yna--2020-09-05--Ratio of female lawmakers, ministers in S. Korea hits record high

The number of female heads of government ministries has increased to six , or 33.3 percent , of the total @ @ @ @ @ in 2010 .

SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Yonhap) -- The proportion of female lawmakers in South Korea's parliament, as well as that of female ministers in the Cabinet, has reached an all-time high, data showed Saturday.
According to the gender equality ministry and Statistics Korea, 57 women were elected in the April 15 general elections, accounting for 19 percent of the total 300 members in the National Assembly.
Four years earlier, 51 women were elected.
The number of female heads of government ministries has increased to six, or 33.3 percent, of the total 18 this year from two in 2010.
The ratio of female lawmakers and ministers in the nation has been on a steady rise in recent years, apparently reflecting a trend of growing female participation and clout in local labor markets.
Related statistics showed that 51.6 percent of women in South Korea were employed last year, up 0.7 percentage point from a year earlier.
In this file photo, female lawmakers of the ruling Democratic Party hold a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul on May 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-05--Amid pandemic, annual campus festivals go online

SEOUL , Sept. 5 ( Yonhap ) -- As the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted what otherwise would have been @ @ @ @ @ season , South Korea 's universities are scrambling to find a way to resume some @ @ @ @ @ fall semester by taking annual festivals online .

SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Yonhap) -- As the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted what otherwise would have been a buzzy and exciting spring season, South Korea's universities are scrambling to find a way to resume some resemblance of normalcy in the fall semester by taking annual festivals online.
Most of the country's universities put off spring festivals, hoping that the virus slows down and they would be able to hold them in the fall.
As the plan is unlikely to be realized amid a second wave of coronavirus infections, schools have begun to look for alternatives to in-person events.
Students from Korea University and Yonsei University participate in an online event run by KT Corp., a major South Korean telecommunications firm, to beat the coronavirus blues on June 14, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Most notably, Yonsei University and its rival Korea University in Seoul will replace their sports competition with an online game event this year.
Last month, the two schools canceled the decadeslong annual tradition, originally scheduled for October, as virus infections showed no signs of easing. It marked the first cancellation due to a pandemic since it started in 1965.
These undated file photos show Korea University students (L) and Yonsei University students (R) during a sports competition held as part of their annual festival. (Yonhap)
Soongsil University has offered a series of online events to give comfort to students and "beat the coronavirus blues." Through the cultural and music sessions that went on live, students interacted with guest lecturers including Lee Nak-yon, leader of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), and singer-songwriter Zion.T.
"Campus festivals should change in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic," said Oh Jong-un, president of the university's student body.
Kyunghee University is also planning a virtual event. "If we can hold an online fest successfully, we will be able to usher in a new trend of online festival culture," its student government said.
Ewha Womans University is set to air special festival clips on its YouTube channel and run a separate online flea market for students.
Other universities, which scrapped their in-person events and festivals for this year, are working to create interesting remote festivals that can boost a sense of community among students.
Seoul National University canceled its fall festival, scheduled to take place at the end of this month. Konkuk University already put off its spring festival indefinitely while Hanyang University also called off its fall event.
A professor prepares for online instruction at Dankook University in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, on Aug. 31, 2020. (Yonhap)
The campus of Korea University in Seoul is quiet in this undated file photo. (Yonhap)
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-05--Cardinals' Kim Kwang-hyun looks to keep scoreless streak going vs. Cubs

It will be Kim 's fifth start of this season and second at Wrigley Field .
The historic ballpark is @ @ @ @ @ big league start on Aug. 17 .
With the Cardinals just coming off a two-week @ @ @ @ @ within the team , Kim , like other starters , was kept on a pitch @ @ @ @ @ pitches in 3 2/3 innings for a no-decision .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Yonhap) -- St. Louis Cardinals' South Korean starter Kim Kwang-hyun will try to keep his scoreless innings streak going against one of the best teams in the National League (NL).
Kim was announced on Thursday (U.S. local time) as the starter against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago at 6:08 p.m. Sunday, or 8:08 a.m. Monday in South Korea.
In this Associated Press file photo from Aug. 17, 2020, Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals lets out a scream after delivering a pitch against the Chicago Cubs in the bottom of the first inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Wrigley Field in Chicago. (Yonhap)
It will be Kim's fifth start of this season and second at Wrigley Field. The historic ballpark is where Kim made his first big league start on Aug. 17. With the Cardinals just coming off a two-week hiatus following a COVID-19 outbreak within the team, Kim, like other starters, was kept on a pitch count and threw just 57 pitches in 3 2/3 innings for a no-decision.
The left-hander gave up one earned run, which came in the form of an Ian Happ solo home run. Kim hasn't allowed an earned run in three starts since then, a span of 17 innings.
Kim opened the season as the closer before moving into the rotation. He's 2-0 with a 0.83 ERA for the season and has a 0.44 ERA as a starting pitcher.
In this Associated Press file photo from Aug. 17, 2020, Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Chicago Cubs in the bottom of the first inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Wrigley Field in Chicago. (Yonhap)
Prior to Friday's action, the Cubs were leading the NL Central at 22-15, 3.5 games ahead of the Cardinals. They were 11th in the NL in team batting average with .230 and eighth in on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) with .750.
They have done poorly against left-handers, ranking 14th among 15 NL clubs with a .212 batting average and 12th with a .659 OPS.
The Cubs will send veteran left-hander Jon Lester to the mound. He's 2-1 with a 5.11 ERA in seven starts and will make his first start against the Cardinals this year.
The Cardinals exploded for 16 runs on 23 hits in Kim's most recent start against the Cincinnati Reds. They won 16-2 behind Brad Miller's career-high seven RBIs.
In this Getty Images photo, Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the bottom of the first inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Sept. 1, 2020. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-05--Killing of NK leader's brother and others require U.S. review on chemical weapons: CRS

`` Congress may wish to consider how best to respond to the use of chemical weapons , including how future @ @ @ @ @ and whether U.S. forces are adequately protected , '' said the CRS report , titled @ @ @ @ @ Use : Issues for Congress . ''

By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 (Yonhap) -- A rise in the use of chemical weapons by states and terrorist groups, including North Korea, may warrant a U.S. congressional review of efforts to prevent the use and spread of prohibited toxic agents, a U.S. congressional report said Friday.
"With increasing numbers of incidents, the use of chemical weapons has become a growing international concern two decades after the international community decided to ban them under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention," the report from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) said.
The report comes after Germany confirmed that a Soviet-developed nerve agent, Novichok, had been used in a failed attempt to assassinate Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny last month.
The report also included North Korea in its list of states and groups known to have used chemical weapons.
A Vietnamese woman and an Indonesian woman had been arrested for killing Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in February 2017 at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport by using the banned chemical weapon VX nerve agent.
They had claimed to have been simply hired by North Korean agents for a prank.
"The U.S. State Department determined that North Korea's government ordered the VX attack in 2017 in Malaysia," the report noted.
Earlier Friday, the U.S. State Department said Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun has expressed "grave concern" about Germany's finding that Russian opposition leader Navalny was poisoned by a chemical nerve agent in a meeting with Russian Amb. Anatoliy Antonov in Wshington.
"He noted further that the use of this chemical weapon by Russia would be a clear violation of its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention," the department said in a press release.
The CRS noted the recent incidents involving the use of banned chemical weapons may indicate a need for stepped-up efforts to prevent future use of such substances.
"Congress may wish to consider how best to respond to the use of chemical weapons, including how future use could be deterred, and whether U.S. forces are adequately protected," said the CRS report, titled "Resurgence of Chemical Weapons Use: Issues for Congress."
"Congress may consider whether the OPCW (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) has adequate resources for investigations, and it may also examine the success of efforts to curb proliferation of chemical weapons-related material and technology, such as interdictions, international sanctions, and export-control assistance programs," it said.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


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yna--2020-09-04--SK Innovation denies destroying documents in EV battery patent case

SK Innovation claimed it developed the 994 patent , while LG Chem Ltd. asserted its A7 battery cell is prior @ @ @ @ @ .
A7 battery cells were used in the Chrysler Pacifica minivan in 2013 .

SEOUL, Sept. 4 (Yonhap) -- SK Innovation Co., a South Korean manufacturer of electric vehicle (EV) batteries, denied Friday that it destroyed documents related to an EV battery patent case in the latest tit-for-tat ahead of a crucial verdict in the United States.
SK Innovation claimed it developed the 994 patent, while LG Chem Ltd. asserted its A7 battery cell is prior art to the 994 patent. A7 battery cells were used in the Chrysler Pacifica minivan in 2013.
Last month, LG Chem filed a motion with a U.S. trade panel, seeking the issuance of an order sanctioning SK Innovation for the "destruction of highly relevant evidence" after its litigation against SK Innovation began.
This image, captured from the U.S. International Trade Commission's website. shows LG Chem's motion against SK Innovation. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
LG Chem said in the motion filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission that SK Innovation's "spoliation was targeted to the destruction of relevant LG Chem information" in SK Innovation's possession.
LG Chem also claimed SK Innovation employees were repeatedly instructed to "delete every material related to the rival company ... and delete this email after completing this directive."
On Friday, SK Innovation dismissed LG Chem's accusations, saying it "has no reason whatsoever to delete documents and it did not delete them."
In September last year, SK Innovation brought its own litigation against LG Chem asserting the 994 patent.
LG Chem and SK Innovation have been at loggerheads over EV battery-related trade secrets since last year, filing multiple lawsuits in the United States and South Korea.
This image, captured from the U.S. International Trade Commission's website, shows LG Chem's motion against SK Innovation. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)
Last year, LG Chem filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission that SK Innovation misappropriated LG Chem's EV battery trade secrets.
In February, the U.S. International Trade Commission made a preliminary ruling in favor of LG Chem's argument that SK Innovation had misappropriated and used its EV battery trade secrets.
The U.S. trade panel is set to give its final ruling on the case in October.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-05--(3rd LD) Typhoon Haishen may skirt eastern coast of S. Korea, bring heavy rains

It said that while the central Seoul , Gyeonggi and Chungcheong regions will have clear skies , parts of South @ @ @ @ @ 's southeast and Jeju Island off the southern coast will receive rainfall early in the @ @ @ @ @ of the southern Gyeongsang and Jeolla regions will experience rain in the afternoon .

(ATTN: UPDATES with North Korea's measures in paras 7-8)
SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Yonhap) -- Typhoon Haishen, the season's 10th typhoon, is expected to skirt the eastern coast of South Korea, but bring strong winds and heavy rains, the weather service said Saturday.
The latest forecast, which has the tropical storm veering further east than anticipated, comes after the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) warned that Haishen could land on the southern coast and move inland over the country, causing considerable damage.
As of 3 p.m. Saturday, Haishen was some 410 kilometers east-southeast sea of Okinawa and moving north at 19 kilometers per hour in the direction of Japan's Kyushu Island, KMA said.
The typhoon had a central pressure of 915 hectopascals with winds reaching up to 55 meters per second.
It is expected to go past South Korea's east coast without making landfall on Monday afternoon, move out of the country into the East Sea.
The typhoon is forecast to reach the east coast of Hamgyong Province in North Korea early on Tuesday and be downgraded to a depression.
North Korea warned its citizens to brace for floods expected to be caused by the typhoon packing strong winds and torrential rains, the Korean Central Broadcasting Station said later in the day.
The radio station also said that the measures against the upcoming typhoon should be focused on the prevention of life damage, adding the typhoon is forecast to hurt the country's economic sectors, including agriculure.
This image, provided by the Korea Meteorological Administration, shows the expected path of Typhoon Haishen. As of 3 p.m. on Sept. 5, 2020, it was moving over waters some 410 kilometers southeast of Okinawa at the speed of 19 kilometers per hour. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
KMA said that despite the slight change in course, the typhoon is likely to start impacting the country over the weekend, with the southern regions being affected first.
It said that while the central Seoul, Gyeonggi and Chungcheong regions will have clear skies, parts of South Gyeongsang Province in the country's southeast and Jeju Island off the southern coast will receive rainfall early in the morning. It said most of the southern Gyeongsang and Jeolla regions will experience rain in the afternoon.
Gyeongsang is expected to receive 20-60 millimeters of precipitation from Saturday through Sunday, with Jeju and southern regions of Jeolla to get 5-40 mm, KMA said.
Related to the approaching storm, Incheon port authority, west of Seoul, said that it has suspended passenger ferry operations to two outlying islands, including the service to Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea, as Haishen starts to cause waves to rise.
The weather agency, however, said the exact route and strength of Haishen may change depending on how it passes through Japan, with a close watch being kept on its direction, especially as it can cause considerable damage if it makes landfall along the southern coast.
A series of typhoons has pounded the country recently with heavy rains and strong winds.
Typhoon Maysak, which hit the country earlier this month, tore through the southern and eastern coastal regions, killing two and causing power outages and flight cancellations.
(END)


yna--2020-09-05--S. Korean worker for U.S. Forces Korea tests positive for new coronavirus

The contractor , who worked at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek , some 70 kilometers south of Seoul , was @ @ @ @ @ at his spouse 's place of employment , USFK said , adding that he has @ @ @ @ @ a local hospital by the South Korean health authorities .

SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean citizen working for the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) tested positive for the new coronavirus Saturday in the first internal positive case among its population in nearly five months, the U.S. military said.
The contractor, who worked at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul, was tested after a workplace exposure at his spouse's place of employment, USFK said, adding that he has been directed to isolation at a local hospital by the South Korean health authorities.
He last visited the Osan base on Thursday, and all of his known contacts have quarantined since he was confirmed to have been infected, according to USFK.
Health professionals "are actively conducting contact tracing to determine whether anyone else may have been exposed," it added.
The latest case brought the total number of USFK-related infections to 176. Of them, 151 individuals were confirmed upon their arrivals here. USFK reported a last patient among its people stationed here in mid-April.
A U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) member explains anti-coronavirus guidelines to a driver in front of Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, on April 5, 2020, in this photo provided by USFK. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-05--(2nd LD) Typhoon Haishen may skirt eastern coast of S. Korea, bring heavy rains

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES in paras 3-6)
SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Yonhap) -- Typhoon Haishen, the season's 10th typhoon, is expected to skirt the eastern coast of South Korea, but bring strong winds and heavy rains, the weather service said Saturday.
The latest forecast, which has the tropical storm veering further east than anticipated, comes after the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) warned that Haishen could land on the southern coast and move inland over the country, causing considerable damage.
As of 3 p.m. Saturday, Haishen was some 410 kilometers east-southeast sea of Okinawa and moving north at 19 kilometers per hour in the direction of Japan's Kyushu Island, KMA said.
The typhoon had a central pressure of 915 hectopascals with winds reaching up to 55 meters per second.
It is expected to go past South Korea's east coast without making landfall on Monday afternoon, move out of the country into the East Sea.
The typhoon is forecast to reach the east coast of Hamgyong Province in North Korea early on Tuesday and be downgraded to a depression.
KMA said that despite the slight change in course, the typhoon is likely to start impacting the country over the weekend, with the southern regions being affected first.
This image, provided by the Korea Meteorological Administration, shows the expected path of Typhoon Haishen. As of 3 p.m. on Sept. 5, 2020, it was moving over waters some 410 kilometers southeast of Okinawa at the speed of 19 kilometers per hour. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
It said that while the central Seoul, Gyeonggi and Chungcheong regions will have clear skies, parts of South Gyeongsang Province in the country's southeast and Jeju Island off the southern coast will receive rainfall early in the morning. It said most of the southern Gyeongsang and Jeolla regions will experience rain in the afternoon.
Gyeongsang is expected to receive 20-60 millimeters of precipitation from Saturday through Sunday, with Jeju and southern regions of Jeolla to get 5-40 mm, KMA said.
Related to the approaching storm, Incheon port authority, west of Seoul, said that it has suspended passenger ferry operations to two outlying islands, including the service to Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea, as Haishen starts to cause waves to rise.
The weather agency, however, said the exact route and strength of Haishen may change depending on how it passes through Japan, with a close watch being kept on its direction, especially as it can cause considerable damage if it makes landfall along the southern coast.
A series of typhoons has pounded the country recently with heavy rains and strong winds.
Typhoon Maysak, which hit the country earlier this month, tore through the southern and eastern coastal regions, killing two and causing power outages and flight cancellations.
(END)


yna--2020-09-05--(2nd LD) New virus cases stay below 200 for 3rd day in S. Korea in 'positive' sign

SEOUL , Sept. 5 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korean health authorities said Saturday that it is a `` positive @ @ @ @ @ of additional new coronavirus cases here stayed below 200 for the third straight day , @ @ @ @ @ to let down their guard as the pandemic could flare up any time .

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with comments, photos; RESTRUCTURES)
SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korean health authorities said Saturday that it is a "positive" sign that the number of additional new coronavirus cases here stayed below 200 for the third straight day, but they urged people not to let down their guard as the pandemic could flare up any time.
The country reported 168 new COVID-19 cases, including 158 local infections, raising the total caseload to 21,010, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
A majority of the locally transmitted cases came from the greater Seoul area, including 51 in Seoul and 47 in nearby Gyeonggi Province. Incheon, west of Seoul, also reported 14 cases.
A road in central Seoul is empty on Sept. 5, 2020, after the government extended tightened social distancing guidelines for another week. (Yonhap)
"There were many areas that could be positively seen when looking at Saturday's circumstances," Kwon Joon-wook, deputy director at the Central Disease Control Headquarters, said in a daily press briefing.
"Above all, the number of new cases declined, and the volume and percentage of untraceable cases fell. The rise in patients in serious or critical condition has slowed, and the number of those under home isolation is trending lower," Kwon said.
South Korea has been posting triple-digit rises for around three weeks due to cluster infections tied to a slew of churches and an anti-government rally in central Seoul in mid-August.
After keeping the new cases of COVID-19 in two-digit figures for more than five months, South Korea added more than 100 cases on Aug. 14 before the number shot up to 441 on Aug. 27. It then fell below 300 on Sunday.
But Kwon stressed that it is still too early to be complacent.
"We are in a situation where a mass outbreak could spread nationally at any time. We are at a time when accumulated risks, which could exceed the quarantine capacity and paralyze the medical system, are very large," he said, voicing concern over cluster infections.
The proportion of new patients with unidentified transmission routes hit 22.4 percent over the past two weeks, indicating there could be more unknown infections in local communities. Cluster infections accounted for 42.6 percent of new outbreaks over the period.
A health professional works at a screening center in the southwestern city of Gwangju on Sept. 4, 2020. (Yonhap)
While the church and rally-related clusters accounted for a large portion of the recent infections, reaching 1,156 and 510, respectively, as of noon Saturday, other cluster infections have popped up across the country.
Thirty cases, including 12 in the southeastern city of Daegu, have been identified in relation to a promotional meeting on health products. Health authorities suspect the cluster traces to the anti-government rally.
Two hospitals in Seoul together reported more than 20 cases, while infections also broke out at an indoor bar and a children's book company in Gyeonggi Province. More than 20 have also tested positive at a kimchi factory in South Chungcheong Province.
A virus screening center set up at the community health center in Yongsan Ward in central Seoul is relatively empty on Sept. 5, 2020. (Yonhap)
While the latest figure marks a fall from 198 cases on Friday, health authorities said the country should remain on alert, calling for citizens to abide by the government's tightened social distancing guidelines that were extended for another week.
South Korea on Friday decided to extend tougher anti-virus curbs on restaurants, bakeries and coffee shops in the greater Seoul area for another week, as sporadic cluster infections and untraceable cases are still popping up in the densely populated area.
Since Sunday, the country has been limiting operations of restaurants, bakeries and franchise coffee chains in the Seoul metropolitan area under the so-called Level 2.5 social distancing guidelines, while implementing Level 2 measures across the country since mid-August.
"While (new cases) are coming in at around 200 and are on a decline, it is not yet a stage to relax," Health Minister Park Neunghoo said in a government response meeting held at the government complex in Seoul.
"Until the (number) of patients substantially falls to a level that does not put a burden on quarantining and the health system, we need citizens to understand and endure a bit more," said Park.
A bakery franchise in the western Seoul ward of Songpa is relatively empty on Sept. 4, 2020. (Yonhap)
The health minister mentioned growing concerns over a rise in critically ill patients, asking workers at health institutions and care centers for the elderly to stay on alert.
The number of patients in serious or critical condition came to 159, up two from the previous day and setting a new record since the country reported its first COVID-19 case in late January.
South Korea added two more deaths, raising the death toll to 333. Some 97 percent of the deaths came from patients who had underlying diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes.
By age group, the death toll was highest at 20 percent for those in their 80s or older.
The number of newly identified imported cases came to 10.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries reached 16,009, up 226 from the previous day.
South Korea has carried out 2,037,045 COVID-19 tests since Jan. 3.
Workers carry takeout lunch boxes in central Seoul on Sept. 4, 2020. (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-05--(LEAD) Hospitals in scaled down mode as trainee doctors slow to return to work

KIRA has been at the forefront of the strike and has criticized the way the KMA handled negotiations , with @ @ @ @ @ were not properly consulted on the talks .
It said the agreement did not reflect @ @ @ @ @ earlier demand that the government must first scrap its medical reform plan .

(ATTN: UPDATES with minor edits in lead, paras 2-3, 6; ADDS more info on ruling party stance in 5th para, demand by doctors in paras 7-8)
SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's major hospitals are maintaining scaled down operations, as trainee doctors have yet to return to work despite an agreement reached to end their weekslong strike, medical sources said Saturday.
Large university hospitals have reduced treatments and surgeries and have restricted the number of patients they admit, as thousands of interns and resident doctors have taken part in the walkout since Aug. 21.
The delay comes despite the Korean Medical Association reaching an agreement on Friday with the ruling Democratic Party and the health ministry to end the strike in exchange for Seoul putting on hold its plans to increase the quota for medical students, set up new public medical schools and give medical insurance coverage to traditional Korean medical treatment.
A group of people moves chairs and pickets used in the doctors' strike at a general hospital in Seoul after the Korean Medical Association, the ruling Democratic Party and the health ministry agreed to end the strike on Sept. 4, 2020. (Yonhap)
The ruling party and the ministry also pledged to approach all matters related to the medical reform plan from scratch and listen to input provided by doctors, who have strongly opposed the changes. Doctors, lawmakers and government policymakers said they will set up two special commissions to address matters that can improve the quality of the country's medical field.
The Democratic Party stressed that the latest agreement did not mean that Seoul is giving up its medical sector reform plan centered on resolving regional disparity in treatment quality, expanding public medical care and strengthening overall capability of critical care offered in the country.
The agreement that ended the impasse, which has been welcomed as a way to allow doctors to help contain new COVID-19 cases, has taken flak from some members belonging to the Korean Intern and Resident Association (KIRA).
KIRA has been at the forefront of the strike and has criticized the way the KMA handled negotiations, with the group complaining that they were not properly consulted on the talks. It said the agreement did not reflect the "critically important" earlier demand that the government must first scrap its medical reform plan.
KIRA, which asked KMA chief Choi Dae-zip for an explanation on how the pact was reached without proper consultation with trainee doctors, said that its members will independently decide on when they will return to work, which is making it hard to determine when hospitals will be fully staffed again.
In a statement, the association warned that collective action cannot be called off if its members are hurt in any way for taking part in the walkout.
"Unless the interns and residents return, hospitals have to operate at reduce capacity like we are doing now," an administrator at a university hospital in Seoul said. He said the hospitals are closely monitoring developments.
Health and Welfare Minister Park Neunghoo (R) and Korean Medical Association chief Choi Dae-zip sign an agreement calling for an end to the doctors' strike in Seoul on Sept. 4, 2020. (Yonhap)
Related to objections raised by some doctors on the ending of the strike, other observers said that with the health ministry withdrawing its formal complaints leveled at some who did not follow return-to-work orders and making promises to engage in dialogue on matters related to the medical reform plan, it is likely that doctors will gradually return to work.
"There is a chance that the interns and resident doctors may take another approach in making their views known, instead of engaging in a strike," a source said.
(END)


yna--2020-09-05--Today in Korean history

Today in Korean history

1956 -- Lee Joong-sup ( 1916-56 ) , widely recognized as one of Korea 's most talented modern painters , @ @ @ @ @ in Pyongyang during Japanese colonial rule , he attended art school in Tokyo .
He @ @ @ @ @ part of North Korea , and married Masako Yamamoto in 1945 .
After his wife @ @ @ @ @ Japan in 1952 during the Korean War , he painted some of his most renowned @ @ @ @ @ of family predominant .

Sept. 6
1951 -- South Korea establishes the Women's Army Corps amid the 1950-53 Korean War.
1956 -- Lee Joong-sup (1916-56), widely recognized as one of Korea's most talented modern painters, dies of hepatitis. Born in Pyongyang during Japanese colonial rule, he attended art school in Tokyo. He returned to Wonsan, now part of North Korea, and married Masako Yamamoto in 1945. After his wife and two sons returned to Japan in 1952 during the Korean War, he painted some of his most renowned works, with the theme of family predominant.
1976 - A Soviet pilot flies an MiG-25 fighter jet to Japan, saying he wants to defect to the United States. Washington grants his request for asylum.
1994 -- A medical unit of the South Korean Army is dispatched to the western Sahara as part of a United Nations peacekeeping operation.
2007 -- Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Mong-koo receives a suspended three-year jail term from an appeals court for embezzlement of company funds, allowing him to actively pursue business activities. The Seoul High Court previously convicted Chung, head of the world's sixth-largest automaker, handing down a five-year suspended jail term.
2011 -- South Korea asks foreign countries not to invest or engage in tourism activities at North Korea's Mount Kumgang resort, stressing such actions violate existing property rights.
2012 -- Global ratings agency Fitch Ratings upgrades South Korea's sovereign credit rating by one notch, citing the nation's economic and financial stability despite a volatile global economy.
2017 -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in holds bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling for efforts to stop North Korea from making any further provocations.
(END)


yna--2020-09-05--Finance minister expresses concerns over COVID-19, economic impact in talks with Fitch

It said Fitch asked for information on how Seoul controlled outbreaks without the large-scale shutting down of society in the @ @ @ @ @ being taken amid the recent increase in new infection cases .
Hong , in response @ @ @ @ @ contact tracing , mask wearing and comprehensive quarantine efforts contributed to the country bringing down @ @ @ @ @ April .
He said similar measures are being taken again to stem the rise in @ @

SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top economic policymaker expressed concerns over the resurgence of the novel coronavirus in the country hurting growth and said efforts are under way to bolster the economy during an online meeting with a global credit appraiser, the finance ministry here said Saturday.
The teleconference between Minister of Economy and Finance Hong Nam-ki and James McCormack, the general manager at Fitch Ratings, took place late Friday, with a focus on actions being taken by Seoul to stem the spread of COVID-19, the country's overall response to the pandemic and the government's fiscal forecast, the ministry said.
It said Fitch asked for information on how Seoul controlled outbreaks without the large-scale shutting down of society in the first half and policy actions being taken amid the recent increase in new infection cases. Hong, in response, said large-scale testing, contact tracing, mask wearing and comprehensive quarantine efforts contributed to the country bringing down infection cases from February through April. He said similar measures are being taken again to stem the rise in cases.
South Korean Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki (L) holds a teleconference with Fitch Ratings from an office in Seoul late on Sept. 4, 2020, in this photo provided by his office on Sept. 5. The minister stressed that the government is closely monitoring fiscal health data and taking active steps to bolster growth. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The country reported 168 new COVID-19 cases earlier in the day, with the total caseload hitting 21,010. The country has been posting triple-digit numbers of cases for some three weeks, with infections showing signs of falling back down again in recent days.
The minister said that with small businesses being hit the hardest, the government is actively seeking ways to help the disadvantaged. He told Fitch that measures being reviewed could help investments, exports and consumption going forward.
On the issue of the government using extra budgets to prop up the economy, Hong said the move could not be avoided, while making clear that policymakers are keeping very close tabs on the country's fiscal health.
"Fiscal sustainability in the mid-to-long term is of considerable importance, with Seoul taking particular care on regulating spending and expanding its revenue base," Hong said.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-05--National Assembly resumes operations after all test negative for COVID-19

`` Everyone who had been selectively checked has turned out not to have been infected with the coronavirus .
A @ @ @ @ @ building , the members ' office building and an annex building will be lifted from @ @ @ @ @ assembly 's secretariat said in a notice .

SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Yonhap) -- The National Assembly resumed operations on Saturday after a brief shutdown caused by a main opposition party official testing positive for the new coronavirus.
"Everyone who had been selectively checked has turned out not to have been infected with the coronavirus. A no-entry restriction on the main building, the members' office building and an annex building will be lifted from 10 a.m.," the assembly's secretariat said in a notice.
This photo taken on Sept. 4, 2020, shows the entrance of the National Assembly's main building closed after a party official tested positive for the new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
The National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, had been temporarily closed and disinfected after an official at the People Power Party secretariat tested positive for the virus on Thursday.
With the resumption, committee and leadership meetings scheduled for next week are expected to run normally.
But some tightened anti-virus measures will remain in place in line with the government's social distancing guidelines in the greater Seoul area that have been extended until Sept. 13.
This photo, provided by the National Assembly secretariat, shows a health worker disinfecting the National Assembly main hall on Sept. 3, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-05--(LEAD) Typhoon Haishen may not make landfall in S. Korea, skirt eastern coast

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES throughout; CHANGES photo)
SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Yonhap) -- Typhoon Haishen, the season's 10th typhoon that is approaching the Korean Peninsula, may not make landfall here and skirt the country's eastern coast as it heads north, the weather service said Saturday.
The latest forecast, which has the tropical storm veering more east than anticipated, comes as the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) earlier warned that Haishen could land on the southern coast and move inland over the country, causing considerable damage.
As of 9 a.m. Saturday, Haishen is some 510 kilometers southeast of Okinawa and moving north at 15 kilometers per hour in the direction of Japan's Kyushu Island, KMA said. At present the typhoon has a central pressure of 920 hectopascals with winds reaching up to 53 meters per second.
It is expected to be 160 kilometers south of the port city of Busan at 9 a.m. Monday.
KMA said that despite the slight change in course, the typhoon is likely to start impacting the country over the weekend, with the southern regions being affected first.
This image, provided by the Korea Meteorological Administration, shows the expected path of Typhoon Haishen as of 9 a.m. on Sept. 5, 2020, as it moves over waters some 510 kilometers southeast of Okinawa. The weather service forecast the typhoon to arrive some 160 kilometers southeast of Busan around 9 a.m. Monday, as it heads north skirting the country's east coast. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
It said that while the central Seoul, Gyeonggi and Chungcheong regions will have clear skies, parts of South Gyeongsang Province in the country's southeast and Jeju Island off the southern coast will receive rainfall early in the morning. It said most of the southern Gyeongsang and Jeolla regions will experience rain in the afternoon.
Gyeongsang is expected to receive 20-60 millimeters of precipitation from Saturday through Sunday, with Jeju and southern regions of Jeolla to get 5-40 mm, KMA said.
Related to the approaching storm, Incheon port authority, west of Seoul, said that it has suspended passenger ferry operations to two outlying islands, including the service to Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea, as Haishen starts to cause waves to rise.
The weather agency, however, said the exact route and strength of Haishen may change depending on how it passes through Japan, with a close watch being kept on its direction, especially as it can cause considerable damage if it makes landfall along the southern coast.
A series of typhoons has pounded the country recently with heavy rains and strong winds.
Typhoon Maysak, which hit the country earlier this month, tore through the southern and eastern coastal regions, killing two and causing power outages and flight cancellations.
(END)


yna--2020-09-06--Hyundai vehicles' average sales price in S. Korea sharply up on luxury models

The launch of new vehicles from Genesis , Hyundai 's luxury marquee , has apparently pushed up the ASP .
@ @ @ @ @ G80 that were released earlier this year are sold here for over 80 million won @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Co.'s average sales price for its vehicles has increased sharply in South Korea over a span of one-and-a-half years, a report showed Sunday, on the back of its new luxury models.
The average sales price (ASP) of Hyundai vehicles in South Korea was 33.4 million won (US$28,100) as of the second quarter of the year, up 19.3 percent from 29.2 million won in 2018, according to the company's report.
The launch of new vehicles from Genesis, Hyundai's luxury marquee, has apparently pushed up the ASP. The Genesis GV80 and the G80 that were released earlier this year are sold here for over 80 million won when adding options.
This photo provided by Hyundai Motor Co. shows its flagship GV80 SUV. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
So far, more than 21,000 units of GV80 sport utility vehicles and more than 30,000 G80 sedans have been sold in South Korea.
Sales of Genesis vehicles, SUVs and large sedans accounted for 58.4 percent of Hyundai's car sales here in the second quarter, up from 47.1 percent in 2018, according to South Korea's No. 1 automaker.
Rising new car prices are also pushing up the ASP. The all-new Avante compact launched in April starts with a price tag of 15.3 million won, more than 1 million won higher than the face-lifted Avante model released in September 2018.
The ASP for vehicles from Kia Motors Corp., Hyundai's sister company, in the second quarter was 26.8 million won in South Korea, up 9.7 percent from a year earlier. Kia's ASP increase was not robust compared to Hyundai as it lacks luxury models.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-06--Gov't to offer separated families VR tours of hometowns in N. Korea

The first VR content will be about the hometown of Hyun Mi , a 83-year-old singer who was popular in @ @ @ @ @ born in Pyongyang in 1937 , and the scenes of her village and residents will @ @ @ @ @ her memory , officials said .

SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is working on a project to create virtual reality (VR) content to offer families, torn apart by the 1950-53 Korean War, virtual journeys back to their hometowns in North Korea, officials said Sunday.
Commissioned by the unification ministry, the Korean Red Cross is carrying out the project aimed at allowing separated families to virtually experience journeys from South Korea to their hometowns in the North and visit their neighbors by using cutting-edge graphics and videos, officials said.
"As the separated families are aging rapidly and there are not enough opportunities for reunions, we decided to push ahead with this project using cutting-edge technology to offer them consolation," a unification ministry official said.
The first VR content will be about the hometown of Hyun Mi, a 83-year-old singer who was popular in the 1960s. She was born in Pyongyang in 1937, and the scenes of her village and residents will be created virtually based on her memory, officials said.
The content will be completed by the end of this month, officials said.
After launching its pilot program this year, the ministry aims to further develop the program in the long term by including more North Korean regions in the program and allowing citizens to participate.
Kang Doo-ri (R), 87, of South Korea meets her North Korean sister Kang Ho-rye, 89, at a hotel at North Korea's Kumgang Mountain resort on the east coast on Aug. 24, 2018, as part of inter-Korean family reunions. The inter-Korean reunion of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War was the first of its kind in nearly three years. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-06--S. Korea on alert over Typhoon Haishen, heavy rain forecast; landslide warning issued

`` Huge damages are expected , as the typhoon this time is forecast to be more dangerous than the previous @ @ @ @ @ shortly after the end of the monsoon season , '' KFS chief Park Chong-ho said @ @ @ @ @ to prevent damages through the preemptive evacuation of residents to an extent that could be @ @ @ @ @ . ''

SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea remained on alert Sunday as a powerful typhoon, Haishen, has been marching northward amid a forecast that it will soon affect the peninsula directly.
The 10th typhoon of the season is expected to reach waters between the southern island of Jeju and the Kyushu region of Japan on Monday morning, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).
It's then likely to head north over the East Sea, although it was initially expected to land on the peninsula.
Heavy rains and strong winds are forecast across South Korea throughout Monday.
The Korea Forest Service (KFS) raised the landslide alert to "seriousness," the highest in the four-tier system, for Jeju, Busan, Ulsan and the provinces of South and North Gyeongsang, Gangwon and South Jeolla.
It lifted the alert to "watch" for Seoul and 10 other major cities and provinces, as over 300 mm of rain is expected in southern and eastern regions.
Haishen would be the second typhoon to hit the nation in a week.
"Huge damages are expected, as the typhoon this time is forecast to be more dangerous than the previous ones that affected South Korea shortly after the end of the monsoon season," KFS chief Park Chong-ho said. "It's important to prevent damages through the preemptive evacuation of residents to an extent that could be (seen as) excessive."
Typhoon Haishen approaches the Korean Peninsula in this image provided by the National Meteorological Satellite Center. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-06--Anti-virus curbs in place in greater Seoul to be extended by another week

The number of its new virus infections has declined to under 200 for four straight days , but daily COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ triple digits since Aug. 14 , mostly tied to churches and an anti-government rally in @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's tougher anti-virus curbs in place in the greater Seoul area will be extended by another week, with additional measures starting Monday, as the country seeks to contain another wave of the virus outbreak in the densely populated region.
The country's eight-day restrictions on restaurants, bakeries and franchise coffee chains in the wider capital region were originally set to end at midnight.
But the government decided Friday to extend the virus curbs until next Sunday as cluster infections and untraceable cases continued to pop up in the Seoul metropolitan area, home to half of the country's 51 million people.
A citizen orders coffee for takeaway at a franchise coffee chain in Seoul on Aug. 31, 2020, as South Korea imposed stricter virus curbs in the greater Seoul area over the new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
The toughened distancing for the capital area came as the number of the country's daily new virus cases jumped to a near six-month high of 441 on Aug. 27.
The number of its new virus infections has declined to under 200 for four straight days, but daily COVID-19 cases have been in the triple digits since Aug. 14, mostly tied to churches and an anti-government rally in Seoul in mid-August.
Under the so-called Level 2.5 distancing guidelines, restaurants and smaller eateries can operate until 9 p.m., and only takeaway and delivery are permitted from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
For franchise coffee chains, bakeries and ice cream parlors, only takeout and delivery will be permitted regardless of operating hours.
The country initially only restricted franchise coffee shops following cluster infections traced to such coffee chains. But it added franchise bakeries and other dessert shops to the list of those subject to the stricter operation restrictions on Friday as people crowded such venues instead of franchise coffee chains.
The country also suspended the operation of indoor sports facilities, including fitness centers and billiard halls, as well as cram schools with more than 10 people.
"There is a need to extend the social distancing guidelines until the number of new patients markedly declines," Health Minister Park Neunghoo said in a briefing on Friday.
The country also extended the current Level 2 measures imposed across the nation under a three-tier social distancing scheme for another two weeks until Sept. 20.
The government raised the anti-virus curbs to Level 2 in the greater Seoul area on Aug. 16 and expanded them across the nation a week later.
Under the Level 2 rules, indoor meetings of 50 or more people and open-air gatherings of 100 or more people are banned. So-called risk-prone facilities, including karaoke rooms, clubs, PC cafes and buffets, have been ordered to shut down.
The government has been cautious about raising anti-virus steps to Level 3 as doing so has far-reaching social and economic impacts.
This photo, taken on Sept. 1, 2020, shows a restaurant in central Seoul with almost no customers during lunchtime. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-06--(LEAD) New virus cases stay below 200 for 4th day; cluster infections still worrisome

Of the total , 152 were local infections and a majority of them came from the greater Seoul area , @ @ @ @ @ 45 in the surrounding Gyeonggi Province .
Incheon , west of Seoul , also reported @ @ @ @ @ the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( KCDC ) .

ATTN: (CHANGES lead; ADDS more info in paras 2-10)
By Joo Kyung-don
SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported 167 cases of the coronavirus on Sunday, marking the fourth straight day of under 200 new infections, though health authorities remain vigilant over sporadic cluster outbreaks.
Of the total, 152 were local infections and a majority of them came from the greater Seoul area, including 63 in Seoul and 45 in the surrounding Gyeonggi Province. Incheon, west of Seoul, also reported nine cases, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
The country's total caseload rose to 21,177.
South Korea has been posting triple-digit rises in COVID-19 cases for more than three weeks due to cluster infections mostly tied to a slew of churches and an anti-government rally in central Seoul in mid-August.
After keeping the new cases of COVID-19 in two-digit figures for more than five months, South Korea added more than 100 cases on Aug. 14 before the number shot up to 441 on Aug. 27. It then fell below 300 last Sunday.
This file photo, taken on Sept. 5, 2020, shows a COVID-19 screening clinic in Seoul. (Yonhap)
Other major municipalities also reported additional infections, with the southwestern city of Gwangju adding seven cases and the central city of Daejeon confirming five more cases.
So far, more than 1,100 cases have been traced to the Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul -- a hotbed of the recent spike in new infections.
Also more than 500 patients have been reported from the Aug. 15 demonstration in central Seoul.
South Korea on Friday announced that it decided to extend tougher anti-virus curbs on restaurants, bakeries and coffee shops in the greater Seoul area for another week, as sporadic cluster infections and untraceable cases still loom.
Since last Sunday, the country has been limiting operations of restaurants, bakeries and franchise coffee chains in the Seoul metropolitan area under the so-called Level 2.5 social distancing guidelines, while implementing Level 2 measures across the country since mid-August.
The number of newly identified imported cases stood at 15, with four of them detected at quarantine checkpoints at airports and harbors. The country's total number of imported cases is now at 2,892.
South Korea reported one more death from the coronavirus, raising the death toll to 334. The country's virus fatality rate is now at 1.58 percent.
But the country could experience more deaths from the virus as the number of critically ill COVID-19 patients reached 163, up four from a day earlier.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 16,146, up 137 from the previous day, with 4,697 people isolated for COVID-19 treatment, up 29 from a day ago.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-06--New virus cases stay below 200 for 4th day; cluster infections still worrisome

The number of newly identified imported cases stood at 15 , with four of them detected at quarantine checkpoints at @ @ @ @ @ country 's total number of imported cases is now at 2,892 .

SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Yonhap) -- The number of additional new coronavirus cases in South Korea stayed below 200 for the fourth straight day on Sunday, but health authorities are staying vigilant over sporadic cluster outbreaks.
The country reported 167 new COVID-19 cases, including 152 local infections, raising the total caseload to 21,177, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
South Korea has been posting triple-digit rises for more than three weeks due to cluster infections mostly tied to a slew of churches and an anti-government rally in central Seoul in mid-August.
This file photo, taken on Sept. 5, 2020, shows a COVID-19 screening clinic in Seoul. (Yonhap)
A majority of the new locally transmitted cases came from the greater Seoul area, including 63 in Seoul and 45 in the surrounding Gyeonggi Province. Incheon, west of Seoul, also reported nine cases.
The number of newly identified imported cases stood at 15, with four of them detected at quarantine checkpoints at airports and harbors. The country's total number of imported cases is now at 2,892.
South Korea reported one more death from the coronavirus, raising the death toll to 334. The country's virus fatality rate is now at 1.58 percent.
But the country could experience more deaths from the virus as the number of critically ill COVID-19 patients reached 163, up four from a day earlier.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 16,146, up 137 from the previous day, with 4,697 people isolated for COVID-19 treatment, up 29 from a day ago.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-06--N. Korea shows activity suggesting preparations for SLBM launch: CSIS

Another indicator may be the presence of not one but two ROMEO-class submarines anchored within the bay of the submarine @ @ @ @ @ the coast of Sinpo , the CSIS said in a report on its Beyond Parallel @ @ @ @ @ of the shipyard taken on Friday .

SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Yonhap) -- Satellite imagery has shown activity at North Korea's main submarine shipyard in a possible sign that the communist nation could be preparing to test-fire a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), a U.S. think tank reported.
The primary indicator suggesting preparations for an SLBM launch is the presence of vessels at the North's Sinpo shipyard on the east coast, including one that resembles vessels previously used to tow the test stand barge out to sea, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Another indicator may be the presence of not one but two ROMEO-class submarines anchored within the bay of the submarine base on Mayang Island off the coast of Sinpo, the CSIS said in a report on its Beyond Parallel website, citing satellite imagery of the shipyard taken on Friday.
"These apparent launch preparations might indicate the highly speculated 'October surprise,' which would be consistent with Beyond Parallel historical data that shows heightened provocations around U.S. presidential election years," the report said.
An SLBM test has been considered one of the provocative acts that the North could undertake, along with an intercontinental ballistic missile launch. Some experts have warned that Pyongyang could carry out such provocations as an "October surprise" ahead of November's U.S. presidential election.
Nuclear negotiations between the North and the United States have been stalled since the second summit in Hanoi between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended without an agreement in February last year.
(END)


yna--2020-09-06--(URGENT) 137 more patients released from coronavirus treatment, total now at 16,146: KCDC

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


yna--2020-09-06--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 1 additional coronavirus death, total now at 334: KCDC


yna--2020-09-06--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 167 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 21,177: KCDC


yna--2020-09-06--Cardinals' Kim Kwang-hyun hospitalized with kidney ailment, goes on injured list

`` The optimism for him to pitch or the expectation for him to pitch at some point this year is @ @ @ @ @ '' Mozeliak said , as quoted by MLB.com .
`` What you really do n't @ @ @ @ @ obviously any bleeding or any bruising .
What it has to do with is just @ @ @ @ @ We want to see how the medication works with him for the next week or @ @ @ @ @ on how that goes , we 'll then determine if we could actually use him @ @ @ @ @ we would do that . ''

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Yonhap) -- St. Louis Cardinals' South Korean starter Kim Kwang-hyun has been placed on the injured list (IL) with a kidney ailment, bringing his promising rookie season to an abrupt halt.
In this Getty Images photo, Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the bottom of the first inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Sept. 1, 2020. (Yonhap)
The Cardinals announced Saturday (U.S. local time) that they've put Kim on the IL, retroactive to Wednesday. According to the Cardinals, Kim experienced abdominal pain on Friday morning and was taken to the emergency room at a Chicago hospital, where he was diagnosed with renal infarction.
Kim last pitched on Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds and earned his second win of the season thanks to five shutout innings.
Kim had been scheduled to start against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago at 6:08 p.m. Sunday local time, or 8:08 a.m. Monday in his native country. It will be the fourth game of a five-game set between the National League Central rivals that began Friday.
Cardinals' President John Mozeliak told reporters that Kim, who's been placed on blood thinners, is feeling much better and that Kim will return to St. Louis on Sunday. He'll be allowed to participate in baseball activities at Busch Stadium once he's back in St. Louis, and Mozeliak said the Cardinals "feel really good about what we've learned" about Kim's condition.
"The optimism for him to pitch or the expectation for him to pitch at some point this year is still a real possibility," Mozeliak said, as quoted by MLB.com. "What you really don't want to have happen is obviously any bleeding or any bruising. What it has to do with is just sort of protecting himself. We want to see how the medication works with him for the next week or so, and then pending on how that goes, we'll then determine if we could actually use him in a game and how we would do that."
In this Associated Press file photo from Aug. 17, 2020, Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals lets out a scream after delivering a pitch against the Chicago Cubs in the bottom of the first inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Wrigley Field in Chicago. (Yonhap)
The 32-year-old has thrived as a starter after beginning his rookie big league season as the team's closer. In five games, he has a 2-0 record and a save with a 0.83 ERA. He has a 0.44 ERA in his first four starts, the lowest by a rookie left-hander since Fernando Valenzuela in 1981. Kim hasn't given up an earned run in his last 17 innings.
An MVP-winning starter in 13 years in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), Kim signed a two-year deal with the Cardinals last December and opened the season as the closer in July. After the Cardinals returned from a two-week hiatus forced by a COVID-19 outbreak within the team, Kim moved into the rotation and has been one of their most reliable starters since then.
The Cardinals' rotation is already missing former All-Star Carlos Martinez (COVID-19) and Miles Mikolas (forearm injury). Mikolas had his season-ending surgery in late July, and Martinez could be back Tuesday.
Mozeliak said the Cardinals were aware of Kim's history of kidney issues before acquiring him, though the pain Kim experienced on Friday was unexpected. The team was initially concerned that Kim had suffered appendicitis.
"This has some level of more severity for long term but is also something that's controllable and manageable that you don't have to have surgical intervention," Mozeliak said. "So, to some level, there's some relief."
In this Associated Press file photo from Aug. 27, 2020, Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals pauses after giving up an RBI single to Jacob Stallings of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the top of the fourth inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


Sunday's weather forecast

SEOUL , Sep. 6 ( Yonhap ) -- The following is the weather forecast for South Korea 's 12 major @ @ @ @ @ .


yna--2020-09-06--(LEAD) N.K. leader holds party meeting during visit to typhoon-hit area

The meeting `` had an in-depth discussion about the issue of the recovery from damage in the typhoon-hit areas of @ @ @ @ @ and decided on the detailed measures such as organization of building force to be urgently @ @ @ @ @ designs and material transport , '' the KCNA said .

(ATTN: ADDS more info throughout, photo)
By Koh Byung-joon
SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited typhoon-hit areas in the country's eastern South Hamgyong Province and presided over a Workers' Party meeting at the scene to discuss recovery efforts, state media reported Sunday.
The enlarged executive policy meeting was held on Saturday to gauge the damage from last week's Typhoon Maysak that hit hard its eastern areas where more than 1,000 houses were destroyed, according to the Korean Central News Agency.
The meeting "had an in-depth discussion about the issue of the recovery from damage in the typhoon-hit areas of the two provinces and studied and decided on the detailed measures such as organization of building force to be urgently dispatched to the areas, designs and material transport," the KCNA said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) visits typhoon-affected areas and hold a party meeting to discuss damage in this photo disclosed on Sept. 6, 2020 by the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the ruling party. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
Kim also called for party members, especially those in the capital, to "take the lead in aiding the provinces when the country undergoes difficulties and hardships would make a great contribution to the strengthening of the single-minded unity of our society," the KCNA said.
"Learning about the growth of the crops damaged by typhoon, he called for taking positive agricultural and technological measures for minimizing the reduction of the yield," it added.
During the meeting, the chairman of the ruling party's South Hamgyong provincial committee was dismissed over an apparent failure in coping with the typhoon and a replacement was appointed, the KCNA said.
In an open letter sent to party members in Pyongyang, Kim said that about 12,000 elite party members of the capital city will be sent to the two provinces each to help with recovery efforts, according to the KCNA.
Kim's visit to the typhoon-hit areas is seen as aimed at highlighting his image as a leader caring for the lives of his people as they have been reeling from recent back-to-back natural disasters.
Typhoon Maysak, the ninth tropical storm of the season, hit North Korea as the country is still reeling from damage caused by another typhoon and heavy downpours which affected its major rice-producing areas in the southwestern province.
On Saturday, the North's main Rodong Sinmun reported that the party decided to punish officials in the east coast city of Wonsan and Kangwon Province for failing to evacuate people and take other preventive measures in advance of the typhoon, leading to the deaths of dozens of people.
Faced with global sanctions and the fallout from its protracted antivirus efforts, North Korea is concerned that recent back-to-back natural disasters affecting the farming sector could aggravate its chronic food shortage.
Kim and high-ranking officials recently increased their field trips to affected areas, urging efforts to speed up recovery and minimize a reduction in harvest.
Recently, Kim visited a typhoon-hit area last week and urged "an all-out campaign" of completing the recovery so that the country can mark the party founding anniversary next month "with proud of achievement."
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-06--Indonesia delays payment of US$420 mln for fighter development project with S. Korea

Earlier this week , South Korea began the final assembly of a first prototype jet after the final confirmation of @ @ @ @ @ The prototype is expected to be rolled out in the first half of 2021 , @ @ @ @ @ Program Administration ( DAPA ) .

By Oh Seok-min
SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Yonhap) -- Indonesia is hundreds of millions of dollars in arrears on its dues for South Korea's next-generation fighter jet development project, even though the country agreed to fund some of the development costs as a partner nation, officials said Sunday.
Indonesia joined the KF-X project in an effort to procure aircraft for its air force and to advance the aerospace industry, and agreed to shoulder 20 percent of the development cost of the 8.8 trillion won (US$7.3 billion) project, or about 1.7 trillion won.
But the Southeast Asian country failed to pay around 500 billion won it was supposed to pay as of end-August, the officials well-versed in the issue said, adding that Indonesia so far has paid 227.2 billion won.
It has reportedly earmarked about 270 billion won for the KF-X project in this year's budget.
Korea's stealth fighter dream is coming true Youtube https://youtu.be/Pq3y_6bEnLg
This undated photo provided by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration on Sept. 3, 2020, shows a prototype of South Korea's envisioned fighter jet being assembled at the Korea Aerospace Industries Co. facility in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, southeastern South Korea. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"Little progress has been made in terms of cooperation with Indonesia regarding the KF-X project," an official said.
During their bilateral defense ministers' meeting in December last year, Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and his Indonesian counterpart, Prabowo Subianto, vowed efforts to move the project forward, calling such cooperation "a symbol of their strong relationship of trust."
Despite such financial issues, the KF-X project has proceeded without a hitch.
Earlier this week, South Korea began the final assembly of a first prototype jet after the final confirmation of the design last year. The prototype is expected to be rolled out in the first half of 2021, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).
South Korea aims to complete development by around 2026.
Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo (R) and his Indonesian counterpart, Prabowo Subianto, shake hands ahead of their bilateral talks in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Dec. 12, 2019, in this photo provided by Jeong's office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-06--N.K. leader holds party meeting during visit to typhoon-hit area

The enlarged executive policy council meeting , held on Saturday , `` had an in-depth discussion about the issue of @ @ @ @ @ the typhoon-hit areas of the two provinces and studied and decided on the detailed measures @ @ @ @ @ force to be urgently dispatched to the areas , designs and material transport , '' @ @ @

SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited typhoon-hit areas in the country's eastern South Hamgyong Province and presided over a Workers' Party meeting at the scene to discuss recovery efforts, state media reported Sunday.
The Korean Central News Agency said that last week's Typhoon Maysak left more than 1,000 houses were destroyed along the coastline areas of South and North Hamgyong provinces, and "not a few public buildings and farmlands were inundated."
The enlarged executive policy council meeting, held on Saturday, "had an in-depth discussion about the issue of the recovery from damage in the typhoon-hit areas of the two provinces and studied and decided on the detailed measures such as organization of building force to be urgently dispatched to the areas, designs and material transport," KCNA said.
In a public letter sent to party members in Pyongyang, Kim said he will dispatch "12,000-strong divisions of the elite party members of the capital to South Hamgyong Province and North Hamgyong Province each" to help their recovery efforts, according to the KCNA.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-06--(URGENT) N.K. leader chairs party meeting to discuss typhoon damage


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yna--2020-09-05--(4th LD) Typhoon Haishen may skirt eastern coast of S. Korea, bring heavy rains

It said that while the central Seoul , Gyeonggi and Chungcheong regions will have clear skies , parts of South @ @ @ @ @ 's southeast and Jeju Island off the southern coast will receive rainfall early in the @ @ @ @ @ of the southern Gyeongsang and Jeolla regions will experience rain in the afternoon .

(ATTN: UPDATES with fresh data in paras 3-4; CHANGES image)
SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Yonhap) -- Typhoon Haishen, the season's 10th typhoon, is expected to skirt the eastern coast of South Korea, but bring strong winds and heavy rains, the weather service said Saturday.
The latest forecast, which has the tropical storm veering further east than anticipated, comes after the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) warned that Haishen could land on the southern coast and move inland over the country, causing considerable damage.
As of 9 p.m. Saturday, Haishen was some 330 kilometers east-southeast sea of Okinawa and moving north at 16 kilometers per hour in the direction of Japan's Kyushu Island, KMA said.
The typhoon had a central pressure of 920 hectopascals with winds reaching up to 53 meters per second.
It is expected to go past South Korea's east coast without making landfall on Monday afternoon, move out of the country into the East Sea.
The typhoon is forecast to reach the east coast of Hamgyong Province in North Korea early on Tuesday and be downgraded to a depression.
North Korea warned its citizens to brace for floods expected to be caused by the typhoon packing strong winds and torrential rains, the Korean Central Broadcasting Station said later in the day.
The radio station also said that the measures against the upcoming typhoon should be focused on the prevention of life damage, adding the typhoon is forecast to hurt the country's economic sectors, including agriculture.
Graphic This image shows the expected path of Typhoon Haishen. As of 9 p.m. on Sept. 5, 2020, it was moving over waters some 330 kilometers east-southeast of Okinawa at the speed of 16 kilometers per hour. The typhoon is expected to skirt the east coast of South Korea without making landfall on Monday afternoon. (Yonhap)
KMA said that despite the slight change in course, the typhoon is likely to start impacting the country over the weekend, with the southern regions being affected first.
It said that while the central Seoul, Gyeonggi and Chungcheong regions will have clear skies, parts of South Gyeongsang Province in the country's southeast and Jeju Island off the southern coast will receive rainfall early in the morning. It said most of the southern Gyeongsang and Jeolla regions will experience rain in the afternoon.
Gyeongsang is expected to receive 20-60 millimeters of precipitation from Saturday through Sunday, with Jeju and southern regions of Jeolla to get 5-40 mm, KMA said.
Related to the approaching storm, Incheon port authority, west of Seoul, said that it has suspended passenger ferry operations to two outlying islands, including the service to Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea, as Haishen starts to cause waves to rise.
The weather agency, however, said the exact route and strength of Haishen may change depending on how it passes through Japan, with a close watch being kept on its direction, especially as it can cause considerable damage if it makes landfall along the southern coast.
A series of typhoons has pounded the country recently with heavy rains and strong winds.
Typhoon Maysak, which hit the country earlier this month, tore through the southern and eastern coastal regions, killing two and causing power outages and flight cancellations.
(END)


yna--2020-09-06--(5th LD) S. Korea raises typhoon alert to highest 'serious' level as Haishen approaches

(ATTN: RECASTS lead; UPDATES in paras in 5, 7-8, 21)
SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea raised its typhoon warning to the highest level of "serious" Sunday, as Haishen was marching toward the peninsula amid a forecast that it could directly affect the country with heavy rain and strong winds.
The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters upped the warning to the top level in the four-tier system at 7 p.m., as the season's 10th typhoon was expected to reach waters close to the southeastern port city of Busan on Monday morning.
In line with the warning, the authorities called for safety measures to protect people, particularly those in low-lying coastal areas, houses near streams and rivers and those vulnerable to landslides.
The authorities also requested that central and provincial governments, public and private companies flexibly adjust time for their employees to begin work to prevent possible damage during their commute.
As of 9 p.m. Sunday, Haishen was travelling northward at a speed of 31 kilometers per hour over waters about 120 km west-southwest of Japan's Kagoshima prefecture, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said.
Heavy rains and strong winds are forecast across South Korea throughout Monday, it added.
Waves roar in waters off the coast of Jeju Island on Sept. 6, 2020, as Typhoon Haishen approaches the peninsula. (Yonhap)
This file photo shows citizens walking on a street amid rain and strong wind. (Yonhap)
The state weather agency said the typhoon is likely to reach an area about 270 km east of Seogwipo City on the southern resort island of Jeju at 3 a.m. Monday and waters 70 km northeast of Busan at 9 a.m.
It is expected to reach waters about 70 km east-northeast of Gangneung in Gangwon Province at 3 p.m. on Monday and an area about 110 km south-southwest of Chongjin in North Korea at 9 p.m.
President Moon Jae-in instructed the government and provincial authorities to thoroughly prepare to prevent damage from the typhoon.
"The safety of citizens must be prioritized," Moon was quoted by his spokesman, Kang Min-seok, as saying.
The president called for preventive measures, such as restricting access to coastal areas and underground roads, to avoid damage to people, particularly in regions that were battered by the previous typhoon, Maysak.
"There should not be any loophole in safety checks in industrial grounds, including port facilities, and in our measures to move ships to safe areas," he said.
KMA officials called for thorough measures against possible rain and gale damages. They also warned of high waves in southern and eastern seas as well as waters near Jeju.
The Korea Forest Service (KFS) raised the landslide alert to "seriousness," the highest in the four-tier system, for Jeju, Busan, Ulsan and the provinces of South and North Gyeongsang, Gangwon and South Jeolla.
Haishen would be the second typhoon to hit the nation in a week.
"Huge damages are expected, as the typhoon this time is forecast to be more dangerous than the previous ones that affected South Korea shortly after the end of the monsoon season," KFS chief Park Chong-ho said. "It's important to prevent damages through the preemptive evacuation of residents to an extent that could be (seen as) excessive."
Typhoon Haishen approaches the Korean Peninsula in this image provided by the National Meteorological Satellite Center. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The Ministry of Environment had an emergency virtual meeting to review dam operations and other precautionary steps.
The ministry said it has secured approximately 4.3 billion tons of "flood control capacity" by releasing water from 20 multipurpose dams nationwide, which made them capable of not releasing water even in the case of an average of 270 mm of rainfall.
It has also banned the use of trails and camping sites at national parks.
With the approach of the typhoon, the Korea Railroad Corp. suspended or adjusted Monday's high-speed train services for some southeastern regions.
The typhoon also affected passenger plane operations, as 17 flights to and from Jeju were canceled on Monday.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-06--(3rd LD) Trainee doctors to hold discussions early this week on when to return to work

`` If two voices are coming out from the inside , it 's a must-lose situation , '' Park said @ @ @ @ @ organization .
`` It 's important to watch and keep ( the government ) in @ @ @ @ @ agreement is implemented . ''

(ATTN: CHANGES headline, lead; UPDATES throughout)
SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Yonhap) -- Trainee doctors will early this week discuss when to return to work, sources said Sunday, despite last week's deal between the government and a key doctors' association to end a walkout over a controversial medical reform plan.
Friday's deal raised hope for the normalization of hospital operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but angered the trainees who said their views were not properly reflected in it.
In an internal notice, Park Ji-hyun, a task force chief of the Korean Intern and Resident Association (KIRA), said that trainee doctors will not return to work Monday, but will hold online discussions at 1 p.m. Monday to discuss their return to work and other issues, according to the sources.
"We will not return tomorrow and will maintain the current status," Park wrote in the notice.
"We will reschedule our return to work for the day after Monday to ensure that all trainee doctors can participate," she added.
The trainee doctors were expected to end their strike and return to work Monday. But their apparent reservations highlighted a fissure among the medical doctors over Friday's agreement with the government.
In Friday's deal to end the strike that began on Aug. 21, the Korean Medical Association (KMA) and the government agreed to put the reform plan on hold and consult over it "with all possibilities open."
But trainee doctors opposed the deal, saying a poll should be conducted to fully reflect their views before a final decision on whether to stop the walkout.
In the notice, Park indicated her leaning toward the suspension of the strike.
"An expression of a decision to continue the strike is a shortcut to a definite defeat," she wrote.
"Now is the time for us to make a broad-minded decision and meticulously prepare for what lies ahead rather than being driven by emotions," she added.
Earlier in the day, the KIRA chief said that her association would halt collective action, even though the move does not mean its fight is over.
"If two voices are coming out from the inside, it's a must-lose situation," Park said of the debates within her organization. "It's important to watch and keep (the government) in check to ensure that the agreement is implemented."
Doors of the Korean Medical Association office in Seoul are closed on Sept. 6, 2020. (Yonhap)
Medical students still balked at the KMA's deal with the government, saying it would continue to reject the state medical licensing exam in protest over the deal.
"In line with the members' opinion, we will maintain our collective action," the association said, noting many members were "furious" at the deal between the KMA and the government.
The decision to continue its rejection of the state exam was based on a unanimous vote by students representing 40 medical colleges across the nation.
The Korea Health Professional Licensing Examination Institute said that it does not consider extending the deadline again for applications for the exam. The deadline was set at midnight Sunday, with the exam process to start on Tuesday.
The exam was supposed to start last Tuesday, but the process was delayed due to around 90 percent of medical students rejecting the exam in protest over the government's medical reform plan.
The government and hospitals have been urging doctors to halt the strike as their collection action disrupted medical services at hospitals and other medical centers amid the COVID-19 pandemic here.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-06--(4th LD) S. Korea raises typhoon alert to highest 'serious' level as Haishen approaches

(ATTN: CHANGES headline, lead; UPDATES throughout; TRIMS)
SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea raised its typhoon warning to the highest level of "serious" Sunday, as Haishen was marching northward amid a forecast that it could directly affect the country with heavy rain and strong winds.
The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters upped the warning to the top level in the four-tier system at 7 p.m., as the season's 10th typhoon was expected to reach waters close to the southeastern port city of Busan on Monday morning.
In line with the warning, the authorities called for safety measures to protect people, particularly those in low-lying coastal areas, houses near streams and rivers and those vulnerable to landslides.
The authorities also requested that central and provincial governments, public and private companies flexibly adjust time for their employees to begin work to prevent possible damage during their commute.
As of 7 p.m. Sunday, Haishen was travelling northward at a speed of 32 kilometers per hour in waters about 140 km southwest of Japan's Kagoshima prefecture, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said.
Heavy rains and strong winds are forecast across South Korea throughout Monday, it added.
Waves roar in waters off the coast of Jeju Island on Sept. 6, 2020, as Typhoon Haishen approaches the peninsula. (Yonhap)
This file photo shows citizens walking on a street amid rain and strong wind. (Yonhap)
The state weather agency said the typhoon is likely to reach an area about 320 km east-southeast of Seogwipo City on Jeju at midnight Sunday and waters 100 km southeast of Busan at 6 a.m. on Monday.
It is expected to reach waters about 190 km north-northeast of Gangneung in Gangwon Province at 6 p.m. on Monday and an area about 40 km north-northwest of Chongjin in North Korea at midnight Monday.
President Moon Jae-in instructed the government and provincial authorities to thoroughly prepare to prevent damage from the typhoon.
"The safety of citizens must be prioritized," Moon was quoted by his spokesman, Kang Min-seok, as saying.
The president called for preventive measures, such as restricting access to coastal areas and underground roads, to avoid damage to people, particularly in regions that were battered by the previous typhoon, Maysak.
"There should not be any loophole in safety checks in industrial grounds, including port facilities, and in our measures to move ships to safe areas," he said.
KMA officials called for thorough measures against possible rain and gale damages. They also warned of high waves in southern and eastern seas as well as waters near Jeju.
The Korea Forest Service (KFS) raised the landslide alert to "seriousness," the highest in the four-tier system, for Jeju, Busan, Ulsan and the provinces of South and North Gyeongsang, Gangwon and South Jeolla.
Haishen would be the second typhoon to hit the nation in a week.
"Huge damages are expected, as the typhoon this time is forecast to be more dangerous than the previous ones that affected South Korea shortly after the end of the monsoon season," KFS chief Park Chong-ho said. "It's important to prevent damages through the preemptive evacuation of residents to an extent that could be (seen as) excessive."
Typhoon Haishen approaches the Korean Peninsula in this image provided by the National Meteorological Satellite Center. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The Ministry of Environment had an emergency virtual meeting to review dam operations and other precautionary steps.
The ministry said it has secured approximately 4.3 billion tons of "flood control capacity" by releasing water from 20 multipurpose dams nationwide, which made them capable of not releasing water even in the case of an average of 270 mm of rainfall.
It has also banned the use of trails and camping sites at national parks.
With the approach of the typhoon, the Korea Railroad Corp. suspended or adjusted Monday's high-speed train services for some southeastern regions.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-06--S. Korea, U.S. in talks to arrange vice FM Choi's visit to Washington

If the two sides meet , the agenda could include a set of geopolitical issues , given that the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ to close ranks with its regional allies amid its intensifying rivalry with China on multiple @ @ @ @ @ technology and maritime security .

SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States are in talks to arrange a visit to Washington by Seoul's new First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun for talks with his U.S. counterpart, a foreign ministry official said Sunday.
The visit, which could reportedly take place this week, would come as Seoul and Washington seek to address an array of pending issues, such as deadlocked defense cost-sharing negotiations and coordination on North Korea-related issues.
Should Choi meet Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, it would be their first face-to-face talks since Choi, formerly presidential secretary for peace planning, took office last month.
"During their first phone talks on Sept. 2, Vice Foreign Minister Choi and Deputy Secretary Biegun shared the understanding that they will meet at the earliest possible date to discuss the overall bilateral relations and situations in the region," the ministry official said.
"At each level, we consult over the schedule for bilateral exchanges with the U.S. side, but there is nothing that we can confirm at this point," the official said.
If the two sides meet, the agenda could include a set of geopolitical issues, given that the U.S. has been seen as trying to close ranks with its regional allies amid its intensifying rivalry with China on multiple fronts, including trade, technology and maritime security.
This file photo, taken Sept. 19, 2019, shows Choi Jong-kun, then a presidential secretary for peace planning, speaking during a press briefing at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul. (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-06--(2nd LD) Trainee doctors appear close to returning to work

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 9-11)
SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Yonhap) -- Trainee doctors appeared close to a decision to return to work Sunday after the country's largest doctors' association agreed to end their strike after signing a deal with the government over a controversial medical reform plan.
A task force representing trainee doctors and medical students, including members of the Korean Intern and Resident Association (KIRA), held a meeting to decide whether they should join the Korean Medical Association's (KMA) move to end the walkout.
According to sources, representatives of trainee doctors and medical students were reportedly leaning toward returning to their duties from Monday, but objections from some members are delaying their announcement of a final decision.
As the task force struggles to reach an official conclusion, KIRA chief Park Ji-hyun announced separately that its association will halt collective action, even though the decision does not mean its fight is over.
"If two voices are coming out from the inside, it's a must-lose situation," Park said of the debates within her organization. "It's important to watch and keep (the government) in check to ensure that the agreement is implemented."
Despite Park's call, it is uncertain how many trainee doctors will actually return to work. Some of them have demanded that KIRA's future actions should be put to a vote.
Thousands of trainee doctors working at general hospitals began the strike on Aug. 21 to protest the government's medical reform scheme that calls for increasing the quota for medical students, establishing a new public medical school and giving medical insurance coverage to oriental medicine treatment.
The KMA, which represents some 130,000 doctors across the country, joined the collective action but agreed to return to work after the government backed down and promised to put the medical reform plans on hold.
Doors of the Korean Medical Association office in Seoul are closed on Sept. 6, 2020. (Yonhap)
The association of medical students still balked at the KMA's deal with the government, saying it would continue to reject the state medical licensing exam in protest over the deal.
"In line with the members' opinion, we will maintain our collective action," the association said, noting many members were "furious" at the deal between the KMA and the government.
The decision to continue its rejection of the state exam was based on a unanimous vote by students representing 40 medical colleges across the nation.
The government and hospitals have been urging doctors to halt the strike as their collection action disrupted medical services at hospitals and other medical centers amid the COVID-19 pandemic here.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-06--(3rd LD) S. Korea on alert over Typhoon Haishen, heavy rain forecast; landslide warning issued

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout)
SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea remained on alert Sunday as a powerful typhoon, Haishen, has been marching northward amid a forecast that it will soon affect the peninsula directly.
The 10th typhoon of the season is expected to reach waters between the southern island of Jeju and the Kyushu region of Japan on Monday morning, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).
It's then likely to head north over the East Sea, although it was initially expected to land on the peninsula.
Haishen was travelling northward at a speed of 31 kilometers per hour in waters about 200 km south-southwest of Japan's Kagoshima prefecture as of 5 p.m. Sunday, KMA said.
Heavy rains and strong winds are forecast across South Korea throughout Monday, it added.
Waves roar in waters off the coast of Jeju Island on Sept. 6, 2020, as Typhoon Haishen approaches the peninsula. (Yonhap)
This file photo shows citizens walking on a street amid rain and strong wind. (Yonhap)
The state weather agency said the typhoon is likely to reach an area about 310 km east of Seogwipo City on Jeju at 3 a.m. on Monday and waters 80 km east-northeast of South Korea's southeastern port city of Busan at 9 a.m. on the same day.
It is expected to reach waters about 90 km east of Gangneung in Gangwon Province at 3 p.m. on Monday and waters about 120 km south of Chongjin in North Korea at 9 p.m. on the same day.
President Moon Jae-in instructed the government and provincial authorities to thoroughly prepare to prevent damage from the typhoon.
"The safety of citizens must be prioritized," Moon was quoted by his spokesman, Kang Min-seok, as saying.
The president called for preventive measures, such as restricting access to coastal areas and underground roads, to avoid damage to people, particularly in regions that were battered by the previous typhoon, Maysak.
"There should not be any loophole in safety checks in industrial grounds, including port facilities, and in our measures to move ships to safe areas," he said.
KMA officials called for thorough measures against possible rain and gale damages. They also warned of high waves in southern and eastern seas as well as waters near Jeju.
The Korea Forest Service (KFS) raised the landslide alert to "seriousness," the highest in the four-tier system, for Jeju, Busan, Ulsan and the provinces of South and North Gyeongsang, Gangwon and South Jeolla.
It lifted the alert to "watch" for Seoul and 10 other major cities and provinces.
Haishen would be the second typhoon to hit the nation in a week.
"Huge damages are expected, as the typhoon this time is forecast to be more dangerous than the previous ones that affected South Korea shortly after the end of the monsoon season," KFS chief Park Chong-ho said. "It's important to prevent damages through the preemptive evacuation of residents to an extent that could be (seen as) excessive."
Typhoon Haishen approaches the Korean Peninsula in this image provided by the National Meteorological Satellite Center. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The Ministry of Environment had an emergency virtual meeting to review dam operations and other precautionary steps.
The ministry said it has secured approximately 4.3 billion tons of "flood control capacity" by releasing water from 20 multipurpose dams nationwide, which made them capable of not releasing water even in the case of an average of 270 mm of rainfall.
It has also banned the use of trails and camping sites at national parks.
With the approach of the typhoon, the Korea Railroad Corp. suspended or adjusted Monday's high-speed train services for some southeastern regions.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)