undated file photo shows citizens being tested for COVID-19 at a screening center in Seoul. (Yonhap)
The company, a chemicals arm of LG Group and affiliated with LG Electronics, said the outbreak does not affect the factory's production, as those infected are all office workers.
In addition, Samsung and other companies recently reported coronavirus cases at their domestic facilities, fueling fears over possible shutdowns.
On Tuesday, Samsung Electronics Co. reported virus-infected workers at its plants in Suwon and Yongin, both south of Seoul, though their production was not affected.
Samsung said Friday that an LED technology researcher at its Giheung Campus in Yongin, south of Seoul, tested positive for the coronavirus. The company said it has shuttered the building where the researcher worked and ordered others to work from home.
Samsung also reported two virus-infected workers at its chip plant in Hwaseong, south of Seoul, on Saturday.
SK Group's headquarters in central Seoul remained closed for the second day Tuesday after an employee tested positive for COVID-19. The infected worker reportedly had contact with few or no colleagues, as most employees, excluding essential staff, work from home.
In the face of the coronavirus resurgence, local large corporations are ramping up anti-virus efforts, as any infection at plants would force them to shut down production lines.
Industry watchers voiced worries that a repeat of massive outbreaks in South Korea could have a negative impact on corporate earnings in the second half of the year.
The new coronavirus has infected nearly 18,000 South Koreans, with the country's death toll reaching 310.
(END)


yna--2020-08-25--Wonju grappling with surge in new virus cases

According to municipal officials , the Wonju Technical student appears to have contracted the disease from another high school student @ @ @ @ @ They also said they will ask all 300 first and sixth graders at Sahmyook Elementary @ @ @ @ @ school on the same day as the infected student , to take coronavirus tests .

SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- Wonju in Gangwon Province, one of the nation's least coronavirus-affected regions, reported as many as 16 confirmed cases in a single day on Tuesday, putting municipal authorities with limited quarantine resources on high alert.
The municipality of Wonju, 130 kilometers southeast of Seoul, said the 16 new patients include two young students -- a second grader at Wonju Technical High School and a sixth grader at Sahmyook Elementary School.
The main gate to Sahmyook elementary, middle and high schools in Wonju, Gangwon Province, is closed on Aug. 25, 2020, after a student tested positive for the coronavirus. (Yonhap)
To the embarrassment of quarantine officials, the latest infections appear to have originated from various places, including churches and fitness gym, instead of from a single or few known transmitters, the municipality said, forecasting it will take very long to confirm the exact transmission routes.
"It seems that the 16 new coronavirus cases didn't come from any particular origin. Instead, they have occurred separately," Mayor Won Chang-muk said in a media briefing.
The outbreak of 16 new cases came one day after the city reported six additional COVID-19 patients. Prior to this week, Wonju, with a population of about 353,000, had reported a cumulative caseload of less than 70.
According to municipal officials, the Wonju Technical student appears to have contracted the disease from another high school student at a fitness gym. They also said they will ask all 300 first and sixth graders at Sahmyook Elementary, who recently went to school on the same day as the infected student, to take coronavirus tests.
But they said the municipality is running short of quarantine investigators and negative pressure rooms needed to deal with the sudden surge in new COVID-19 patients.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)