yna--2020-11-09--(LEAD) N. Korea keeps mum on Biden's victory

Pyongyang is likely to have preferred that Trump be reelected , as Biden was highly critical of the North throughout @ @ @ @ @ made clear that he is not interested in any personal diplomacy with Kim .
The @ @ @ @ @ him a `` fool of low IQ '' last year while Biden has called Kim @ @ @ @ @

(ATTN: ADDS more info throughout, comments from expert)
By Yi Wonju
SEOUL, Nov. 9 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has stayed mum on Joe Biden's victory in the U.S. presidential election as President Donald Trump refuses to concede defeat, amid questions about when and how Pyongyang will react to the results.
Pyongyang appears to be cautiously watching the U.S. election without releasing any statements or media reports about it, as leader Kim Jong-un has maintained a close relationship with Trump through three historical meetings.
Trump has refused to accept defeat and has filed several legal complaints since Biden's victory.
As of Monday morning, North Korean state media outlets, including the Rodong Sinmun and the Korean Central News Agency, as well as propaganda outlets, have stayed silent with regard to Biden's stunning victory that is expected to lead to significant changes in how the U.S. deals with the North.
Pyongyang is likely to have preferred that Trump be reelected, as Biden was highly critical of the North throughout his presidential campaign and has made clear that he is not interested in any personal diplomacy with Kim. The North has slammed Biden calling him a "fool of low IQ" last year while Biden has called Kim "a thug."
The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling party, ran several reports on the country's nationwide efforts against COVID-19 on Monday but did not make any mention of the election results.
No reports on leader Kim's public activities have been released since he visited the cemetery of fallen Chinese soldiers in the North's South Pyongan Province on Oct. 21.
Past media reports from the North indicate that it may not report swiftly on the U.S. election results.
The North's fastest response came in 2008, when it reported on Barack Obama's election two days after his victory, reacting positively to his win over then Republican candidate John McCain.
When Obama was reelected in 2012, however, the North reported on his victory in a commentary article four days later, reflecting its view of the Obama administration's "strategic patience" policy of waiting for the North to return to the negotiating table while putting pressure on Pyongyang.
When Trump won the 2016 presidential election, the North reported it on the Rodong Sinmun two days later but referred to him as the new administration without mentioning his name.
The North is expected to remain mum on the election without carrying provocative articles against the newly elected president while closely watching the situation as the new administration takes office.
"The North appears to be staying silent in consideration of the friendly relationship it developed with Trump and is also likely waiting for Biden's election to be confirmed, as well as exploring how its allies China and Russia respond to the results," Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, said.
"The North is likely to release a statement on state media soon regarding the election and when Biden's election is confirmed, it is likely to send a message indirectly calling on the U.S. to drop any hostile policies against the North in media outlets, such as the Choson Sinbo," he added, referring to a pro-North Korean paper in Japan.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


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yna--2020-11-10--Parties in process to pick inaugural chief of new anti-corruption probe body

Wary of the veto power , the ruling party plans to accelerate efforts , on the sidelines of the recommendation @ @ @ @ @ related law to lower the bar in approving the two final candidates , with an @ @ @ @ @ investigative body within this month .

SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- Eleven seasoned legal professionals have been nominated to lead an envisioned organization tasked with investigating corruption among high-ranking government officials, as doubts remain over whether the organization will be launched anytime soon amid a drawn-out partisan strife.
The nominations were filed earlier this week by a seven-member panel of government officials and outside experts, entrusted to designate two final candidates for the top post of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO).
The candidate recommendation committee will hold a meeting on Friday to start the screening of the nominees' qualifications to choose two finalists fit for the inaugural leadership of the new organization.
The introduction of the independent probe body with the authority to prosecute cases, a right currently exclusive to the state prosecution service, is at the core of President Moon Jae-in's strenuous push for the reform of the country's key law enforcement bodies, especially the prosecution.
Championed by the ruling Democratic Party, which holds an absolute majority of 174 seats in the 300-member National Assembly, a law mandating CIO's launch went into effect on July 15.
A major setback is a fierce protest by the conservative main opposition party.
The People Power Party (PPP) could upend the process leading to the two final candidates' designation, via the veto power held by two PPP-side members of the recommendation committee.
By law, the panel is required to propose two candidates for the president to pick one. The finalists require consent from at least six of the seven panel members.
Wary of the veto power, the ruling party plans to accelerate efforts, on the sidelines of the recommendation process, to amend the related law to lower the bar in approving the two final candidates, with an eye to launching the new investigative body within this month.
"Given the time needed to prepare for the confirmation hearing (for the final candidate), the committee needs to make its conclusion by this week ... so that the hearing can take place in November," Rep. Choi In-ho, a spokesman of the ruling party, said.
PPP floor leader Rep. Joo Ho-young accused the ruling party of rushing the committee into final decision, saying the final nominations should be made through sufficient verification.
Lee Chan-hee, the president of the Korean Bar Association and a member of the seven-member committee entrusted to nominate candidates for the inaugural leadership of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, announces his nominations at the association's headquarters in Seoul on Nov. 9, 2020. (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--Watchdog asks police to refrain from handcuffing suspects from the back

In the recommendation , the commission asked that police officers always put on wearable cameras before arresting criminal suspects and @ @ @ @ @ their hands behind their backs .
The NPA was also asked to come up with @ @ @ @ @ phased use of handcuffs in criminal cases .

SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- The nation's civil rights watchdog on Tuesday urged police to refrain from handcuffing suspects behind their backs to help reduce the possibility of human rights infringements.
The Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission said it has sent a recommendation on amending law enforcement guidance related to the use of handcuffs to the National Police Agency (NPA).
In the recommendation, the commission asked that police officers always put on wearable cameras before arresting criminal suspects and abstain from handcuffing suspects with their hands behind their backs. The NPA was also asked to come up with a new manual on the phased use of handcuffs in criminal cases.
This undated file photo shows handcuffs. (Yonhap)
The watchdog said it has issued the recommendation as it has received a string of civil complaints over the local police's excessive use of force.
In one of the complaints, it noted, a person was apprehended and handcuffed from the back by police for allegedly committing an obscene act in a public place, but the person was released later by the prosecution due to lack of evidence.
In July, police in Jeongup, North Jeolla Province, came under fire for handcuffing a woman in her 80s behind her back for trespassing into a neighbor's house.
"When it is necessary for police to restrict the physical freedom of suspects, it should be done to the minimum extent," the commission said.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--(LEAD) Kang, Pompeo reaffirm efforts to ensure peace on Korean Peninsula

`` The two ministers agreed on the need to continue their efforts to develop the South Korea-U.S. relations based on @ @ @ @ @ move forward the Korean Peninsula peace process , also agreeing to continue dialogue and consultations @ @ @ @ @ the two countries at various levels , '' it said in a press release .

(ATTN: ADDS more details in last 6 paras)
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring peace on the Korean Peninsula, both sides said, as they held talks two days after Joe Biden was elected the next U.S. president.
"During the meeting, Secretary Pompeo and Foreign Minister Kang discussed bilateral and regional priorities, including coordination on ensuring peace on the Korean Peninsula and expanding cooperation through the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy and the ROK New Southern Policy," Cale Brown, principal deputy spokesperson of the U.S. State Department, said in a press release.
"The Secretary and the Foreign Minister reinforced our joint commitment to defending the rules based international order, as well as ensuring the Alliance is prepared to face the emerging challenges of the 21st Century," the press release added.
In the photo provided by South Korea's foreign ministry, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha (L) and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shake hands during a meeting in Washington on Nov. 9, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Kang arrived here Sunday on a four-day visit that is also expected to include meetings with foreign policy advisers of Biden.
South Korea's foreign ministry said Kang and Pompeo also agreed on the need to continue their efforts to move forward the Korean Peninsula peace efforts.
"The two ministers agreed on the need to continue their efforts to develop the South Korea-U.S. relations based on their strong alliance and to move forward the Korean Peninsula peace process, also agreeing to continue dialogue and consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries at various levels," it said in a press release.
The two also evaluated the continuation of personnel exchange between the two countries despite the COVID-19 pandemic, noting their borders continue to remain open to each other with no major restrictions, according to the South Korean foreign ministry.
Kang and Pompeo also exchanged their views on the ongoing election for the new head of the World Trade Organization, in which South Korea's Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee has made the shortlist of two finalists, but she is said to be behind her Nigerian rival, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
The U.S. has publicly expressed its support for the South Korean candidate.
Seoul said Kang and Pompeo agreed to continue their discussions on the issue in the future.
During the trip, Kang is also likely to meet officials from U.S. Congress and academia, including those close with Biden, according to diplomatic sources.
Talks had been under way to arrange meetings with Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, and Michele Flournoy, former undersecretary of defense for policy under the administration of Barack Obama, and the meetings, if realized, will likely take place on Wednesday (U.S. time), a source said.
Coons is known as a longtime friend and ally of Biden and is considered a top contender to be named U.S. secretary of state. Flournoy is talked about as a strong candidate for defense secretary.
Meanwhile, Lee Do-hoon, Seoul's top nuclear envoy who accompanied Kang on the trip, held talks on Monday with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, who doubles as the U.S. point man for North Korea.
They discussed efforts to manage the situation on the Korean Peninsula against possible North Korean provocation in the wake of the U.S. election, according to the sources.
Kang and Lee will return home Wednesday.
bdk@yna.co.kr
elly@yna.co. kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--Canada provides US$1.32 mln for NGO's fight against N.K.'s WMD proliferation

`` CRDF Global strongly supports the mission of Global Affairs Canada to assist partner governments and the private sector to @ @ @ @ @ Korea deploys to exploit gaps in UNSCR ( U.N. resolutions ) implementation to fund its @ @ @ @ @ , '' it said .

SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- Canada has provided $1.32 million in funding for a U.S. nongovernmental agency's fight against North Korea's illegal proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the agency's website showed Tuesday.
CRDF Global received the money from the Global Affairs Canada, a Canadian department, "to build partner countries' capacities to detect and disrupt illicit proliferation activities" related to the North, according to an article posted on the website.
"CRDF Global strongly supports the mission of Global Affairs Canada to assist partner governments and the private sector to better understand the schemes North Korea deploys to exploit gaps in UNSCR (U.N. resolutions) implementation to fund its nuclear weapon and missile programs," it said.
"CRDF Global will pull from its 25 years of experience building capacities to counter nuclear threats," it added.
Along with helping anti-proliferation efforts, the funding will also be used "to expand opportunities for capacity and network building with emerging women leaders in the nuclear security and nonproliferation field," the website showed.
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--Military to improve border security system following N. Korean's unhindered crossing

Defense Minister Suh Wook said Monday he does not consider the incident to be another failure in the military 's @ @ @ @ @ he said there are some points to be supplemented .

SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- The military will take steps to improve the border security system after a North Korean man crossed the heavily guarded border into the South unhindered last week, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Tuesday.
The man, whose identity was withheld, was captured Wednesday, 14 hours after he crossed the border in a suspected defection attempt. The military came under heavy fire in the wake of the security failure.
JCS spokesperson Col. Kim Jun-rak said during a press briefing Tuesday that the military will carry out a detailed assessment of the border security system, "including blind spots in our monitoring system, ... in a follow-up step to improve the completeness in our security operations."
The measures are expected to be focused on enhancing the military's scientific security measures, following revelations that sensors installed at the barbed wire fences did not ring when the North Korean man climbed over, raising doubts about their effectiveness.
The man was found around 1.5 kilometers south of the fences. The military said he appears to be a civilian and has expressed an intent to flee to the South.
Defense Minister Suh Wook said Monday he does not consider the incident to be another failure in the military's border security operations, though he said there are some points to be supplemented.
Trucks carrying South Korean soldiers return to their barracks on Nov. 4, 2020, in this photo taken in the eastern county of Goseong as an operation to capture a North Korean man crossing into South Korea in a possible defection was completed. (Yonhap)
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--Seoul stocks a mixed bag from Dow's COVID-19 vaccine rally

Local stocks were largely affected by U.S. top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci 's statement that the Pfizer vaccine shot @ @ @ @ @ impact , '' fueling investor optimism that the vaccine could be deployed by the end @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks extended mild gains late Tuesday morning, as local stocks were a mixed bag from the overnight rally on Wall Street triggered by better-than-expected efficacy of a COVID-19 vaccine by Pfizer.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 6.41 point, or 0.26 percent, to 2,453.61 as of 11:20 a.m.
Stocks came to a muted start on profit-taking after the KOSPI's six-day winning streak.
The index rebounded late morning, marked by strong advances by travel and fuel stocks that followed Pfizer's vaccine test results. Contact-free tech stocks, which had flown high amid the global COVID-19 resurgence, slumped.
Local stocks were largely affected by U.S. top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci's statement that the Pfizer vaccine shot will have a "major impact," fueling investor optimism that the vaccine could be deployed by the end of the year.
Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 2.95 percent to close at 29,157.97 points. The Nasdaq Composite retreated 1.53 percent, but the S&P 500 advanced 1.17 percent.
In Seoul, most large caps traded lower.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics shed 0.5 percent, while No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix gained 0.7 percent.
Internet portal giant Naver fell 4.19 percent, and its rival Kakao dropped 3.63 percent.
Leading chemical firm LG Chem lost 2.72 percent, and rechargeable battery maker Samsung SDI declined 0.94 percent.
Pharmaceutical giant Samsung Biologics edged up 0.13 percent, but Celltrion dipped 1.58 percent.
Hyundai Motor, the country's largest carmaker, moved up 0.29 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,114.9 won against the U.S. dollar, down 1.0 won from the previous session's close.
jwc@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--Moon to join ASEAN-related summits this week

In 2019 , Moon and the leaders of the Mekong nations held their first summit in the southern port city @ @ @ @ @ a joint declaration centered on enhancing their economic development cooperation in resources , farming and @ @ @ @ @ 's experience of rapid post-war growth .

SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in plans to participate in a series of ASEAN-related summits this week, via video links, with a focus on Seoul's cooperation with Southeast Asian nations and the greater Asia-Pacific region, Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday.
Moon will hold an online group summit with leaders of ASEAN, a regional intergovernmental organization comprised of 10 Southeast Asian nations, on Thursday to discuss Seoul's cooperation with member nations in various fields.
On Friday, Moon will hold a group summit with leaders of the five Mekong River nations -- Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand -- to discuss ways to forge deeper ties.
In 2019, Moon and the leaders of the Mekong nations held their first summit in the southern port city of Busan. They adopted a joint declaration centered on enhancing their economic development cooperation in resources, farming and the environment by sharing Korea's experience of rapid post-war growth.
This file photo shows South Korean President Moon Jae-in holding a teleconference with leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, China and Japan at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on April 14, 2020, to discuss ways to tackle the new coronavirus pandemic, in this photo released by the presidential office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Moon on Saturday will also join the 23nd ASEAN Plus Three (APT) summit, a dialogue between the heads of ASEAN together with South Korea, China and Japan.
The APT summit was launched in December 1997 at the time of an Asia-wide financial crisis. The ASEAN members invited the Northeast Asian powers on the occasion of the 30th founding anniversary of ASEAN.
Also on Saturday, Moon is scheduled to attend the East Asian Summit session involving the ASEAN members, South Korea, Japan, China, the United States, Russia, Australia, India and New Zealand.
On Sunday, Moon plans to participate in a signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a proposed free trade agreement in the Asia-Pacific region, according to Cheong Wa Dae.
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--Over 60 pct of N. Koreans live in urban areas this year: U.N.-Habitat

The figure is the second lowest percentage of urban population in East Asia , only next to China where 61.4 @ @ @ @ @ in urban areas .
It is also significantly lower than South Korea 's urban population @ @ @ @ @ percent this year .

SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's urban population increased this year compared with five years ago, with more than 60 percent of the total population living in urban areas, though the figure is still one of the lowest in the region, a U.N. report showed Tuesday.
According to the "World Cities Report" by U.N.-Habitat, the number of North Koreans living in urban areas, including the capital city of Pyongyang, came to 16.12 million as of mid-year, accounting for 62.4 percent of the total population, up from 15.46 million in mid-2015.
The figure is the second lowest percentage of urban population in East Asia, only next to China where 61.4 percent of the population resides in urban areas. It is also significantly lower than South Korea's urban population, which came to 81.4 percent this year.
The average global percentage of urban population this year was 56.2 percent.
The agency projected the North's urban population to grow to 16.81 million by 2025 and to 17.53 million by 2030.
North Korean people wearing masks walk in Pyongyang on May 13, 2020, in this image taken from a video aired by North Korea's propaganda website DPRK Today. The airing of the video appears to show that North Korea, which claims it has no coronavirus cases, has successfully handled the global pandemic. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--(2nd LD) New virus cases in triple digits for 3rd day; authorities warn of upping social distancing

(2nd LD) New virus cases in triple digits for 3rd day; authorities warn of upping social distancing level

But health authorities are concerned that they may have no choice but to adopt the Level 1.5 scheme nationwide if @ @ @ @ @ not flatten soon .
The higher social distancing level has been already in place in @ @ @ @ @ located in central South Chungcheong Province .

(ATTN: ADDS details throughout; CHANGES photo)
SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases rose by triple digits for a third day Tuesday due to a series of cluster infections, prompting health authorities to consider raising the level of social distancing measures.
The country added 100 more COVID-19 cases, including 71 local infections, raising the total caseload to 27,653, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
The figure marked a slight drop from 126 cases added on Monday and 143 from Sunday.
The country, which had been operating a three-tier social distancing scheme since the early stage of the pandemic, adopted the Level 1 social distancing on Saturday, the lowest on a revised five-tier scheme.
Commuters wearing protective masks stand at Gwangwhamun Square in central Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
The new anti-virus curbs can be applied by each provincial government based on the degree of virus outbreaks, allowing people to carry on with their ordinary lives while wearing masks.
But health authorities are concerned that they may have no choice but to adopt the Level 1.5 scheme nationwide if the daily virus curve does not flatten soon. The higher social distancing level has been already in place in Asan and Cheonan, both located in central South Chungcheong Province.
"The country may revise up the social distancing scheme to Level 1.5 after two or three weeks, should the current trend continue," Sohn Young-rae, a senior health official, told reporters.
"While the daily number of new patients in the greater Seoul area currently hovers around 70, it is relatively smaller in other regions," Sohn added.
South Korea, which experienced major cluster infections from churches and a massive anti-government rally that led to hundreds of virus cases, is struggling to curb local transmissions tied to private gatherings and nursing homes.
Over the past two weeks, around 35.7 percent of the newly added cases have been group infections, with some 13.6 percent not having clear transmission routes.
"Currently, the virus is spreading at a faster pace despite efforts to track the infection routes," Sohn said. "We are experiencing more sporadic small-sized cluster infections rather than major group cases."
Among the locally-transmitted cases, the capital city of Seoul accounted for 32 cases, followed by Gyeonggi Province that surrounds Seoul with 18. Incheon, west of Seoul, reported three new cases.
Gwangju, located 330 kilometers south of Seoul, and South Chungcheong Province both saw four additional infections. South Jeolla Province and South Gyeongsang Province added two cases each.
A dealer wearing a protective mask watches monitors at Hana Bank in central Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
A sauna facility in southern Seoul reported two additional COVID-19 cases as of Monday noon, with the total caseload reaching 44. A total of 67 cases were traced to a golf gathering from Yongin, south of Seoul.
A bank in Suncheon, 415 kilometers south of Seoul, identified six more patients, raising the total to seven.
The country added 29 imported cases.
The United States accounted for a whopping 16 cases, followed by Poland with three. There were also cases imported from the Philippines, Uzbekistan, India, Jordan, and France.
The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients came to 54, down three from Monday.
South Korea reported five additional deaths, raising the total to 485.
The fatality rate was 1.75 percent.
The number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 25,160, up 131 from the previous day. Around 91 percent of the patients reported here have been cured.
South Korea has carried out 2,723,960 COVID-19 tests, including 14,761 the previous day.
Seoul's health authorities said it is "encouraging" that U.S. pharmaceutical firm Pfizer Inc. has made a breakthrough in developing a vaccine against the virus
Pfizer said in its press release that its vaccine candidate was "found to be more than 90 percent effective in preventing COVID-19."
Citizens wait in line at a hospital in central Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020, to receive COVID-19 tests. (Yonhap)
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--S. Korean shipyards rank 1st in new orders for 4th straight month

In the first ten months of the year , Chinese shipbuilders obtained 5.22 million CGTs in new orders , or @ @ @ @ @ 45 percent of the total new orders .

By Nam Kwang-sik
SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korean shipbuilders ranked first in new global shipbuilding orders in October for a fourth straight month, far outpacing their Chinese rivals, industry data showed Tuesday.
According to the data provided by global market researcher Clarkson Research Service, Korean shipyards clinched new orders totaling 720,000 compensated gross tons (CGTs), taking up 69 percent of the 1.04 million CGTs ordered globally in October.
The South Korean shipbuilders were followed by Chinese shipbuilders with 250,000 CGTs, or 24 percent, and Finnish shipbuilders with 30,000 CGTs in the month.
The world's first LNG-powered container ship built by Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries Co. floats off the southwestern city of Mokpo, South Korea, on Sept. 15, 2020, ahead of its delivery to Singapore's Eastern Pacific Shipping. (Yonhap)
Global new orders of ships reached 11.56 million CGTs in the January-October period, down 48 percent from 22.40 CGTs a year ago.
In the first ten months of the year, Chinese shipbuilders obtained 5.22 million CGTs in new orders, or 251 ships, taking up 45 percent of the total new orders.
They were trailed by South Korean shipbuilders with 3.77 million CGTs, or 107 ships, Japanese shipbuilders with 1.05 million CGTs or 69 ships.
Global order backlogs declined by 560,000 CGTs, or 1 percent, to 67.34 million CGTs at the end of October from a year earlier.
Global order backlogs have been on a downward path since 80.82 million CGTs in January.
While Chinese and Japanese shipbuilders' order backlogs fell at the end of October from a month earlier, only South Korean shipbuilders' order backlogs rose, by 340,000 CGTs or 2 percent.
Chinese shipbuilders' order backlogs reached 24.31 million CGTs, or 36 percent of the total, followed by South Korean shipbuilders with 19.02 million CGTs and Japanese shipbuilders with 8.59 million CGTs.
ksnam@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--S. Korean travel-related stocks rally on Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine results

Local airline stocks , which have taken a beating this year from the pandemic , were buoyed by the report @ @ @ @ @ country 's largest carrier , Korean Air Lines Co. , soaring 12.61 percent as of @ @ @ @ @ 's stock price spiked as high as 23.62 percent early morning .

SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korean travel-related stocks rallied Tuesday morning on growing hopes that the COVID-19 pandemic could be subdued after global pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. reported promising results for its coronavirus vaccine.
Pfizer announced Monday (U.S. time) that its vaccine candidate developed with BioNTech SE was found to be more than 90 percent effective in preventing COVID-19, signaling progress in the global fight against the pandemic.
Local airline stocks, which have taken a beating this year from the pandemic, were buoyed by the report, with shares in the country's largest carrier, Korean Air Lines Co., soaring 12.61 percent as of 10:30 a.m. The carrier's stock price spiked as high as 23.62 percent early morning.
Korea Air Lines Co.'s planes are shown in this photo taken Oct. 5, 2020, at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. (Yonhap)
Shares in Asiana Airlines Inc., the country's second-largest carrier, rose 3.6 percent, while top low-cost carrier, Jeju Air Co., jumped 11.85 percent.
Shares in travel agencies also shot up on hopes for Pfizer's vaccine, with top tour agency Hana Tour Co. rising 11.65 percent, while smaller Mode Tour climbed 10 percent.
Travel businesses have been one of the industries hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, as air travel has largely been severed due to concerns of virus transmissions.
South Korea currently enforces a mandatory 14-day self-isolation policy for inbound travelers.
Meanwhile, shares in local pharmaceutical firms that have raced to develop vaccines against the novel coronavirus slumped on progress in Pfizer's vaccine.
SK Chemicals Co.'s shares fell 1.67 percent. The chemical company under SK Group holds a major stake in SK bioscience Co., which is developing a vaccine against the new coronavirus.
Shares in small biopharmaceutical maker Genexine Inc., which is also working toward a COVID-19 vaccine, tumbled 8.27 percent.
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--The Korea Interbank Offered Rates (KORIBOR)

SEOUL , Nov. 10 ( 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--2020-11-10--Demand for processed meat rising in sync with single-member households

The country 's processed meat market was estimated at 5.6 trillion won ( US $ 5 billion ) in 2018 @ @ @ @ @ the previous year , according to the Ministry of Agriculture , Food , and Rural @ @ @ @ @ grown an average of 8.9 percent since 2015 .

SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's market for processed meat products, such as sausages, has been growing steadily in recent years amid rising demand from single-member households, data showed Tuesday.
The country's processed meat market was estimated at 5.6 trillion won (US$5 billion) in 2018, up 2.4 percent from the previous year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs. The market has grown an average of 8.9 percent since 2015.
Models pose for a photo with processed meat products at Lotte Department Store in central Seoul on Oct. 12, 2020, in this photo released by Lotte Shopping Co. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The ministry attributed the growth to rising demand for ready-to-eat products and meal kits in sync with the increasing number of single-member households.
The number of one-person families has been rising sharply recently, accounting for nearly 30 percent of all households in South Korea, amid the fast-growing trend of people remaining single.
South Koreans consumed more processed meat products also in line with the growing popularity of outdoor activities and camping, it added.
As of 2019, South Korea was the world's 19th-largest market for processed meat products.
Outbound shipments of such goods reached US$20.4 million in 2019, slightly rising from $20.3 million posted a year earlier. The United States was the largest export destination.
Exports of processed meat products to the Philippines tripled on-year in 2019, as the two countries struck deals on quarantine guidelines.
Imports came to $55.3 million, up 3 percent over the period.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--Nationwide sales festival leads to better-than-expected results

The annual Korea Sale FESTA kicked off for a 15-day run on Nov. 1 , with around 1,800 manufacturers , @ @ @ @ @ the event .
The government hopes to make its largest shopping event an equivalent to @ @ @ @ @ South Korean and foreign shoppers .

SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- The ongoing nationwide shopping festival, aimed at boosting domestic consumption hit by the new coronavirus pandemic, has already seen notable results in terms of card spending and retail sales, the commerce ministry said Tuesday.
The annual Korea Sale FESTA kicked off for a 15-day run on Nov. 1, with around 1,800 manufacturers, retailers and other businesses joining the event. The government hopes to make its largest shopping event an equivalent to America's Black Friday for South Korean and foreign shoppers.
The combined spending made with cards reached 17 trillion won (US15 billion) over the first seven days of the event, rising 8.4 percent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
This year's event was especially significant, as South Korea has been facing economic jitters from the COVID-19 pandemic, with its social distancing scheme also weighing down consumer sentiment.
By segment, sales of automobiles reached more than 7,000 over the first six days of the program, rising 23.3 percent from the same period in 2019.
The country's top three supermarket chains also saw their sales reach 519.4 billion won via offline stores through Sunday, up 9.3 percent on-year.
The top three department store chains also saw their sales advance 11 percent on-year over the first five days of the festival to reach 413.8 billion won.
This year's festival marks the sixth of its kind since the government launched it in 2015 to help bolster the national economy, which had been hit hard by the Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--S. Korea to launch new 3,000-ton submarine

It is the second of three 3,000-ton-class submarines that South Korea plans to build by 2023 with its own technologies @ @ @ @ @ ( US $ 2.77 billion ) project launched in 2007 .
The first submarine , @ @ @ @ @ was launched in 2018 and is expected to be put into operational deployment around the @ @ @ @ @

By Oh Seok-min
GEOJE, South Korea, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea was set to launch a new 3,000-ton indigenous submarine featuring advanced combat and sonar systems Tuesday in an effort to boost underwater defense capabilities, the Navy said.
The ceremony for the mid-class diesel-powered submarine, named after a prominent Korean independent fighter, Ahn Mu, was to take place at the Okpo Shipyard of Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co. in the southeastern city of Geoje later in the day.
It is the second of three 3,000-ton-class submarines that South Korea plans to build by 2023 with its own technologies under a 3.09 trillion won (US$2.77 billion) project launched in 2007. The first submarine, the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho, was launched in 2018 and is expected to be put into operational deployment around the end of this year.
The 83.3-meter-long and 9.6-meter-wide submarine is capable of carrying 50 crewmembers and can operate underwater for 20 days without surfacing, officials of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said, adding that it will be equipped with six vertical launching tubes capable of firing submarine-based ballistic missiles.
It will be delivered to the Navy and deployed in 2022 after necessary tests, they added.
"As one of the Navy's key strategic assets, this system is expected to allow us to better respond to threats from all directions and boost the national defense capabilities," a Navy official said.
The naming carries significance, as this year marks the centennial of the historic Bongo-dong and Cheongsan-ri battles that took place in northeastern China in 1920, where Gen. Ahn led Korean independent fighters and defeated Japanese soldiers.
The general sustained gunshot wounds after an ambush attack by Japanese officers, and he was arrested in 1924. He died that year.
Currently, South Korea operates nine 1,200-ton submarines and nine 1,800-ton ones.
This photo, provided by the Navy, shows South Korea's new 3,000-ton indigenous submarine, Ahn Mu, featuring advanced combat and sonar systems. The Navy was to hold a launching ceremony for the mid-class diesel-powered submarine, named after a prominent Korean independence fighter, at the Okpo Shipyard of Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co. in the southeastern city of Geoje on Nov. 10, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
This photo, provided by the Navy, shows the 3,000-ton South Korean-made submarine Dosan Ahn Chang-ho. According to the Submarine Force Command, its submarines navigated 2.8 million miles without an accident over the past three decades, with its first Korean-made submarine, Jangbogo sailing 300,000 miles. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--BLACKPINK's 'Kill This Love' hits 1.1 bln views on YouTube

`` Kill This Love , '' released in April 2019 , is one of the band 's most popular songs @ @ @ @ @ 41 on the U.S. music chart Billboard 's main singles chart in its first week @ @ @ @ @ play of the same name landed at No .
24 on the main album chart @ @ @

SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korean all-female band BLACKPINK's music video "Kill This Love" has topped 1.1 billion views on YouTube, its agency said Tuesday.
The four-member act's music video of the iconic hit song reached the milestone at around 11 p.m. on Monday, according to YG Entertainment.
"Kill This Love," released in April 2019, is one of the band's most popular songs, having ranked No. 41 on the U.S. music chart Billboard's main singles chart in its first week of release. An extended play of the same name landed at No. 24 on the main album chart Billboard 200.
YG said that BLACKPINK has become the first K-pop act with two music videos with more than 1.1 billion views.
The quartet has several billion-view music videos, with its most popular, "Ddu-du Ddu-du," topping 1.3 billion views.
This photo, provided by Netflix, shows BLACKPINK from the 2020 Netflix documentary "BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
This photo, provided by YG Entertainment on Nov. 10, 2020, shows an image celebrating BLACKPINK's new YouTube milestone. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--(LEAD) Hyundai to use Nvidia's drive system in all vehicles from 2022

`` The NVIDIA DRIVE platform is proven -- it is scalable , energy-efficient and has the performance to support our @ @ @ @ @ , '' Paul Choo , senior vice president of the electronics tech unit at Hyundai @ @ @ @ @ the statement .

(ATTN: CHANGES headline and lead; ADDS comment in 4th para)
By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Group, the world's fifth-biggest carmaker by sales, said Tuesday it will use U.S. chipmaker Nvidia's in-vehicle Drive system across all of its vehicles from 2022.
The South Korean carmaker will apply the Nvidia Drive "connected car" platform to all of its upcoming models from Hyundai Motor Co., its independent Genesis brand, and Kia Motors Corp. starting from 2022, the company said in a statement.
Under the partnership, the group's next-generation vehicles will feature in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems powered by NVIDIA DRIVE as standard. The drive system enables the group's IVI systems to combine audio, video, navigation, connectivity and AI-based connected car services, it said.
"The NVIDIA DRIVE platform is proven -- it is scalable, energy-efficient and has the performance to support our next generation of software-defined vehicles," Paul Choo, senior vice president of the electronics tech unit at Hyundai Motor Group, said in the statement.
Hyundai Motor Group has been working with Nvidia since 2015 and has already been using the chipmaker's drive platform in the Genesis GV80 SUV and G80 sedan released this year, the statement said.
The companies have also been collaborating to develop an advanced digital cockpit for future apps and features to be released in late 2021, it said.
This photo, provided by Hyundai Motor Group on Nov. 10, 2020, shows chipmaker Nvidia's in-vehicle infotainment system with artificial intelligence features. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
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(END)


yna--2020-11-10--Military civilian employee tests positive for coronavirus

The Welfare Agency official , based in Yongsan , was confirmed with COVID-19 after feeling sick over the weekend , @ @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- An employee of a defense ministry agency handling welfare for service members has tested positive for the new coronavirus, the ministry said Tuesday.
The Welfare Agency official, based in Yongsan, was confirmed with COVID-19 after feeling sick over the weekend, according to the ministry.
Authorities are carrying out contact tracing to find out the exact route of her infection, it said.
The latest case raised the number of COVID-19 cases related to the military population to 167.
Nationwide, South Korea reported 100 new virus cases Tuesday, raising the total caseload to 27,653.
This undated file photo shows the defense ministry building in Seoul. (Yonhap)
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--(LEAD) Chinese football clubs refuse to release S. Korean players for int'l matches

These matches fall during the FIFA international match window of Nov. 9-17 .
Although teams are normally obliged to release @ @ @ @ @ the global football federation has made an exception this year , in consideration of the @ @ @ @ @ face mandatory quarantine of at least five days upon returning to their clubs , then @ @ @ @ @ them available for international duties .

(ATTN: ADDS details in paras 4-6)
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- Two South Korean defenders will not join the national team for friendly matches later this month after their Chinese clubs refused to release them.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) announced Tuesday that Beijing Guoan defender Kim Min-jae and Guangzhou Evergrande defender Park Ji-su will not make the trip to Austria for matches against Mexico and Qatar. Those two Chinese clubs declined to make those players available, and the KFA said Kim and Park will not be replaced.
In this file photo from Dec. 18, 2019, Kim Min-jae of South Korea (C) clears the ball in front of his own net against Japan during the final of the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Football Championship at Busan Asiad Main Stadium in Busan, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)
Coached by Paulo Bento, South Korea will face Mexico at 9 p.m. on Saturday (5 a.m. on Sunday in Seoul) at Stadion Wiener Neustadt in Wiener Neustadt, south of Vienna. South Korea will then play Qatar at 2 p.m. on Nov. 17 (10 p.m. the same day in Seoul) at BSFZ Arena Admiral Stadium in Maria Enzersdorf, also near Vienna.
These matches fall during the FIFA international match window of Nov. 9-17. Although teams are normally obliged to release players for FIFA matches, the global football federation has made an exception this year, in consideration of the coronavirus pandemic. If players face mandatory quarantine of at least five days upon returning to their clubs, then clubs may refuse to make them available for international duties.
Kim and Park didn't have to return to China after the Austria trip, since both of their clubs are scheduled to play in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League in a Qatar bubble later this month.
But those two Chinese clubs will likely want the players available for their upcoming playoff matches in the Chinese Super League. Beijing will play the second leg of their 3rd-place playoff match against Shanghai SIPG on Wednesday, and Guangzhou will take on Jiangsu Suning in the second leg of the championship final on Thursday.
Thes matches in Austria are the first two international contests of 2020 for South Korea, whose World Cup qualifying matches were all wiped out by the coronavirus pandemic. Bento's team played the under-23 national team in two exhibition matches just outside Seoul in early October.
Even before the first match, though, Bento's back line has been decimated. Two fullbacks originally selected, Lee Yong of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Hong Chul of Ulsan Hyundai FC, both suffered injuries during the two-legged FA Cup final against each other last week. Another fullback, Kim Jin-su of Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend. The KFA named three new players in their stead.
The absence of Kim Min-jae and Park Ji-su will leave South Korea with eight defenders.
This file photo provided by the sports agency Square Sports on May 4, 2020, shows Guangzhou Evergrande's South Korean player Park Ji-su, posing with his head coach Fabio Cannavaro. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--(LEAD) Reticent slugger lets bat do talking in postseason game

When asked if he was pressing at the plate trying to drive in runs as a cleanup hitter like himself @ @ @ @ @ has confidence in his teammates to share the RBI responsibilities and that his objective was @ @ @ @ @ and do what the situation dictates .

(ATTN: ADDS comments at bottom)
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- Doosan Bears' outfielder Kim Jae-hwan is a man of few words. When he does speak, Kim often resorts to cliches. The slugger is all about taking one at-bat at a time and giving his 110 percent.
On Tuesday, Kim's bat did much of the talking in a Korea Baseball Organization postseason game, and there was nothing cliched about it.
Kim Jae-hwan of the Doosan Bears hits a two-run single against the KT Wiz in the top of the fifth inning of Game 2 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
Kim went 3-for-5 with three RBIs as the Bears defeated the KT Wiz 4-1 in Game 2 of their best-of-five second round. The Bears now have a commanding 2-0 series lead and can send the Wiz home in Thursday's Game 3.
Kim picked up his first RBI with a single in the third inning, giving the Bears a 2-0 lead. Then he collected two more RBIs with one swing in the top fifth, delivering a single to center with the bases loaded.
That put the Bears ahead 4-1, and it stayed that way the rest of the game.
Kim was made available for a pregame media session on Tuesday at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. He had two hits and an RBI in Game 1 the previous night, and it was Kim's first RBI in three postseason games this year.
When asked if he was pressing at the plate trying to drive in runs as a cleanup hitter like himself should, Kim said he has confidence in his teammates to share the RBI responsibilities and that his objective was to focus on every at-bat and do what the situation dictates.
Kim Jae-hwan of the Doosan Bears runs to first base after hitting a two-run single against the KT Wiz in the top of the fifth inning of Game 2 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
It was perhaps Kim's way of deflecting pressure away from himself. Clearly, Kim understands his role as the everyday cleanup hitter.
And the performance that followed the presser proved Kim is more than capable of handling pressure and doing damage on his own.
Kim is no slouch when it comes to run producing. He has driven in more than 100 runs in four of the past five regular seasons. The one season he missed out was last year, when he still had 91.
For his postseason career, Kim now has 19 RBIs in 24 games.
Kim Jae-hwan of the Doosan Bears celebrates his RBI single against the KT Wiz in the top of the fifth inning of Game 2 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
Kim was back for a postgame interview as the Player of the Game. In his typical fashion, he turned the spotlight away from himself and on to the bullpen, which threw 6 1/3 shutout innings to preserve the victory.
Kim swung on a 3-0 pitch from starter Odrisamer Despaigne in the third inning. Kim said he had the green light from the dugout.
"I was confident I could make contact and took an aggressive swing," he said. "I was lucky to get a hit in that situation."
Kim Jae-hwan of the Doosan Bears celebrates his RBI single against the KT Wiz in the top of the fifth inning of Game 2 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--S. Korea reports another case of highly pathogenic avian influenza

The government has also banned vehicles carrying livestock from entering restricted areas for migratory birds located in three cities within @ @ @ @ @ area where the virus was found .
The purchase and sale of poultry at local @ @ @ @ @ been suspended until the travel ban is lifted .

SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Tuesday confirmed the third case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) in about two weeks, issuing a warning that infection could spread to poultry farms.
The agricultural ministry said the bird flu virus of the H5N8 strain was discovered from a sample collected from wild birds on Nov. 3 in Cheonan, 92 kilometers south of Seoul.
The authorities found an AI case in the same city on Oct. 25, marking the first highly pathogenic AI outbreak in the country in 32 months. The second case was reported three days later in Yongin, south of Seoul.
The agricultural ministry said it placed a travel ban on people and cars within a 500-meter radius of the area where the AI strain was discovered.
The government has also banned vehicles carrying livestock from entering restricted areas for migratory birds located in three cities within a 10-kilometers radius of the area where the virus was found. The purchase and sale of poultry at local markets in Cheonan has also been suspended until the travel ban is lifted.
Highly pathogenic AI is very contagious and can cause severe illness in poultry and even death.
"The government issued a warning as we think there is a high possibility that the virus could spread to local poultry farms from wild birds, given that the outbreak of highly pathogenic AI was reported in neighboring countries," a ministry official said.
This photo provided by the Cheonan municipal government on Oct. 25, 2020, shows a quarantine vehicle spraying disinfectant near poultry farms, following the detection of a highly pathogenic avian influenza strain in the region. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--Bears' young bullpen shines in postseason victory

Hong , who joined the Bears in a midseason trade from the Kia Tigers , is the elder statesmen from @ @ @ @ @ but this was his first postseason game .
At least Hong had 216 regular season @ @ @ @ @ Kim Min-gyu , the youngest of the group at 21 , is a rookie who @ @ @ @ @ .
This is Park 's second postseason at age 22 , and Lee 's fourth @ @ @ @ @

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- From the onset of his team's postseason game on Tuesday, Doosan Bears' manager Kim Tae-hyoung practically had his hand on the phone -- the phone from the dugout to the bullpen, that is.
Starter Choi Won-joon couldn't get out of the third inning against the KT Wiz in Game 2 of the second-round series in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason. The Bears' 2-0 lead was just cut in half after Choi served up a two-out solo home run to Mel Rojas Jr., and the meat of the Wiz's order was coming up.
Hong Geon-hui of the Doosan Bears pitches against the KT Wiz in the bottom of the sixth inning of Game 2 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
But there was no panic on the Bears' part. Kim's plan all along had been to keep Choi on a short leash and go to the bullpen on any sign of danger.
In came right-hander Kim Min-gyu. He looked a bit wobbly early, giving up a single and a walk, but got himself out of the jam with a strikeout.
He induced a double play to erase a leadoff single in the fourth. After a hit-by-pitch and another single put men at the corners, Kim handed things over to Park Chi-guk.
Park got a fielder's choice groundout to snuff out that rally, and then pitched a clean fifth inning.
Hong Geon-hui of the Doosan Bears celebrates after striking out Mel Rojas Jr. of the KT Wiz in the bottom of the sixth inning of Game 2 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
With a man on and two outs in the sixth, another right-hander, Hong Geon-hui, came on to get Shim Woo-jun to pop out to first.
It was the first of seven straight batters Hong retired in his postseason debut. Facing the top of the lineup in the seventh, Hong recorded two strikeouts, including Rojas Jr. for the final out. In the eighth, cleanup Kang Baek-ho grounded out to second, and two flyouts to center followed.
Closer Lee Young-ha, who made 31 pitches over 1 2/3 innings Monday, pitched around a leadoff walk for the save.
It capped off a brilliant night by a quartet of 20-somethings, none of whom had much of a playoff resume to speak of.
Hong, who joined the Bears in a midseason trade from the Kia Tigers, is the elder statesmen from the bunch at 28, but this was his first postseason game. At least Hong had 216 regular season games as his foundation. Kim Min-gyu, the youngest of the group at 21, is a rookie who made 29 regular season appearances. This is Park's second postseason at age 22, and Lee's fourth at 23 years old.
Kim Min-gyu of the Doosan Bears pitches against the KT Wiz in the bottom of the third inning of Game 2 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
The Tigers made postseasons during Hong's tenure, but the right-hander never made the postseason roster. And with the Bears, it took him four postseason games to finally take the mound in a high-stakes game. He said he'd made sure to stay prepared at all times, especially mentally.
"I wasn't disappointed that I didn't get to pitch earlier. I knew we'd have a lot of games to play this postseason," Hong said. "I was confident that I could get the job done no matter when I pitched."
He admitted he was worried about being a bit rusty after so much time off -- Hong's last regular season appearance was Oct. 22 -- but retiring the first batter took care of jitters.
His manager Kim Tae-hyoung also offered high praise for the right-hander. Kim's plan was to use Hong for one inning and send in another pitcher as a bridge to Lee, the closer, but Kim didn't want to mess with Hong's groove.
"He really exceeded my expectations tonight," Kim said. "If he keeps pitching like this, it'll make our bullpen management so much easier."
Kim added that Park, who was credited with the win, has always had raw stuff to compete against anyone, and he just has to harness his talent.
"He can be inconsistent, but he can always get guys out in key situations," the manager said. "We were able to win tonight because our young arms rose to the occasion."
The Bears' four relievers pitched 6 1/3 shutout innings while giving up just three hits.
Park Chi-guk of the Doosan Bears pitches against the KT Wiz in the bottom of the fifth inning of Game 2 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--(LEAD) Bears defeat Wiz to take stranglehold on KBO postseason series

The Bears have now won the first two games of their best-of-five , penultimate series in the Korea Baseball Organization @ @ @ @ @ Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul .
They can finish off the Wiz in Game 3 @ @ @ @ @ dome , and reach the Korean Series for the sixth straight season .
They 're @ @ @ @ @ three of the past five titles in the bag .

(ATTN: ADDS details, comments throughout)
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- Cleanup Kim Jae-hwan had three hits and three RBIs, helping the Doosan Bears beat the KT Wiz 4-1 and take a stranglehold on their South Korean baseball playoff series.
The Bears have now won the first two games of their best-of-five, penultimate series in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. They can finish off the Wiz in Game 3 Thursday, back at the dome, and reach the Korean Series for the sixth straight season. They're the defending champs, with three of the past five titles in the bag.
Kim Jae-hwan of the Doosan Bears celebrates his RBI single against the KT Wiz in the top of the third inning of Game 2 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
The Wiz wasted a leadoff double by Cho Yong-ho in the bottom first, as their three mashers -- Hwang Jae-gyun, Mel Rojas Jr. and Kang Baek-ho -- went down in order against starter Choi Won-joon.
That inability to score with a man in scoring position was the recurring theme for the Wiz in this game. They hit into two double plays and left eight men on base. They had at least one runner on base in each of the first five innings.
The Bears got the first run of the game in the top second, thanks to three straight singles against starter Odrisamer Despaigne, the third being Park Sei-hyok's RBI knock.
After Park's single, a sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third. Oh Jae-won hit a fly ball to left field for what appeared to be a certain sacrifice fly, with speedy Heo Kyoung-min coming down the line.
Left fielder Cho Yong-ho had other ideas, as he fired a perfect throw home to nab Heo at the plate and end the rally.
Kim Jae-hwan of the Doosan Bears hits a two-run single against the KT Wiz in the top of the fifth inning of Game 2 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
After minimizing damage, the Wiz tried to respond in the bottom second but suffered some rotten luck as they failed to score despite loading the bases.
Three singles had the bases full for Shim Woo-jun, who hit a dribbler down the third base line.
Third baseman Heo Kyoung-min fielded and immediately stepped on the bag for the force out, and then the runner at third, Yoo Han-joon, was tagged out in the ensuing rundown.
The Bears went up by 2-0 in the top third, thanks to Kim Jae-hwan's RBI single.
The Wiz cut the deficit in half with one swing of the bat in the bottom third, with Mel Rojas Jr. smacking a solo home run off Choi.
Park Chi-guk of the Doosan Bears pitches against the KT Wiz the bottom of the fifth inning of Game 2 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
It also knocked the Bears' starter out of the game. Then facing reliever Kim Min-gyu, the Wiz got a single and a walk to create more traffic, only to see Jang Sung-woo go down swinging for the final out of the inning.
The Bears opened up the game a bit in the fifth. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases and chased Despaigne from the game. With Yoo Won-sang now on the mound, Kim Jae-hwan smacked a single to center to cash in two runs for a 4-1 lead.
With neither Choi Won-joon nor Despaigne looking sharp, the Bears prevailed in the battle of the bullpens.
After Choi got the hook, Kim Min-gyu and Park Chi-guk combined for three shutout innings with four strikeouts.
Hong Geon-hui got the final out in the sixth and returned for perfect seventh and eighth innings.
Closer Lee Young-ha then worked around a walk in the ninth to pick up the save.
Doosan manager Kim Tae-hyoung said the victory was a total team effort.
"We'll try to go all in and try to finish this series in three games," Kim said. "The sooner we take care of this series, the better it will be for us (in the Korean Series)."
KT skipper Lee Kang-chul said not capitalizing on early opportunities was his team's biggest undoing.
"We kept it close, but when we failed to score early, guys started to press a bit," Lee said. "Ultimately, it's my fault to set the lineup that way."
Fans watch Game 2 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series between the Doosan Bears and the KT Wiz at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
Mel Rojas Jr. of the KT Wiz follows through on his solo home run against the Doosan Bears in the bottom of the third inning of Game 2 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
Odrisamer Despaigne of the KT Wiz reacts after walking Oh Jae-il of the Doosan Bears during the top of the fourth inning of Game 2 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--Reticent slugger lets bat do talking in postseason game

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- Doosan Bears' outfielder Kim Jae-hwan is a man of few words. When he does speak, Kim often resorts to cliches. The slugger is all about taking one at-bat at a time and giving his 110 percent.
On Tuesday, Kim's bat did much of the talking in a Korea Baseball Organization postseason game, and there was nothing cliched about it.
Kim Jae-hwan of the Doosan Bears hits a two-run single against the KT Wiz in the top of the fifth inning of Game 2 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
Kim went 3-for-5 with three RBIs as the Bears defeated the KT Wiz 4-1 in Game 2 of their best-of-five second round. The Bears now have a commanding 2-0 series lead and can send the Wiz home in Thursday's Game 3.
Kim picked up his first RBI with a single in the third inning, giving the Bears a 2-0 lead. Then he collected two more RBIs with one swing in the top fifth, delivering a single to center with the bases loaded.
That put the Bears ahead 4-1, and it stayed that way the rest of the game.
Kim was made available for a pregame media session on Tuesday at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. He had two hits and an RBI in Game 1 the previous night, and it was Kim's first RBI in three postseason games this year.
When asked if he was pressing at the plate trying to drive in runs as a cleanup hitter like himself should, Kim said he has confidence in his teammates to share the RBI responsibilities and that his objective was to focus on every at-bat and do what the situation dictates.
Kim Jae-hwan of the Doosan Bears runs to first base after hitting a two-run single against the KT Wiz in the top of the fifth inning of Game 2 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
It was perhaps Kim's way of deflecting pressure away from himself. Clearly, Kim understands his role as the everyday cleanup hitter.
And the performance that followed the presser proved Kim is more than capable of handling pressure and doing damage on his own.
Kim is no slouch when it comes to run producing. He has driven in more than 100 runs in four of the past five regular seasons. The one season he missed out was last year, when he still had 91.
For his postseason career, Kim now has 19 RBIs in 24 games.
Kim Jae-hwan of the Doosan Bears celebrates his RBI single against the KT Wiz in the top of the fifth inning of Game 2 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
Kim Jae-hwan of the Doosan Bears celebrates his RBI single against the KT Wiz in the top of the fifth inning of Game 2 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--Bears defeat Wiz to take stranglehold on KBO postseason series

It also knocked the Bears ' starter out of the game .
Then facing reliever Kim Min-gyu , the Wiz @ @ @ @ @ walk to create more traffic , only to see Jang Sung-woo go down swinging for @ @ @ @ @ inning .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- Cleanup Kim Jae-hwan had three hits and three RBIs, helping the Doosan Bears beat the KT Wiz 4-1 and take a stranglehold on their South Korean baseball playoff series.
The Bears have now won the first two games of their best-of-five, penultimate series in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. They can finish off the Wiz in Game 3 Thursday, back at the dome.
Kim Jae-hwan of the Doosan Bears celebrates his RBI single against the KT Wiz in the top of the third inning of Game 2 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
The Wiz wasted a leadoff double by Cho Yong-ho in the bottom first, as their three mashers -- Hwang Jae-gyun, Mel Rojas Jr. and Kang Baek-ho -- went down in order against starter Choi Won-joon.
That inability to score with a man in scoring position was the recurring theme for the Wiz in this game.
The Bears got the first run of the game in the top second, thanks to three straight singles against starter Odrisamer Despaigne, the third being Park Sei-hyok's RBI knock.
After Park's single, a sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third. Oh Jae-won hit a fly ball to left field for what appeared to be a certain sacrifice fly, with speedy Heo Kyoung-min coming down the line.
Left fielder Cho Yong-ho had other ideas, as he fired a perfect throw home to nab Heo at the plate and end the rally.
Kim Jae-hwan of the Doosan Bears hits a two-run single against the KT Wiz in the top of the fifth inning of Game 2 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
After minimizing damage, the Wiz tried to respond in the bottom second but suffered some rotten luck as they failed to score despite loading the bases.
Three singles had the bases full for Shim Woo-jun, who hit a dribbler down the third base line.
Third baseman Heo Kyoung-min fielded and immediately stepped on the bag for the force out, and then the runner at third, Yoo Han-joon, was tagged out in the ensuing rundown.
The Bears went up by 2-0 in the top third, thanks to Kim Jae-hwan's RBI single.
The Wiz cut the deficit in half with one swing of the bat in the bottom third, with Mel Rojas Jr. smacking a solo home run off Choi.
Park Chi-guk of the Doosan Bears pitches against the KT Wiz the bottom of the fifth inning of Game 2 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
It also knocked the Bears' starter out of the game. Then facing reliever Kim Min-gyu, the Wiz got a single and a walk to create more traffic, only to see Jang Sung-woo go down swinging for the final out of the inning.
The Bears opened up the game a bit in the fifth. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases and chased Despaigne from the game. With Yoo Won-sang now on the mound, Kim Jae-hwan smacked a single to center to cash in two runs for a 4-1 lead.
With neither Choi Won-joon nor Despaigne looking sharp, the Bears prevailed in the battle of the bullpens.
After Choi got the hook, Kim Min-gyu and Park Chi-guk combined for three shutout innings with four strikeouts.
Hong Geon-hui got the final out in the sixth and returned for perfect seventh and eighth innings.
Closer Lee Young-ha then worked around a walk in the ninth to pick up the save.
Fans watch Game 2 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series between the Doosan Bears and the KT Wiz at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
Mel Rojas Jr. of the KT Wiz follows through on his solo home run against the Doosan Bears in the bottom of the third inning of Game 2 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
Odrisamer Despaigne of the KT Wiz reacts after walking Oh Jae-won of the Doosan Bears during the top of the fourth inning of Game 2 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--(LEAD) S. Korea's spy chief meets Suga amid protracted dispute over wartime forced labor

As for the wartime forced labor issue , Park said , `` The leaders of the two nations shared the @ @ @ @ @ , and I think things will go well if both nations keep up dialogue .
@

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details in paras 4-8, 15; CHANGES photos)
TOKYO/SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's National Intelligence Service Director Park Jie-won met with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in Tokyo on Tuesday, a senior Japanese official said, amid strained relations between the two countries over wartime history and trade.
Tokyo's Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told a regular press briefing that Park paid a courtesy call on Suga, in the first high-level meeting between the two countries since Suga took office in September after his predecessor, Shinzo Abe, resigned due to deteriorating health.
Their meeting came amid expectation that the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden might want Washington's two Asian allies to patch things up as it eyes a closer-knit alliance network for regional security.
Park and Suga discussed the long-simmering issue of Japan's wartime forced labor, as well as Seoul's efforts to host a trilateral summit with China and Japan next month and seize on next year's Tokyo Olympics to reengage with Pyongyang, according to Japanese media reports.
This photo, provided by Japan's Kyodo News on Nov. 10, 2020, shows South Korea's National Intelligence Service Director Park Jie-won surrounded by reporters after his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in Tokyo. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"I relayed President Moon Jae-in's commitment to improving Seoul-Tokyo ties. I listened to (Suga's) good views on North Korea and other issues and also fully explained (South Korea's stance)," Park told reporters in Tokyo after the meeting.
As for the wartime forced labor issue, Park said, "The leaders of the two nations shared the need to resolve the issue, and I think things will go well if both nations keep up dialogue."
Seoul's spy chief said he did not bring a letter from Moon but verbally relayed Moon's opinion to Suga.
"(Suga) made many good explanations very kindly," Park said of the atmosphere of his talks with the Japaneses prime minister.
Seoul and Tokyo remain far apart over the forced labor issue, amid fears that victims' move to sell off seized assets in South Korea of Japanese firms to get compensation could exacerbate tensions between the countries.
A legal process to liquidate the assets took a step further Tuesday, as a local court's public notice to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries regarding the process took effect with no diplomatic solution in sight.
Seoul honors the 2018 Supreme Court rulings that ordered Japanese firms to compensate victims of forced labor during Japan's 1910-45 colonization of the Korean Peninsula.
But Tokyo argues that all reparation issues stemming from its colonial rule were settled under a 1965 treaty that normalized bilateral relations.
The historical row has darkened the prospects for their envisioned trilateral summit with China, as Suga reportedly expressed his intent not to join the gathering unless South Korea promises not to liquidate the assets of Japanese firms to compensate forced labor victims.
Despite the persistent tussle between Seoul and Tokyo, calls have been growing for them to move beyond their historical animus, as the incoming Biden government, intent on shoring up multilateralism to strengthen America's global leadership, is expected to balk at a fissure in its regional alliance network.
Seoul's spy chief, keen on creating momentum to reengage with the North, was presumed to have used his talks with Suga to enlist Tokyo's cooperation in bringing the North back to dialogue on the occasion of next year's Olympic Games.
Should the North's athletic delegation participate in the Olympics, the international sporting event could set the stage for diplomatic engagement with North Korean officials amid a protracted deadlock in nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang.
Park made an unannounced visit to Tokyo on Sunday.
On Monday, Park reportedly met Japan's National Security Secretariat Secretary General Shigeru Kitamura and Cabinet Intelligence Director Hiroaki Takizawa.
This photo, taken on Oct. 28, 2020, shows the headquarters of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan. (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--Moon, British PM hold phone talks over ties, climate change

P4G , which stands for Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 , is a public-private initiative aimed @ @ @ @ @ other sustainable development goals .
The summit was put off to next year from an @ @ @ @ @ due to the new coronavirus outbreak .

SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in held phone talks with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday and discussed ways to promote bilateral ties and cooperate on climate change, his office said.
Johnson invited Moon to the summit of the Group of Seven advanced economies to be held in Britain next year, according to Cheong Wa Dae.
Moon expressed appreciation for the invitation and also invited Johnson to the upcoming P4G summit that South Korea plans to host in May next year.
P4G, which stands for Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030, is a public-private initiative aimed at tackling climate change and other sustainable development goals. The summit was put off to next year from an initial schedule of June 2020 due to the new coronavirus outbreak.
The two leaders also discussed climate change issues.
Moon explained his government's plan to go carbon neutral by 2050, an initiative to support the global fight against climate change.
"I've expressed commitment to tackling climate change with the announcement of the 2050 carbon neutrality plan. I hope the two countries will closely cooperate on this issue," Moon was quoted as saying by Cheong Wa Dae.
Moon and Johnson also discussed ways to cooperate in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the development of vaccines and treatments.
Cheong Wa Dae said Moon called for Britain's continued support for South Korea's efforts to denuclearize North Korea and bring permanent peace to the Korean Peninsula.
This photo, provided by Cheong Wa Dae, shows President Moon Jae-in holding phone talks with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Nov. 10, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--(LEAD) Jeju Air Q3 net losses widen on virus impact

Net losses deepened to 66.8 billion won ( US $ 60 million ) in the three months that ended in @ @ @ @ @ in the same period of last year , the company said in a statement .

(ATTN: RECASTS throughout; ADDS photo)
SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- Jeju Air Co., South Korea's biggest low-cost carrier, said Tuesday its net losses widened in the third quarter from a year earlier due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the airline industry.
Net losses deepened to 66.8 billion won (US$60 million) in the three months that ended in September from 30.14 billion won in the same period of last year, the company said in a statement.
"Suspended flights on profitable international routes amid the pandemic continued to weigh on the quarterly results," a company spokesman said.
Operating losses also widened to 70.06 billion won in the third quarter from 17.36 billion won a year ago. Sales plunged 83 percent to 59.55 billion won from 368.77 billion won during the same period, it said.
Jeju Air has suspended most of its 76 international routes since March as countries strengthened entry restrictions to stem the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of Tuesday, four international routes from Incheon to Weihai, Osaka, Manila and Harbin and nine domestic routes are available.
The budget carrier plans to provide one flight a week on the route from Incheon to Tokyo beginning on Nov. 21, resuming the route service after three months.
It halted the Incheon-Tokyo route in August as travel demand dried up amid the pandemic. But it has offered flights on the Incheon-Osaka route despite the virus outbreak.
Jeju Air, which operates 44 B737-800 passenger jets, said net losses deepened to 268.81 billion won from January to September from 17.5 billion won in the year-ago period.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--(LEAD) KBO manager considers postseason loss as moral victory

Lee said he was trying too hard to preserve the tie because he did n't want to waste a gem @ @ @ @ @ have gone to a more traditional reliever , but Lee said postgame on Monday that @ @ @ @ @ homegrown pitchers could handle the nerves as well as Cuevas would .

(ATTN: ADDS comments at bottom, photo
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- The KT Wiz may have lost their first-ever South Korean baseball postseason game on Monday, but manager Lee Kang-chul chose to look on the bright side in his postmortem the following day.
The Wiz dropped to the Doosan Bears 3-2 in Game 1 of their best-of-five second round in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason. It's already a deep hole, considering that Game 1 winners of the second round have gone on to win the series 26 out of 32 times previously.
KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-chul speaks to reporters at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020, before Game 2 of the second-round Korea Baseball Organization postseason series against the Doosan Bears. (Yonhap)
But Lee said Tuesday the opening loss provided valuable learning experience for his club, where only seven out of 30 players on the roster made postseason appearances before.
"We played such a tight game that I think the players must have gained several games' worth of postseason experience," Lee said in his pregame media availability at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. "I think, starting with tonight's game, all that talk about our lack of postseason experience can stop."
Lee also owned up to his mistakes in bullpen management. Rookie starter So Hyeong-jun was outstanding in 6 2/3 shutout innings, and he left the mound with the game still scoreless in the seventh inning. After reliever Ju Kwon stranded two runners to close out the seventh, Lee summoned starter William Cuevas out of the bullpen to begin the eighth inning.
Cuevas hit the first batter he faced, and the Bears ended up scoring twice that inning.
Lee said he was trying too hard to preserve the tie because he didn't want to waste a gem by So. He could have gone to a more traditional reliever, but Lee said postgame on Monday that he didn't think his homegrown pitchers could handle the nerves as well as Cuevas would.
"I think it was a mistake on my part," Lee said. "But on the positive side, Cuevas got some work in before he starts later in this series. And I think our players won't be as nervous in upcoming games."
Closer Kim Jae-yoon was brought in to clean up the mess created by Cuevas but instead allowed both inherited runners to score. Lee said Kim will have to shake it all off because he'll be asked to pitch in more high-leverage situations in the series.
"I am sure he learned his lessons from last night," Lee said. "I hope he can bear down from now and overcome this."
Doosan Bears players and coaches celebrate their 3-2 victory over the KT Wiz in Game 1 of the second-round Korea Baseball Organization postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 9, 2020. (Yonhap)
Lee's Doosan counterpart, Kim Tae-hyoung, said taking the first game of any postseason series can do wonders for players' psyche.
"With the first win in the bags, we won't be pressing too hard on the field, trying to play catchup," Kim said. "I think that's one major advantage of being up 1-0."
While Lee Kang-chul was burning through four relievers, Kim only used his closer, Lee Young-ha, for two innings, after starter Chris Flexen gave the Bears seven dominant innings.
"An ideal scenario in postseason games is to have your starter go deep and then bring in the closer to finish things off," Kim said. "I don't tend to use a lot of pitchers during postseasons anyway. The key for our team will always be how many innings our starting pitcher can give us."
KT Wiz players celebrate after tying the score at 2-2 against the Doosan Bears during the bottom of the eighth inning of Game 1 of the second-round Korea Baseball Organization postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 9, 2020. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--Bears' cleanup hitter happy to share RBI responsibilities with teammates

`` I see myself as a member of this team , not just as the cleanup hitter , '' Kim @ @ @ @ @ availability before facing the KT Wiz in Game 2 of the best-of-five second round in @ @ @ @ @ KBO ) postseason .
`` We have so many great hitters and I have confidence @ @ @ @ @ just try to do whatever the situation calls for . ''

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- As the fixture in the heart of the Doosan Bears' lineup, slugger Kim Jae-hwan is counted on to keep driving in runs. That responsibility, though, isn't something that keeps Kim up at nights.
"I see myself as a member of this team, not just as the cleanup hitter," Kim said Tuesday during his media availability before facing the KT Wiz in Game 2 of the best-of-five second round in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason. "We have so many great hitters and I have confidence in those guys. I just try to do whatever the situation calls for."
Kim Jae-hwan of the Doosan Bears celebrates his RBI single against the KT Wiz in the top of the eighth inning of Game 1 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 9, 2020. (Yonhap)
Kim went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the Bears' 3-2 victory in Monday's opening game. He had gone 1-for-7 without an RBI in the previous postseason series against the LG Twins.
The outfielder has been one of the KBO's premier sluggers in recent years. In four of the past five seasons, Kim drove in over 100 runs, including a career-high 133 during his MVP-winning season in 2018. After slumping to 15 home runs and 91 RBIs in 2019, Kim bounced back with 30 homers and 113 RBIs.
But Kim's batting average fell from .283 to .266, his lowest since becoming an everyday player in 2016. He closed out the season on a 3-for-25 funk, and all three hits came in one game. He was held hitless in six of his final seven games.
The 32-year-old said those regular season slumps are already a distant memory.
"The playoffs are different than the regular season, and so I've not been thinking about those late regular season games," Kim said. "I am just trying to concentrate on each at-bat."
Kim came into the series against the Wiz carrying a .306 career postseason batting average, with six homers and 15 RBIs in 22 games.
Kim Jae-hwan of the Doosan Bears hits an RBI single against the KT Wiz in the top of the eighth inning of Game 1 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 9, 2020. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--21 USFK-affiliated individuals test positive for COVID-19

The service members all arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek , south of Seoul , on U.S. government chartered @ @ @ @ @ and a contractor arrived on commercial flights at Incheon International Airport , west of the @ @ @ @ @ U.S. military .

SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- Twenty-one people affiliated with the U.S. military, including 16 service members, have tested positive for the new coronavirus upon their arrival in South Korea, the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Tuesday.
The service members all arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, on U.S. government chartered flights, while four dependents and a contractor arrived on commercial flights at Incheon International Airport, west of the capital, according to the U.S. military.
Nineteen of the newly confirmed patients tested positive for COVID-19 on their first mandatory virus test prior to entering quarantine. The two others were confirmed with the virus on their second test prior to their release.
All USFK-affiliated individuals arriving in South Korea are required to undergo a virus test and are quarantined for 14 days. Medical personnel administer a second test prior to their release.
The latest cases brought the total number of USFK-related infections to 319.
A street in Itaewon, a major nightlife district in Seoul, is disinfected to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on Oct. 31, 2020, the day of Halloween. (Yonhap)
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--Jejuair remains in red in Q3

Jejuair remains in red in Q3

The company said in a regulatory filing that it continued to post an operating loss of 70.1 billion won for @ @ @ @ @ with a loss of 17.4 billion won a year earlier .
Sales fell 83.9 percent @ @ @ @ @ ( END )

SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- Jejuair Co. on Tuesday reported its third-quarter net loss of 66.8 billion won (US$59.9 million), remaining in the red compared with a year ago.
The company said in a regulatory filing that it continued to post an operating loss of 70.1 billion won for the July-September period, compared with a loss of 17.4 billion won a year earlier. Sales fell 83.9 percent to 59.6 billion won.
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--Soprano Park Hyesang records Korean-language songs for her first DG album

`` I know it is impossible to record a perfect album , but I can be satisfied with my efforts @ @ @ @ @ she said .
`` I want to be a musician who is proud of her @ @ @ @ @ made throughout life . ''

By Kim Boram
SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- Soprano Park Hyesang said Tuesday that she has picked two Korean-language songs for her new album to show her own process of self-discovery as a Korean vocalist.
Her latest album "I Am Hera," named after her English name, was released last Friday, with the German classical music record label Deutsche Grammophon (DG). It was DG's first official recording since the COVID-19 outbreak.
"Many people had advised me to come up with a stereotypical repertoire that would never fail for my first album," the singer said at a media session. "But I decided to show who I am and thought people would prefer my originality."
Soprano Park Hyesang speaks at a media session in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
Among her 18 handpicked tracks, two are Korean-language songs -- "Like the Wind That Met With Lotus" written by late Korean poet Seo Jeong-ju and "Psalm 23" composed by La Un-yung.
"I thought singing songs in Korean is the best way to represent my free spirit," she said. "It must be very strange to hear a Korean-language song on a DG album, but I want to break the unfamiliarity and make a first example."
Park has been gaining fame in the world's classical music scene after winning prizes at prestigious competitions, including the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 2014 and the World Opera Competition, or Operalia, in 2015.
Hailed as a soprano with a lyric coloratura voice, Park has had concerts with world-renowned orchestras like the New York Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Opera.
Soprano Park Hyesang sings at a media session in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
She was set to debut at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York with the operas "Hansel and Gretel" and "Don Giovanni" early this year, but the schedule was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"I didn't care about the cancellations because the pandemic was nobody's fault," she said. "But the coronavirus has given me more time to reflect on myself and helped me develop further."
The 32-year old vocalist said she hopes to become a singer who does not remain complacent with the current spotlight and success, but an artist who keeps making efforts to navigate one's life for the better.
"I know it is impossible to record a perfect album, but I can be satisfied with my efforts for the album," she said. "I want to be a musician who is proud of her past efforts that she has made throughout life."
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--SPC Samlip shifts to black in Q3

SPC Samlip shifts to black in Q3

The company said in a regulatory filing that it posted 13.3 billion won in operating profit for the quarter , @ @ @ @ @ a year ago .
Revenue rose 5.2 percent to 657.8 billion won .
( END @

SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- SPC Samlip Co. on Tuesday reported its third-quarter net income of 1 billion won (US$903,955), swinging from a loss of 544 million won a year earlier.
The company said in a regulatory filing that it posted 13.3 billion won in operating profit for the quarter, compared with 2.3 billion won a year ago. Revenue rose 5.2 percent to 657.8 billion won.
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--Poll shows bipartisan conflict hindering development of democracy

Asked to name the biggest concern regarding democracy after the spread of the coronavirus pandemic , 36.4 percent cited weakening @ @ @ @ @ towards other people , followed by infringements of individual freedom due to restrictions on gatherings @ @ @ @ @ percent ) , invasion of privacy caused by disclosure of COVID-19-related personal information ( 10.5 @ @ @ @ @ global solidarity due to travel restrictions ( 10.1 percent ) and hatred and discrimination towards @ @ @ @ @ .

SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- More than half of South Koreans think conflict between rival political parties is the biggest factor obstructing the development of democracy, a poll showed Tuesday.
The poll of 1,000 adults 18 years and older by a government agency found 56.2 percent pointing to bipartisan conflict as the biggest hindrance to the progress of democracy, while another 44 percent regarded the empowerment of the press as the top obstruction.
Thirty-two percent of respondents counted polarization of public opinion online as a factor delaying the development of democracy.
This undated file photo provided by Democratization Movement in Korea shows the public organ's main building in Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The poll was conducted by pollster Global Research at the request of Democratization Movement in Korea, a public organization affiliated with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, from Aug. 26-28 across the country. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points with a confidence level of 95 percent.
Asked to name the biggest concern regarding democracy after the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, 36.4 percent cited weakening of community due to wariness towards other people, followed by infringements of individual freedom due to restrictions on gatherings and religious events (24.9 percent), invasion of privacy caused by disclosure of COVID-19-related personal information (10.5 percent), severance of global solidarity due to travel restrictions (10.1 percent) and hatred and discrimination towards minorities (7.2 percent).
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-11-10--Despite skepticism, rookie starter's belief in self never wavered

The rookie threw 6 2/3 shutout innings against the Doosan Bears in Game 1 of the second round in the @ @ @ @ @ ) postseason .
The Wiz lost 3-2 , but So , who did n't factor @ @ @ @ @ the star of the game .
Both managers offered high praise for the teenager afterward @ @ @ @ @ seen the birth of a new ace .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- At the tender age of 19, KT Wiz right-hander So Hyeong-jun pitched a game of his young life in his postseason debut on Monday.
Offering his own assessment, So said Tuesday he didn't really feel any pressure, and instead embraced the moment and the stage as the starter in his club's first-ever postseason game.
So Hyeong-jun of the KT Wiz takes off his cap as he leaves the mound during the top of the seventh inning of Game 1 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series against the Doosan Bears at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 9, 2020. (Yonhap)
The rookie threw 6 2/3 shutout innings against the Doosan Bears in Game 1 of the second round in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason. The Wiz lost 3-2, but So, who didn't factor into a decision, was the star of the game. Both managers offered high praise for the teenager afterward, saying they've just seen the birth of a new ace.
"I don't know about the ace title. I think I need a few more years of experience," So said Tuesday in an interview before Game 2 of the series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.
So had a fine regular season, and his 13-6 record with a 3.86 ERA should be good enough to make him the Rookie of the Year. But when the Wiz handed So the daunting assignment of starting the opening game of a postseason series, it raised a few eyebrows.
Could the kid handle the pressure?
"I knew a lot of people thought I would struggle on the mound because I didn't have experience, but I was pretty confident in myself," So said. "I wanted to prove those people wrong, and I was pretty determined out there."
So said this wasn't even the most nervous he'd been in a game and said he was far more anxious and jittery when he faced Japan during the U-18 Baseball World Cup last year.
So Hyeong-jun of the KT Wiz speaks to reporters before Game 2 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
"Last night, I was just trying to pitch the same way that I did during the regular season," So said. "The hitters were the same. The distance between the mound and the home plate was the same."
So said being the Game 1 starter didn't put any extra burden on his shoulders; instead, he enjoyed having that responsibility.
"The team gave me a great opportunity, and I thought I had to live up to it," So said. "I tried to focus extra hard and compete with more confidence. And physically, I felt even better than usual."
Asked if there is any lingering disappointment about his own performance, So said, "I don't have any regret from that game."
So said he'd love to represent the country at the senior level, and the Tokyo Olympic Games, scheduled for next July after getting postponed by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, are already on his mind.
"It'd be great if I can get to the Olympics next year," he said. "I should set it as my goal this winter and start preparing for that."
So Hyeong-jun of the KT Wiz pitches against the Doosan Bears in the top of the first inning of Game 1 of the Korea Baseball Organization second-round postseason series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Nov. 9, 2020. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)