yna--2020-05-15--(Yonhap Interview) In 2nd KBO season, American outfielder wants to 'improve on everything'

Tucker said the biggest part of his adjustment to the KBO last year was to handle the pressure immediately put @ @ @ @ @ go-to bat in the heart of the order .
Tucker replaced underperforming Jeremy Hazelbaker , @ @ @ @ @ fifth spot in his first three games , Tucker was moved up to the No @ @ @ @ @ ended up making 347 of his 399 plate appearances there .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- It was almost exactly a year ago that Preston Tucker made his South Korean baseball debut with the Kia Tigers.
From May 17, 2019, until the end of his regular season on Sept. 28, the American outfielder barely missed any time. After 95 games, in which he batted .311/.381/.479 with nine home runs and 50 RBIs, Tucker admitted he was spent.
"Last year was the first year that I had played pretty much every day in the field," Tucker told Yonhap News Agency in a phone interview on Wednesday. "Even going into my first game with Kia, I wasn't in the shape I wanted to be in order to play every day. I focused on getting a lot stronger and being able to keep my strength throughout the whole year."
Preston Tucker of the Kia Tigers (R) hits a double against the Hanwha Eagles in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, on May 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
And whatever he did in the offseason to build strength, it's paying early dividends in the 2020 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season. In nine games through Thursday, Tucker is batting .406/.500/.750 with three home runs and 11 RBIs. He leads the Tigers in all five of those categories.
"I think I had a pretty good year last year. I wanted to pretty much improve on everything: average, walks, power numbers and defense," Tucker said. "I didn't have a specific number in mind for home runs, RBIs or average. I just wanted to get better than I was last year at everything."
Tucker said he has "a plan" against every pitcher, and as long as he takes a good swing on the pitch he wants, "Good things are going to happen for me."
And good things have happened for him so far this year. Tucker, who bats left-handed, hit his first three home runs against two left-handers -- two homers against Baek Jung-hyun of the Samsung Lions and one against Kim Seong-min of the Kiwoom Heroes -- and all three shots went opposite field.
It isn't just Tucker. At least in the early going this season, balls seem to be flying farther and more frequently than the last, despite the use of the same, de-juiced ball that resulted in underwhelming offensive numbers in 2019.
Preston Tucker of the Kia Tigers (R) is congratulated by teammate Choi Hyoung-woo after hitting a three-run home run against the Kiwoom Heroes in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul, on May 7, 2020. (Yonhap)
Tucker offered that the warmer weather may be a contributing factor. A typical KBO season starts in late March, but this year, the coronavirus pandemic forced the league to delay the beginning by more than a month to May 5. The warmer it is, the farther the ball carries, Tucker said.
"I did get a little bit stronger, so I think I am hitting the ball a little harder," Tucker added. "I know that they're the same balls but I feel like, leaguewide, everyone is swinging the bat really well."
Tucker said the biggest part of his adjustment to the KBO last year was to handle the pressure immediately put on his shoulders as the go-to bat in the heart of the order. Tucker replaced underperforming Jeremy Hazelbaker, and after batting in the fifth spot in his first three games, Tucker was moved up to the No. 3 spot. He ended up making 347 of his 399 plate appearances there.
"The hardest part is that right from the start, the team relies on you pretty heavily," Tucker said of being the lone import bat. "I think they think you should be having success here and they want to let you figure out on your own. After about a month here, I started to feel pretty good about myself."
Playing for an American manager in Matt Williams has also helped in more ways than just having someone who speaks the same language. Tucker said while Williams scheduled more games than what the Tigers had been used to in spring training, the new skipper also made sure the players wouldn't overexert themselves before the real season began.
Preston Tucker of the Kia Tigers (R) bumps fists with first base coach Lee Hyun-gon after a single against the Hanwha Eagles during a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, on May 14, 2020. (Yonhap)
"No one was playing full games. No one was playing every day," Tucker said. "Everyone was pacing themselves and getting ready for Opening Day. The season started late and we'd been playing so much already. If we had not paced ourselves, we'd be tired already."
Tucker, who turns 30 in about two months, said he "would love to have a career" in South Korea. ESPN's broadcast of six KBO games per week may give him and other former major league players here some unexpected exposure, which may pave a path back to the big leagues for them.
While Tucker is open for all new opportunities -- "I think any kind of attention is good attention," he said -- his heart is with the Tigers and their fans.
Tucker, who quickly became a fan favorite, won over even more fans after last season for expressing a strong desire to return. Tucker said the feelings are mutual.
"Fans here are unbelievable. There's nothing but love from the fans here in Korea," he said. "That was a big part of (my decision to re-sign). That influences players' decisions."
Preston Tucker (R) and Han Seung-taek of the Kia Tigers celebrate their 2-1 victory over the Hanwha Eagles in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, on May 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-15--Seoul stocks open higher on Wall Street gains

Investors , however , were partly mixed over the looming concerns that another wave of the pandemic may hit the @ @ @ @ @ lifting of lockdowns .

SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- Seoul stocks opened higher Friday, tracking the overnight gains from Wall Street as investors welcomed the gradual reopening of businesses across the globe, including the United States.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 7.64 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,932.60 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
After trading in negative terrain earlier in the sessions, the Dow Jones Industrial Average eventually advanced 1.62 percent overnight, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.91 percent.
Investors, however, were partly mixed over the looming concerns that another wave of the pandemic may hit the world due to the hasty lifting of lockdowns.
In Seoul, market kingpin Samsung Electronics moved up 0.73 percent, and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix added 1.24 percent.
Financial firms also gained ground, with Shinhan Financial moving up 1.21 percent and KB Financial rising 0.65 percent.
Leading Pharmaceutical firm Samsung BioLogics fell 0.49 percent, and Celltrion climbed 0.46 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,227.55 won against the U.S. dollar, up 0.45 won from the previous session's close.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


Friday's weather forecast

SEOUL , May 15 ( Yonhap ) -- The following is the weather forecast for South Korea 's 12 major @ @ @ @ @ .

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


KOSDAQ 695.80 UP 5.23 points (open)


KOSPI 1,937.63 UP 12.67 points (open)


yna--2020-05-15--Dollar opens at 1,227.1 won DN from 1,228.0 won


yna--2020-05-15--G-20 members vow to sustain global supply chains amid virus pandemic

SEOUL , May 15 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korea said Friday it has adopted an action plan with other @ @ @ @ @ centers on maintaining the global supply chains and refraining from implementing new trade barriers as @ @ @ @ @ to put great strains on business activities .

By Kang Yoon-seung
SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korea said Friday it has adopted an action plan with other Group of 20 members that centers on maintaining the global supply chains and refraining from implementing new trade barriers as the new coronavirus pandemic continues to put great strains on business activities.
South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee discussed with her counterparts from the group of 20 advanced and emerging economies on late Thursday how to expand global cooperation in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
During the virtual meeting, the ministers adopted "the G20 Actions to Support World Trade and Investment in Response to COVID-19," which suggested guidelines for the member states to minimize the socio-economic impacts of the virus.
The new coronavirus, which has infected at least 4.4 million around the world so far, disrupted trade and halted production around the globe, with a rising number of countries fully shutting their borders.
Under the action plan, the members vowed to "facilitate the resumption of essential cross-border travel, in accordance with national laws and regulations, while safeguarding public health in line with our efforts to combat the pandemic."
Members also agreed to refrain from making unnecessary regulations on the trade of foodstuffs and medical supplies, while avoiding disruptions of global supply chains and unnecessary barriers by following the rules of the World Trade Organization.
Countries are encouraged to utilize "electronic documentation and processes" to "streamline customs procedures" as well, the plan added.
Export-reliant South Korea has been calling for major trade partners to ease cross-border travel regulations for essential business officials and keep up trade without undermining global efforts to tackle the new coronavirus.
Earlier this month, Seoul adopted a joint statement on allowing essential travel with Singapore, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
In a regional scale, South Korea renewed its call for Japan to lift trade regulations earlier this week, stressing they should join forces to abate uncertainties and overcome economic jitters sparked by the pandemic.
Despite South Korea emerging to become one of the earliest nations to recover from the peak of the pandemic, it was still not spared from the economic fallout of the virus.
The country saw its exports plunge a whopping 46.3 percent on-year in the first 10 days of May.
Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee (L) participates in a virtual meeting with her counterparts from G-20 nations at her office in Sejong, 130 kilometers south of Seoul, on May 14, 2020, in this photo provided by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-15--Moon vows efforts to beef up remote learning system

In his Teachers ' Day message , the president pointed out that an infection crisis can occur again even after @ @ @ @ @ under control .

SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in pledged every effort Friday to support teachers nationwide who are busy providing students with online classes amid the continued spread of the coronavirus.
In his Teachers' Day message, the president pointed out that an infection crisis can occur again even after the ongoing pandemic is brought under control.
"(The government) will develop the remote learning system and information-communication infrastructure," he wrote on his social media.
He said the government will enable all schools across the country to offer online learning using "edu-tech" and seek ways to reduce teachers' administrative work.
Moon stressed South Korea's rapid development of its democracy and economy is an accomplishment made together by "all teachers and students on this land."
Millions of elementary and secondary school students here are taking online classes instead of going to schools that remain closed due to COVID-19.
An undated file photo shows a teacher at a junior high school in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, making a heart gesture for her students during an online class. (Yonhap)
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-15--(EDITORIAL from Korea JoongAng Daily on May 15)

The NEC , however , failed to give a convincing explanation as to why the ballots were stored unsealed in @ @ @ @ @ Guri Sports Center where no CCTV is installed .
Even if they were leftover ballots @ @ @ @ @ stored securely .
The NEC certainly betrayed the people 's expectations based on common sense @ @ @ @ @ not apologizing or promising that it wo n't happen again .
It is no wonder @ @ @ @ @ at the NEC 's irresponsible and poor management of the elections .
Skepticism about the @ @ @ @ @ growing .

A black eye for the NEC
It is shocking that six ballots went missing during the ballot counting process of the April 15 general elections, no matter what happened. The National Election Commission (NEC) didn't even know about this until Rep. Min Kyung-wook of the United Future Party (UFP) showed the ballots during a press conference earlier this week. The reputation of the NEC, responsible for the fair and transparent management of elections, is critically damaged.
The NEC confirmed that the ballots, shown by Min, had the same identification numbers as leftover ballots that had gone missing in District 2 of Sutaek 2-dong in Guri. The NEC said the ballots were stolen and asked the prosecution to launch an investigation.
The NEC, however, failed to give a convincing explanation as to why the ballots were stored unsealed in a fitness facility inside the Guri Sports Center where no CCTV is installed. Even if they were leftover ballots, they should have been stored securely. The NEC certainly betrayed the people's expectations based on common sense. And the NEC is not apologizing or promising that it won't happen again. It is no wonder that the people were disappointed at the NEC's irresponsible and poor management of the elections. Skepticism about the last elections' integrity are growing.
It was also revealed that early voting ballots were stored in snack boxes in some districts, including Seoul's Dobong B District, stirring more controversy. The NEC said the early voter turnout was higher than expected, and there was a shortage of boxes prepared to store ballots. It said boxes used to store bread for the day's snacks were temporarily used.
It may not be a clear legal violation, but the explanation is lame enough for the public to question the lack of preparations by the NEC and the professionalism of its election management. This is why a conspiracy theory is spreading among some conservative opinion makers and universities that election fraud was committed last month.
Former NEC Secretary General Kim Dai-nyeon, who worked on election management for 30 years, dismissed the possibility that the April 15 general elections were rigged, but still criticized the NEC for having undermined the public's confidence in it.
When the Liberty Korea Party, the predecessor of the UFP, said it wanted to name its satellite political party the proportional Liberty Korea Party, the NEC allowed it but later reversed the decision. Kim said the NEC has offered grounds to invite suspicions about its integrity. His point is reasonable.
Fair management of elections is the bedrock of a democracy. The case of the missing ballots must be investigated thoroughly and quickly, and the NEC's deteriorating reputation and confidence must be restored.
(END)


yna--2020-05-15--(EDITORIAL from Korea Times on May 15)

(EDITORIAL from Korea Times on May 15)

As President Moon Jae-in has rightly identified that job retention and creation are crucial in this crisis , public sector @ @ @ @ @ portion of the unemployed desperate for income .
The administration has so far pledged 245 @ @ @ @ @ 199 billion ) to relieve the COVID-19 wrought economic woes .
With more grim economic @ @ @ @ @ an uneasy feeling about just how much more fiscal spending is going to occur .
@ @ @ @ @ to definitively and persuasively reassure the people and parliament with detailed action plans on how @ @ @ @ @ crisis .

Job market shock
Sufficient deregulation and consensus-seeking should follow
In the wake of the dismal fall in employment for April, the government has swiftly put forward a plan to create 1.56 million jobs in the public sector.
In April, the number of employed here stood at 26.6 million, with Korea shedding 476,000 jobs during the month, year-on-year, a figure close to the 658,000 lost in February 1999, according to government statistics.
The swift "fire-extinguishing" announcement by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki is reassuring for now. Yet at the same time, it is disconcerting to think about whether the Korean economy will have the ability to prepare for the post-COVID-19 world.
The deputy prime minister announced that the 1.56 million jobs include at least 550,000 new jobs for young people at public firms, and about 1 million that will soon resume as social distancing rules have eased. Some of these jobs will be paid for through the third supplementary budget.
As President Moon Jae-in has rightly identified that job retention and creation are crucial in this crisis, public sector employment can absorb a certain portion of the unemployed desperate for income. The administration has so far pledged 245 trillion won (US$199 billion) to relieve the COVID-19 wrought economic woes. With more grim economic indices expected, there is an uneasy feeling about just how much more fiscal spending is going to occur. Thus, the policymakers need to definitively and persuasively reassure the people and parliament with detailed action plans on how to tide over the COVID-19 crisis.
There is a general assessment, however, that public sector jobs tend to be lagging in quality in terms of productivity and sustainability. The deputy prime minister himself said Thursday that the "private sector remains responsible for job retention and creation." There are moves within the ruling bloc to push various deregulation measures to vitalize the private sector into hiring and making investments. But it could also look to cutting taxes including corporate rates.
Businesses have responded positively to President Moon's vow to turn Korea into a "digital powerhouse" of innovative ventures and startups and a "world factory of high-tech industries" in order to attract such firms and overseas investment. These goals will also compel deregulation. But they may also require adjustments to the income-led growth and 52-hour workweek policies, and it is questionable as to whether administration is willing to do this.
The direr the economic situation grows, the more policymakers should resist the temptation to do what currently feels easy. Listen broadly to what the private sector, workers and taxpayers want so that Korea can move forward to innovative productivity once the virus is conquered.
(END)


yna--2020-05-15--Top headlines in major S. Korean newspapers

Korean-language dailies -- Teachers uneasy about their personal data running loose ( Kyunghyang Shinmun ) -- Cheong Wa Dae , gov't , ruling parties on different pages , confused over telemedicine services ( Kookmin Daily ) -- PM , minister , vice minister push drive for telemedicine services ( Donga llbo ) -- Gov't pushes ahead with school reopening for high school seniors despite lingering club-related concerns ( Seoul Shinmun ) -- Gov't again uses public sector jobs as 'emergency treatment ' for employment shock ( Segye Times ) -- Cheong Wa Dae raps at defense ministry , military following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chosun Ilbo ) -- 'Do n't rely on cash payouts , ' warning from IMF ( JoongAng Ilbo ) -- Gov't , Cheong Wa Dae 'actively consider ' telemedicine services , ruling party remains prudent ( Hankyoreh ) -- 'Daegu people called pink loonies ?
Do you think we voted for UFP because we like them ? '
( Hankook Ilbo ) -- Gov't advises 'hagwons ' to teach remotely , high school seniors to return to school as planned ( Maeil Business Newspaper ) -- 52-hour workweek scheme hinders industry efforts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @

SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- The following are the top headlines in major South Korean newspapers on May 15.
Korean-language dailies
-- Teachers uneasy about their personal data running loose (Kyunghyang Shinmun)
-- Cheong Wa Dae, gov't, ruling parties on different pages, confused over telemedicine services (Kookmin Daily)
-- PM, minister, vice minister push drive for telemedicine services (Donga llbo)
-- Gov't pushes ahead with school reopening for high school seniors despite lingering club-related concerns (Seoul Shinmun)
-- Gov't again uses public sector jobs as 'emergency treatment' for employment shock (Segye Times)
-- Cheong Wa Dae raps at defense ministry, military following N. Korea's criticism of training (Chosun Ilbo)
-- 'Don't rely on cash payouts,' warning from IMF (JoongAng Ilbo)
-- Gov't, Cheong Wa Dae 'actively consider' telemedicine services, ruling party remains prudent (Hankyoreh)
-- 'Daegu people called pink loonies? Do you think we voted for UFP because we like them?' (Hankook Ilbo)
-- Gov't advises 'hagwons' to teach remotely, high school seniors to return to school as planned (Maeil Business Newspaper)
-- 52-hour workweek scheme hinders industry efforts to overcome COVID-19 (Korea Economic Daily)
English-language dailies
-- Sexual slavery survivor says she won't be 'used' anymore (Korea JoongAng Daily)
-- Korea at critical moment in fight against second wave of infections (Korea Herald)
-- Korea to create 1.56 million jobs in public sector (Korea Times)
(END)


yna--2020-05-15--Korea's export prices down for 2nd straight month in April

`` The export price index dropped 1.6 percent from the previous month in April despite an increase in the price @ @ @ @ @ due to a drop in the prices of coal , petroleum and chemical products , @ @ @ @ @ a press release .

SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's export prices dropped for a second consecutive month in April, central bank data showed Friday, apparently adding to woes over a slump in outbound shipments by Asia's fourth-largest economy amid the new coronavirus pandemic.
The export prices index, in terms of local currency, came to 94.54 in the month, down 1.6 percent from the revised 96.08 the previous month, according to preliminary data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).
From a year earlier, the reading marks a 5.9 percent drop. April also marks the 11th consecutive month of on-year decline.
In April, the country's outbound shipments plunged 24.3 percent on-year to US$36.9 billion, while imports moved down 15.9 percent to $37.8 billion, leaving a $950 million trade deficit, the first of its kind since January 2012, when the country posted a $2.32 billion trade deficit.
This file photo shows stacks of import-export cargo containers at South Korea's largest seaport in Busan, located 450 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
The drop was partly attributed to a sharp decline in global oil prices, which in turn pulled down the price of petroleum and petrochemical products, both key South Korean export items.
"The export price index dropped 1.6 percent from the previous month in April despite an increase in the price of computers and electronic products due to a drop in the prices of coal, petroleum and chemical products," the BOK said in a press release.
In April, the average price of Dubai crude came to $20.39 per barrel, down 39.5 percent from a month earlier, according to the BOK.
Consequently, the export price of South Korean coal and petroleum products tumbled 31.1 percent on-month and 60.1 percent from the same month last year.
The drop in global oil prices also sharply pulled down the country's import prices, with crude accounting monthly for nearly or even more than one-quarter of South Korea's overall imports.
The country's import prices index, in terms of the local currency, plunged 5.1 percent from a month before to 95.52 in the month. It marks a 14.1 percent plunge from a year earlier.
Despite its import prices falling at a faster clip than export prices, South Korea posted its first trade deficit in over eight years last month, the government said earlier, with its exports shrinking at a faster rate than imports.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-15--U.S. issues advisory to counter sanctions evasion by N.K., Iran, Syria

The 35-page document -- published jointly by the Department of State , the Department of the Treasury 's Office of @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Coast Guard -- provides individuals and businesses in the maritime industry and energy @ @ @ @ @ on how to counter illicit shipping and sanctions evasion .

By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, May 14 (Yonhap) -- The United States on Thursday issued a global advisory to counter shipping practices used by North Korea, Iran and Syria to evade sanctions.
The 35-page document -- published jointly by the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, and the U.S. Coast Guard -- provides individuals and businesses in the maritime industry and energy and metals sectors with information on how to counter illicit shipping and sanctions evasion.
"This advisory reflects the U.S. government's commitment to work with the private sector to prevent sanctions evasion, smuggling, criminal activity, facilitation of terrorist activities, and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), with a focus on Iran, North Korea, and Syria," it says.
This Oct. 28, 2018, photo published in the March 12, 2019, report by the U.N. Security Council committee on North Korea sanctions shows an illegal transfer on the high seas between a foreign vessel and North Korean tanker Yuk Tung. (Yonhap)
The document updates and expands on existing shipping advisories, including those related to North Korea that were issued by OFAC in February 2018 and March 2019.
Under "Deceptive Shipping Practices," the advisory lists seven tactics linked to illicit maritime trade with North Korea, Iran and Syria.
They range from manipulating vessel identification systems and falsifying vessel documents to ship-to-ship transfers of cargo at sea and repeatedly registering with new flag states.
The advisory also recommends ways to identify potential sanctions evasion and ensure organizations involved in the maritime industry are in compliance with the sanctions.
A section on North Korea details the U.S. and United Nations sanctions that are in place against the communist regime, including bans on importing North Korean coal and exporting refined petroleum in excess of the U.N.-mandated limit of 500,000 barrels a year.
It also outlines "deceptive practices" used by North Korea to evade those sanctions, such as through illicit ship-to-ship transfers and the acquisition of old vessels, which are destined for scrapping but incorporated into its fleet of vessels for trade.
Last month, the U.S. government issued an advisory on the cyber threat posed by North Korea, along with mitigation measures.
That advisory from the Departments of State, the Treasury and Homeland Security, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, outlined the means used by North Korea to steal, launder and extort funds.
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-15--Moon holds phone talks with King Philippe of Belgium over coronavirus response

Moon thanked King Philippe for Belgium 's help in the evacuation of South Koreans in Mali who had been stranded @ @ @ @ @ to the coronavirus lockdown .
Eleven South Korean businessmen all returned home safely last month @ @ @ @ @ board Belgium 's military plane departing from Mali .

SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday held phone talks with King Philippe of Belgium and discussed ways to cooperate in overcoming the coronavirus pandemic, Seoul's presidential office said.
In the phone conversation, King Philippe thanked South Korea for sending face masks to Belgium and said Seoul's response is a successful example of handling the novel coronavirus outbreak, according to Cheong Wa Dae.
South Korea earlier this month decided to provide face masks to Korean War veterans in 22 countries, and about 20,000 masks were sent to Belgium, one of the nations that took part in the 1950-53 war.
Moon thanked King Philippe for Belgium's help in the evacuation of South Koreans in Mali who had been stranded in the African nation due to the coronavirus lockdown. Eleven South Korean businessmen all returned home safely last month after they were allowed to board Belgium's military plane departing from Mali.
Moon also told King Philippe that the two countries should support economic exchanges of businessmen to minimize the fallout of the pandemic.
In this photo provided by Cheong Wa Dae on May 15, 2020, South Korean President Moon Jae-in holds phone talks with King Philippe of Belgium. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-15--T'Way Air to become 1st S. Korean LCC to operate flights to Croatia

Jin Air Co. , an affiliate of the country 's top air carrier Korean Air Lines Co. , received a @ @ @ @ @ time in 22 months after the ministry 's sanction on the budget carrier was lifted @ @ @ @ @ a license to send flights to Zhengzhou , China , three times a week .

SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- T'Way Air Co. will become South Korea's first low-cost carrier (LCC) to operate flights to Croatia after it received a license from Seoul's transport ministry on Friday.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport distributed licenses for 25 international routes to nine local airlines, and T'Way was given a nod to operate flights to Croatia four times a week. The LCC also earned a license to fly its passenger jets to Tajikistan twice a week.
Jin Air Co., an affiliate of the country's top air carrier Korean Air Lines Co., received a route license for the first time in 22 months after the ministry's sanction on the budget carrier was lifted in March. It secured a license to send flights to Zhengzhou, China, three times a week.
This photo taken on Oct. 28, 2019, shows an aircraft operated by T'Way Air Co. at Daegu International Airport in Daegu. (Yonhap)
In the latest distribution of route licenses, Jeju Air, the country's largest LCC, was granted a permit to operate flights to Russia four times a week.
Among local LCCs that newly earned air operator's certificates, Fly Gangwon Co. was given a license to operate flights to Beijing and Changchun, China, from South Korea's east coastal city of Yangyang.
Korean Air's licenses included permits for Incheon-Fuzhou and Busan-Shanghai routes. The country's other full-service carrier, Asiana Airlines Inc., received a license to fly to Poland.
The transport ministry said air carriers can use their new route licenses after South Korea and foreign aviation authorities reach an agreement on aviation security regarding the novel coronavirus pandemic.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-15--S. Korean men's national golf championship canceled for 1st time due to coronavirus

The Korea Golf Association ( KGA ) said Friday the 63rd Kolon Korea Open will not take place this year @ @ @ @ @ situation in the country .
South Korea has reported an uptick in daily virus cases @ @ @ @ @ infections in a nightlife district in Seoul .

SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's national golf championship has been canceled for the first time in its history due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The Korea Golf Association (KGA) said Friday the 63rd Kolon Korea Open will not take place this year because of the recent virus situation in the country. South Korea has reported an uptick in daily virus cases in recent days following cluster infections in a nightlife district in Seoul.
This is the first time that the organizers decided not to hold the prestigious men's golf tournament that started in 1958.
This year's event, co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the KGA, was originally scheduled to take place at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club in Cheonan, some 90 kilometers south of Seoul, between June 25 and 28.
Previously winners of the Korea Open include Rickie Fowler, Yang Yong-eun, Vijay Singh and K.J. Choi. Last year, Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand won the title.
This photo provided by Woo Jeong Hills Country Club shows an exhibition hall dedicated to the Korea Open Golf Championship in South Korea. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-15--SsangYong Motor posts record Q1 loss amid virus woes

But analysts said the special infusion could be just a quick-fix solution for the cash-strapped carmaker .
They said the @ @ @ @ @ the balance should there not be a rebound in vehicle sales .

SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- SsangYong Motor Co. reported on Friday that its net loss sharply widened in the first quarter compared to a year earlier, marking the 13th consecutive quarter in the red, amid growing worries over the coronavirus outbreak.
Net losses for the January-March quarter deepened to 193.54 billion won (US$157 million) from 26.12 billion won in the year-ago period, the company said in a statement.
"Disrupted production by the coronavirus outbreak and weaker sales amid virus fears cut into the bottom line," the statement said.
Operating losses also deepened to 98.63 billion won in the first quarter from 27.80 billion won a year ago. Sales fell 30 percent to 649.19 billion won from 933.21 billion won during the same period.
This photo taken on April 5, 2020, shows SsangYong Motor's plant in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
The South Korean unit of Indian carmaker Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. has struggled with declining sales due to a lack of new models and the parent firm's recent decision not to inject fresh capital into the Korean unit.
Mahindra said early this year it will inject 230 billion won into SsangYong for the following three years after obtaining approval from its board.
But Mahindra's board voted against the investment plan last month as the spreading COVID-19 outbreak continues to affect vehicle sales in global markets.
Instead of the proposed 230 billion won, Mahindra said it would consider a "special one-time infusion" of up to 40 billion won over the next three months to help SsangYong continue operations.
But analysts said the special infusion could be just a quick-fix solution for the cash-strapped carmaker. They said the fate of SsangYong hangs in the balance should there not be a rebound in vehicle sales.
From January to April, sales fell 33 percent to 30,952 units from 45,908 in the same period a year ago.
SsangYong's lineup consists of the flagship G4 Rexton, as well as the Tivoli, Korando and Rexton Sports.
In 2011, Mahindra & Mahindra acquired a 70 percent stake in SsangYong Motor for 523 billion won. Mahindra currently owns a 74.65 percent stake in the SUV-focused carmaker.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-15--(LEAD) Doosan Heavy shifts to loss in Q1 on one-off costs

The company has offered to pay the equivalent of up to two years ' salary to those who are eligible @ @ @ @ @ Those who have worked for the company for more than 10 years can receive an @ @ @ @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES with retirement program, background and stock price in paras 7-20; ADDS byline)
By Kim Kwang-tae
SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- Doosan Heavy Industries Co., South Korea's top power equipment maker, said Friday that it swung to a net loss in the first quarter from a year earlier due to increased one-off costs.
For the January-March period, Doosan Heavy posted a net loss of 371.4 billion won (US$302 million), shifting from a net profit of 52.8 billion won a year earlier, the company said in a statement.
The company said the net loss is mainly blamed on severance payments and losses from equity ties with Doosan Bobcat Co.
This file photo shows Doosan Group's logo in front of Doosan Tower in Seoul. (Yonhap)
Doosan Bobcat is 51 percent owned by Doosan Infracore Co., a leading heavy construction equipment maker and an affiliate of Doosan Heavy.
Doosan Heavy posted an operating income of 56.5 billion won in the first quarter, a sharp decline from an operating income of 322.4 billion won the previous year.
Sales gained 0.2 percent on-year to reach 3.83 trillion won in the first quarter, it added.
Doosan Heavy said it is pushing to furlough some of its employees as part of efforts to cut costs amid dwindling orders.
The company said they can receive 70 percent of their basic monthly wages during the leave, adding that the measure will not affect its business operations.
Some 650 employees have recently left Doosan Heavy in its first voluntary retirement program.
The company has received applications for its second redundancy program, though it did not provide details on how many people opted to quit their jobs.
The company has offered to pay the equivalent of up to two years' salary to those who are eligible for the retirement program. Those who have worked for the company for more than 10 years can receive an additional 50 million won.
Currently, Doosan Heavy has about 6,000 employees.
Doosan Heavy's net losses deepened in recent years, as South Korea has pushed to boost the supply of power from clean and renewable energy sources while weaning the country off nuclear and coal-fired plants.
Doosan Heavy posted accumulated net losses worth 2.68 trillion won from 2014 through 2019.
Doosan Heavy said orders worth about 10 trillion won have dried up due to the cancellation of nuclear and coal-fired plant projects in South Korea.
South Korea, which decommissioned two nuclear power plants in 2017 and 2019, is set to retire 10 out of the total 24 reactors here by the end of 2030.
Doosan Heavy has recently opened two 400 billion-won credit lines with the state-run Korea Development Bank and Export-Import Bank of Korea, respectively, in the latest attempt to normalize the company.
Last month, Doosan Group submitted Doosan Heavy's final self-rescue plans worth more than 3 trillion won to the creditors.
The self-rescue plans include the sell-off of its non-core assets, a rights issue and salary reductions of executives.
Shares in Doosan Heavy rose 0.13 percent to 3,915 won on the Seoul bourse on Friday, roughly in line with the broader KOSPI's 0.12 percent gain.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-15--Sole leader emerges in S. Korean women's golf major as LPGA star misses cut

`` I played in this tournament to see where my game was , in terms of my swing and short @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I was able to test myself in a competitive setting .
I identified @ @ @ @ @ in which direction I should move going forward . ''

YANGJU, South Korea, May 15 (Yonhap) -- Japanese tour player Bae Seon-woo took sole possession of the lead at the South Korean women's golf major championship on Friday, while LPGA star Park Sung-hyun was sent home after two disappointing rounds.
Bae shot a bogey-free round of seven-under 65 to move into first place alone at 12-under 132 after 36 holes at the 42nd Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Championship.
Bae Seon-woo of South Korea tees off at the 10th hole during the second round of the 42nd Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Championship at Lakewood Country Club in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, on May 15, 2020. (Yonhap)
The first major of the KLPGA season, being held without fans at Lakewood Country Club in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, is also the first golf competition on South Korean soil in 2020. The coronavirus outbreak forced the KLPGA to put its season on hold after the season opener in Vietnam last December.
The field of 150 players is vying for 3 billion won (US$2.4 million) in purse. The champion will take home 220 million won.
Bae, who won the KLPGA Championship in 2016, was tied for the lead with two other players, but separated herself from the pack with a second straight round without a bogey.
An overnight co-leader, Kim Char-young, shot a 69 to reach eight-under 136, four behind Bae. Heo Da-been carded a 66 to join Kim at eight-under.
Meanwhile, Park, the highest-ranked player this week at No. 3, shot a 77 for a two-day total of six-over 150, missing the cut by two shots.
This tournament will have two cuts: after the second round, the top 102 will stay alive to play the third round, and then the top 70 golfers after the third round will get to finish the tournament.
But even those who miss the cut will be paid.
Park Sung-hyun of South Korea tees off at the first hole during the second round of the 42nd Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Championship at Lakewood Country Club in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, on May 15, 2020. (Yonhap)
Park was playing in her first tournament in six months; she had planned to begin her LPGA season in March, but the U.S. tour was suspended in February because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Park said that while she was disappointed, not all was lost despite missing the cut here.
"I played in this tournament to see where my game was, in terms of my swing and short game," Park said. "I was able to test myself in a competitive setting. I identified my issues and I know in which direction I should move going forward."
Park is scheduled to face world No. 1 Ko Jin-young in a corporate skins match on May 24 in Incheon, just west of Seoul.
Another LPGA veteran, world No. 6 Kim Sei-young, bounced back from an opening round 74 with a bogey-free 68 on Friday. She's tied for 28th at two-under.
Lee Jeong-eun, the 2019 LPGA Rookie of the Year, shot a 70 to get to one-under for the tournament, good for a tie for 39th.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-15--(2nd LD) Korean airlines fall deeper into Q1 losses on virus impact, further slump in store

Asiana also had all of its 10,500 employees take unpaid leave for 15 days a month from April until business @ @ @ @ @ have agreed to forgo 60 percent of their wages , though no specific time frame @ @ @ @ @ the pay cuts will remain in effect .

(ATTN: CHANGES headline and lead; COMBINES stories; RECASTS throughout)
By Choi Kyong-ae
SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korean airlines, led by Korean Air Lines Co., reported their worst-ever first-quarter earnings on Friday in the face of the new coronavirus outbreak that has led to a sharp fall in demand and lockdowns around the globe, and their second-quarter performance is also dim.
Korean Air said its net losses widened to 736.86 billion won (US$598 million) for the January-March quarter from 116.95 billion won a year earlier.
"Suspended flights on international routes amid virus fears and the won's weakness against the U.S. dollar that drove up the value of foreign debt cut into the quarterly results," a company spokeswoman said over the phone.
This undated file photo shows planes of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. (Yonhap)
The country's biggest and national flag carrier has gradually suspended more than 90 percent of its flights on international routes since March as an increasing number of countries closed their borders or imposed entry restrictions on incoming passengers.
Currency-related losses worth 536.8 billion won were factored into the bottom line, the statement said. The dollar rose to an average of 1,193.60 won in the first quarter from 1,125.08 won a year earlier.
Korean Air shifted to an operating loss of 82.79 billion won in the first quarter from an operating profit of 230.81 billion won a year ago. Sales fell 22 percent to 2.43 trillion won from 3.13 trillion won during the same period.
Also on Friday, Asiana Airlines Inc., the country's No. 2 carrier, said its first-quarter net losses deepened to 683.26 billion won from 89.18 billion won a year ago due to a sharp decline in travel demand amid virus fears.
Asiana shifted to an operating loss of 292.02 billion won in the first quarter from an operating profit of 7.16 billion won a year ago. Sales fell 25 percent to 1.29 trillion won from 1.72 trillion won.
Looking ahead, Korean Air and Asiana expected business environments will worsen for airlines in the second quarter if the COVID-19 pandemic prolongs.
"The company will focus on increasing revenue from the cargo business to offset low demand in the passenger business until travel demand recovers. It will also make stepped-up efforts to cut costs and sell assets," the Korean Air spokeswoman said.
Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, is almost empty, on April 10, 2020, as the novel coronavirus pandemic has effectively halted international travel around the world. (Yonhap)
The two full-service carriers plan to resume flights on dozens of their international routes from June as they prepare for increased travel demand after countries ease entry restrictions.
Korean Air is reopening 19 routes, which include those to Washington, D.C., Seattle, Vancouver, Toronto, Frankfurt, Singapore, Beijing and Kuala Lumpur. Asiana's 13 routes include Seattle, Beijing and Shanghai.
The two have suspended most of their flights on international routes since March as countries strengthened entry restrictions on incoming passengers to prevent the spread of the respiratory illness.
In its self-rescue efforts, Korean Air had 70 percent of its 20,000-strong workforce take paid leave for six months starting April 16, and it is in the process of selling non-core assets to secure cash.
The company plans to raise 1 trillion won by selling stocks, and the country's two policy lenders -- the Korea Development Bank (KDB) and the Export-Import Bank of Korea (Korea Eximbank) -- plan to inject 1.2 trillion won into the carrier.
Asiana also had all of its 10,500 employees take unpaid leave for 15 days a month from April until business circumstances normalize. Its executives have agreed to forgo 60 percent of their wages, though no specific time frame was given for how long the pay cuts will remain in effect.
The KDB and Eximbank plan to inject a combined 1.7 trillion won into the cash-strapped carrier.
Airplanes are parked at Incheon International Airport, South Korea's main gateway, west of Seoul, on May 15, 2020. (Yonhap)
Analysts said it remains to be seen whether the state banks' capital injection and the airlines' self-help measures will help them ride out the unprecedented coronavirus crisis because the virus continues to spread in some countries.
Low-cost carriers also suffered heavy losses in the first quarter in the face of worsened business environments.
Jeju Air Co., the country's biggest low-cost carrier, swung to a net loss of 101 billion won in the first quarter from a net profit of 42 billion won a year ago.
Korean Air's affiliate Jin Air Co. also shifted to a net loss of 45.8 billion won from a net profit of 31.8 billion won during the same period. Asiana's affiliate Air Busan Co. also swung to a net loss of 61.8 billion won from a net profit of 1.9 billion won.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-15--Doosan Heavy shifts to loss in Q1 on one-off costs

SEOUL , May 15 ( Yonhap ) -- Doosan Heavy Industries Co. , South Korea 's top power equipment maker @ @ @ @ @ swung to a net loss in the first quarter from a year earlier due to @ @ @ @

SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- Doosan Heavy Industries Co., South Korea's top power equipment maker, said Friday that it swung to a net loss in the first quarter from a year earlier due to increased one-off costs.
For the January-March period, Doosan Heavy posted a net loss of 371.4 billion won (US$302 million), shifting from a net profit of 52.8 billion won a year earlier, the company said in a statement.
The company said the net loss is mainly blamed on severance payments and losses from equity ties with Doosan Bobcat Co.
This file photo shows Doosan Group's logo in front of Doosan Tower in Seoul. (Yonhap)
Doosan Bobcat is 51 percent owned by Doosan Infracore Co., a leading heavy construction equipment maker and an affiliate of Doosan Heavy.
Doosan Heavy posted an operating income of 56.5 billion won in the first quarter, a sharp decline from an operating income of 322.4 billion won the previous year.
Sales gained 0.2 percent on-year to reach 3.83 trillion won in the first quarter, it added.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-15--Chun's commander warned S. Korea could end up like Vietnam unless Gwangju uprising quelled: U.S. doc

Chun's commander warned S. Korea could end up like Vietnam unless Gwangju uprising quelled: U.S. documents

Gleysteen also assessed that there was `` a real danger of further struggle within the Army , '' as `` @ @ @ @ @ have seized power from the established authorities , '' and that Chun appeared to want @ @ @ @ @ own advantage in seeking U.S. approval for legitimacy as a government .

By Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- The martial law commander at the time of South Korea's 1980 pro-democracy uprising warned the then-U.S. ambassador that the country could end up a communist nation like Vietnam unless the revolt was quelled, declassified U.S. documents showed Friday.
The commander, Gen. Lee Hui-sung, also tried to justify the martial law's expansion during the meeting with Ambassador William Gleysteen on the day of the revolt, claiming the growing influence of communist thinking spreading amongst young students was posing threats to South Korea's security, according to the documents.
It was when Gen. Chun Doo-hwan was effectively in control of South Korea after taking power in a military coup following the assassination of strongman President Park Chung-hee the previous year at the hands of his own spy chief.
On May 18, 1980, citizens in the southwestern city of Gwangju rose up against Chun, and his military junta sent paratroopers and ruthlessly cracked down on the nine-day revolt, leaving more than 200 people killed and 1,800 others wounded.
"He justified expanded martial law as necessary to deter a danger which had become an unacceptable threat to the survival of the ROK," Gleysteen said in a telegram to the State Department, referring to South Korea by its official name, Republic of Korea.
"The rampant growth of communist thinking among students and radical tendencies within the student movement posed the likelihood of massive disorders which the government could not control without undermining the country's external security," he said. "If they were not controlled, Lee feared the ROK would be communized in a manner similar to Vietnam."
The documents were released by the State Department at Seoul's request for such diplomatic materials to be used as reference in a government-led probe into the bloody crackdown on the uprising.
A lack of resources and testimonies about the uprising has left many parts of the incident unanswered, from identifying who to hold accountable and the extent of Chun's involvement to whether the military shot people down from helicopters.
Gleysteen also assessed that there was "a real danger of further struggle within the Army," as "a minority of younger officers have seized power from the established authorities," and that Chun appeared to want to use that to his own advantage in seeking U.S. approval for legitimacy as a government.
"Obviously Chon and his colleagues would like to enlist our help in containing military counter action. While we can easily stress the importance of unity in the military, we may conceivably be faced with some extremely tricky choices in the weeks and months ahead."
It is the first time the South Korean government has made a formal request to the U.S. for document release, the foreign ministry here said. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the outbreak of the Gwangju uprising.
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-15--(LEAD) HMM Q1 losses narrow on decreased costs

SEOUL , May 15 ( Yonhap ) -- HMM Co. , South Korea 's biggest shipping company by sales , @ @ @ @ @ losses narrowed in the first quarter from a year earlier due to decreased operating costs @ @ @ @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES with stock price in last para)
SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- HMM Co., South Korea's biggest shipping company by sales, said Friday that its net losses narrowed in the first quarter from a year earlier due to decreased operating costs and increased shipping charges.
Net losses narrowed to 65.6 billion won (US$53.3 million) in the January-March period from 178.5 billion won a year earlier, the company said in a statement.
HMM said a sharp hike in shipping charges, its cost-cutting efforts and securing high-value shipping deals helped the company to reduce its shortfall.
Operating losses sharply narrowed to 2 billion won in the first quarter from a 105.7 billion won deficit a year ago. Sales fell 0.2 percent on-year to 1.31 trillion won during the cited period, the company said.
Shares in HMM rose 1.08 percent to 3,735 won on the Seoul bourse, outperforming the broader KOSPI's 0.12 percent gain.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-15--USFK maintains current anti-virus restrictions amid infections growth in S. Korea

`` We 'll watch and see how these new measures play out over the next week or so , and @ @ @ @ @ are maintained , we 'll move forward with relaxing our preventative measures as well , @ @ @ @ @ Bravo ( HPCON B ) , '' he said .

By Oh Seok-min
SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Friday it will maintain the current health protection level against the coronavirus that restricts service members' off-base activities amid a recent surge in virus cases in South Korea.
Currently, USFK imposes the Health Protection Condition Level of Charlie, or HPCON C, for all USFK installations, which limits non-necessary off-post activities, such as visiting gyms outside the barracks, clubs, shopping centers and theaters, to stem the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
In late February, USFK first implemented HPCON C, the third-highest warning level in its five-scale system, which ranges from HPCON A to B, C, C+ and D, though it briefly heightened the level by one notch for several installations.
"USFK will remain at HPCON C until further notice," the military said in its Facebook post, adding that when to lower the level will be decided "when the conditions are all right."
Earlier, officials said USFK had been reviewing an option to ease those restrictions as early as this week.
The decision to maintain the strict guidance came as South Korea began to see a surge in confirmed virus cases last week linked to clubs and bars in Seoul's multicultural district of Itaewon.
As of Friday at noon, the country reported a total of 153 coronavirus patients tied to Itaewon, including 90 clubgoers, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
Earlier this month, USFK Commander Gen. Robert Abrams, announcing the decision to maintain the current anti-virus warning level despite South Korea's relaxation of social distancing guidelines, said the military "assessed that it is still too early to let down its guard as the risk and threat of COVID-19 to the force remains."
"We'll watch and see how these new measures play out over the next week or so, and then if the current conditions are maintained, we'll move forward with relaxing our preventative measures as well, to include moving to HPCON Bravo (HPCON B)," he said.
So far, USFK has reported a total of 28 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus among its population, and 17 of the patients have fully recovered.
This photo uploaded in a U.S. Forces Korea Facebook post on April 17, 2020, shows its Health Protection Condition level Charlie. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-15--Nuclear safety watchdog to enforce oversight to prevent radiation accidents

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission said it has decided to revise the existing nuclear safety act in the wake @ @ @ @ @ at Seoul Semiconductor Co. in July 2019 .

SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's nuclear safety watchdog said Friday that it will enforce more stringent personnel training and material handling rules to better guard against potential radiation accidents.
The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission said it has decided to revise the existing nuclear safety act in the wake of the accident that occurred at Seoul Semiconductor Co. in July 2019.
The accident at the light emitting diode (LED) manufacturing company involved inadequately trained subcontract workers who disconnected safety systems on an industrial X-ray machine.
A total of seven people handled the equipment that was designed to find defects in LEDs, which exposed them to potentially harmful radiation.
A probe found that workers were not informed about the dangers of their actions, with other safety-related shortcomings also found. No workers died, but a few showed signs of radiation poisoning.
The commission said anyone handling radioactive equipment will be required to take mandatory annual safety training lessons instead of being taught just once.
Front-line workers will be banned from tampering with safety systems, with manufacturers required to put clearly readable instructions and warnings that can prevent people from being accidentally exposed to radiation.
The change will go into effect in 2021 after going through due administrative processes.
Nuclear Safety and Security Commission Chairman Uhm Jae-sik speaks at the 119th session of the safety watchdog's rules review meeting in Seoul on May 15, 2020, in this photo provided by the state agency. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-15--Asiana Q1 losses deepen on virus impact

Asiana Q1 losses deepen on virus impact

In its latest self-help plans , Asiana put all of its 10,500 employees on unpaid leave for 15 days per @ @ @ @ @ circumstances normalize .
Asiana 's executives have also agreed to forgo 60 percent of their @ @ @ @ @ time frame was given for how long the pay cuts will remain in effect .

SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- Asiana Airlines Inc., South Korea's second-biggest carrier, said Friday its first-quarter net losses sharply widened from a year earlier due to the fallout from the new coronavirus.
Net losses for the January-March quarter deepened to 683.26 billion won (US$555 million) from 89.18 billion won in the year-ago period, the company said in a statement.
"Passenger demand began to plunge in February due to virus fears. Increased cargo-carrying volumes fell short of offsetting the sharp decline in air travel demand," the statement said.
This file photo, taken April 9, 2020, shows Asiana Airlines Inc. planes grounded at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. (Yonhap)
Asiana has suspended most flights on international routes since March due to strengthened entry restrictions in various countries to stem the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Asiana plans to restart flight services on 13 international routes -- one to Seattle and 12 to Chinese cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai -- from June 1, while increasing the number of flights on six other routes to cities including Frankfurt, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
The decision is aimed at meeting business travel demand though leisure travel demand has yet to recover, the company said.
In its latest self-help plans, Asiana put all of its 10,500 employees on unpaid leave for 15 days per month from April until business circumstances normalize. Asiana's executives have also agreed to forgo 60 percent of their wages, though no specific time frame was given for how long the pay cuts will remain in effect.
The country's two state lenders -- the Korea Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of Korea -- plan to inject a combined 1.7 trillion won into the cash-strapped carrier.
Asiana shifted to an operating loss of 292.02 billion won in the first quarter from an operating profit of 7.16 billion won a year ago. Sales fell 25 percent to 1.29 trillion won from 1.72 trillion won during the cited period.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-15--HMM Q1 losses narrow on decreased costs

HMM Q1 losses narrow on decreased costs

SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- HMM Co., South Korea's biggest shipping company by sales, said Friday that its net losses narrowed in the first quarter from a year earlier due to decreased operating costs and increased shipping charges.
Net losses narrowed to 65.6 billion won (US$53.3 million) in the January-March period from 178.5 billion won a year earlier, the company said in a statement.
HMM said a sharp hike in shipping charges, its cost-cutting efforts and securing high-value shipping deals helped the company to reduce its shortfall.
Operating losses sharply narrowed to 2 billion won in the first quarter from a 105.7 billion won deficit a year ago. Sales fell 0.2 percent on-year to 1.31 trillion won during the cited period, the company said.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-15--Vice FM reiterates Seoul's resolve to contribute to overcoming COVID-19

In the call , Cho explained that despite a recent cluster of infections in a nightlife district in central Seoul @ @ @ @ @ to prevent the further spread of the virus and to ensure citizens can go about @ @ @ @ @ on its aggressive campaign to trace and test suspected cases .

SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- Vice Foreign Minister Cho Sei-young reaffirmed South Korea's commitment Friday to "actively" backing the global fight against the new coronavirus by sharing its anti-virus know-how during an international conference call, the foreign ministry said.
Cho made the remarks during the ninth and last weekly call with his counterparts from six countries, including the United States and Japan, which had served as a key communication channel to promote regional cooperation in battling COVID-19.
In the call, Cho explained that despite a recent cluster of infections in a nightlife district in central Seoul, South Korea is striving to prevent the further spread of the virus and to ensure citizens can go about their normal daily lives based on its aggressive campaign to trace and test suspected cases.
He also reiterated that Seoul will continue its anti-virus strategy based on the principles of "openness, transparency and democracy" and share information related to the pandemic with the international community.
The participants in the call agreed to continue cooperation in sharing measures to return to normality, enabling flights and other transportation means for essential business trips and maintaining sustainable global supply chains, the ministry said.
They also evaluated their cooperation through their conference calls, particularly regarding the return home of their overseas nationals, sharing of virus-related information and support for countries vulnerable to COVID-19.
Vice Foreign Minister Cho Sei-young attends a conference call with his counterparts from six countries, including the United States and Japan, on March 27, 2020 in this photo provided by the foreign ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-15--(LEAD) Korean Air's losses widen in Q1 on virus impact, currency losses

Analysts said it remains to be seen whether the capital injection and Korean Air 's planned rights issue will help @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus crisis because the virus continues to spread in some countries .

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; ADDS details in paras 5-14)
SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- Korean Air Lines Co., South Korea's biggest carrier, said Friday that its first-quarter net losses deepened from a year earlier due to the impact of the coronavirus on the airline industry and currency losses.
Net losses widened to 736.86 billion won (US$598 million) for the three months that ended in March from a loss of 116.95 billion won in the year-ago period, the company said in a statement.
"Suspended flights on international routes amid virus fears and the won's weakness against the U.S. dollar that drove up the value of foreign debt cut into the quarterly results," a company spokeswoman said over the phone.
The national flag carrier has gradually suspended more than 90 percent of its flights on international routes since March as an increasing number of countries closed their borders or imposed entry restrictions on incoming passengers.
Currency-related losses worth 536.8 billion won were factored into the bottom line, the statement said. The dollar rose to an average of 1,193.60 won in the first quarter from 1,125.08 won a year earlier.
Korean Air shifted to an operating loss of 82.79 billion won in the first quarter from an operating profit of 230.81 billion won a year ago. Sales fell 22 percent to 2.43 trillion won from 3.13 trillion won during the same period
On Friday, shares in Korean Air fell 3.7 percent to 18,200 won, and its parent Hanjin KAL Corp. declined 3.3 percent to 76,500 won, far underperforming the broader KOSPI's 0.1 percent gain.
This undated file photo shows planes of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. (Yonhap)
Looking ahead, Korean Air expected business environments will worsen for airlines in the second quarter if the COVID-19 pandemic prolongs.
"The company will focus on increasing revenue from the cargo business to offset low demand in the passenger business until travel demand recovers. It will also make stepped-up efforts to cut costs and sell assets," the spokeswoman said.
Korean Air plans to resume flights on 19 international routes on June 1 as it prepares for increased travel demand after countries ease their entry restrictions. The reopening routes include Washington, D.C., Seattle, Vancouver, Toronto, Frankfurt, Singapore, Beijing and Kuala Lumpur.
It currently offers 55 flights a week on 13 international routes, sharply down from more than 900 flights on 110 long-haul routes before the airline industry was hit by the respiratory illness.
Starting in June, 146 flights on 32 international routes will be available.
As part of self-rescue efforts, Korean Air had 70 percent of its 20,000-strong workforce take paid leave for six months starting April 16, and it is in the process of selling non-core assets to secure cash.
The company plans to raise 1 trillion won by selling stocks, and the country's two policy lenders -- the Korea Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of Korea -- plan to inject 1.2 trillion won into the carrier.
Analysts said it remains to be seen whether the capital injection and Korean Air's planned rights issue will help the company ride out the coronavirus crisis because the virus continues to spread in some countries.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


Yonhap News Summary

SEOUL -- All small firearms at South Korea 's border guard posts have been newly inspected , but no problems @ @ @ @ @ official said Friday , following revelations that the response to the North 's recent gunfire @ @ @ @ @ machine gun malfunction .

The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Friday.
-----------------
(LEAD) Military vows thorough arms inspection after gun malfunctioning during DMZ shooting
SEOUL -- All small firearms at South Korea's border guard posts have been newly inspected, but no problems have been found, an official said Friday, following revelations that the response to the North's recent gunfire was slow due to a machine gun malfunction.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff official made the remark during a press briefing, promising to beef up regular inspections of weapons to prevent a similar incident from happening again and maintain a full readiness posture.
-----------------
Cheong Wa Dae admits discussion on 'media policy' with military officials over N. Korea's response to drills
SEOUL -- Cheong Wa Dae confirmed Friday it convened a meeting with military officials in charge of public relations with regard to North Korea's strong criticism of South Korea's recent border island drills.
Presidential spokesman Kang Min-seok stressed that the meeting was to discuss media-related policy, not to "reprimand" the military.
-----------------
S. Koreans venture out to remote campgrounds to avoid crowds, virus
SEOUL -- Even the relentless novel coronavirus pandemic does not seem to have stopped Koreans' love of the outdoors.
State and private campgrounds are getting more reservations, as restless people seek to stretch their legs, get some fresh air and relax without worrying about the virus, after two months of intensive social distancing in response to COVID-19.
-----------------
Oldest Korean coronavirus patient discharged from hospital
SEOUL -- South Korea's oldest coronavirus patient, a 104-year-old woman in the southeastern province of North Gyeongsang, was released from a hospital Friday after 67 days of treatment, officials said.
The centenarian, identified only as Choi, left Pohang Medical Center, a provincial government-run hospital, in Pohang, some 375 kilometers southeast of Seoul, around noon after testing negative for COVID-19, according to the hospital officials.
-----------------
K-pop concerts go online in time of pandemic
SEOUL -- Tens of thousands of fans from across the globe simultaneously cheered and applauded in the safety of their own homes when their favorite K-pop boy band, SuperM, appeared on the screen for an online concert.
Streamed live on the internet portal Naver's V Live service on April 26, the two-hour concert brought back together the Billboard-topping K-pop band and its fans from across the world without the hassles of cross-border trips or crowds in the time of a pandemic.
------------------
Seoul vows to fast-track public projects to help virus-hit steel sector
SEOUL -- The government will fast-track infrastructure projects to help cushion the steel industry from the fallout of the crippling coronavirus outbreak, the industry minister said Friday.
"The implementation of state infrastructure projects will be advanced as much as possible to help the industry weather a tumble in global demand," Industry Minister Sung Yun-mo said in a meeting with CEOs of steel companies.
-----------------
Political parties scurry to craft post-election strategies
SEOUL -- A month into the April 15 parliamentary elections, political parties are struggling to craft post-election strategies, with the ruling party focusing on coping with the coronavirus pandemic and passing reform-related bills.
The main opposition United Future Party (UFP), meanwhile, is still reeling from the impact of its crushing election defeat, with the task of rebuilding the party as a viable conservative party.
-----------------
(LEAD) Seoul stocks nearly flat after choppy session
SEOUL -- South Korean stocks closed slightly higher Friday after a choppy session as investors sat on the sidelines over the growing concerns over the diplomatic and economic tension between the United States and China. The Korean won fell against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) moved up 2.32 points, or 0.12 percent, to finish at 1,927.28.
-------------------
(END)


yna--2020-05-15--Cheong Wa Dae admits discussion on 'media policy' with military officials over N. Korea's response t

Cheong Wa Dae admits discussion on 'media policy' with military officials over N. Korea's response to drills

Earlier in the day , the Seoul-based Chosun Ilbo newspaper carried a front-page report claiming that Moon 's office had @ @ @ @ @ and berated them over the revelation of the unannounced joint exercise conducted by the Navy @ @ @ @ @ May 6 .
The next day , an official daily , affiliated with the Ministry @ @ @ @ @ training staged in the vicinity of northwestern islets near the sea border with the North @

SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- Cheong Wa Dae confirmed Friday it convened a meeting with military officials in charge of public relations with regard to North Korea's strong criticism of South Korea's recent border island drills.
Presidential spokesman Kang Min-seok stressed that the meeting was to discuss media-related policy, not to "reprimand" the military.
Earlier in the day, the Seoul-based Chosun Ilbo newspaper carried a front-page report claiming that Moon's office had called in senior military officers and berated them over the revelation of the unannounced joint exercise conducted by the Navy and the Air Force on May 6. The next day, an official daily, affiliated with the Ministry of Defense, reported the training staged in the vicinity of northwestern islets near the sea border with the North.
The North's military then issued a statement describing the action as a grave provocation. It said the military practice was a reminder that, "The enemies remain enemies all the time." It added, "Everything is now going back to the starting point before the North-South summit meeting in 2018."
Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok in a file photo (Yonhap)
Pyongyang's angry response came at a time when the Moon Jae-in administration is seeking to resume inter-Korean cooperation, especially against the coronavirus.
Kang said the Cheong Wa Dae session was meant to review media-related policy, not military drills or operation.
Accordingly, the Chosun Ilbo's report is "exaggerated false news," he stressed.
A Cheong Wa Dae official later told reporters that Kim You-geun, deputy director of Cheong Wa Dae's national security office, attended the meeting.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-15--K-pop concerts go online in time of pandemic

`` Beyond Live is the first-ever paid concert conducted exclusively online in the world that SM launched in cooperation with @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Equipping K-pop performances with AR and 3D graphic technologies , it provides entertainment @ @ @ @ @ , '' it said .

By Park Boram
SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- Tens of thousands of fans from across the globe simultaneously cheered and applauded in the safety of their own homes when their favorite K-pop boy band, SuperM, appeared on the screen for an online concert.
Streamed live on the internet portal Naver's V Live service on April 26, the two-hour concert brought back together the Billboard-topping K-pop band and its fans from across the world without the hassles of cross-border trips or crowds in the time of a pandemic.
The first-ever exclusively online pop concert, with a fee, according to the group's management agency, drew about 75,000 fans.
The global show business sector, spanning from pop to classical music, has fast turned online, throwing livestreaming charity concerts or other onetime paid performances online as the pandemic brought on-site concerts to a complete halt.
Going technically beyond such online performances, the new breed of K-pop livestreaming concerts heralds the opening of a new chapter in show business, providing larger-than-life concert experiences online through high tech.
A mosaic of hundreds of thousands of moving images showing the individual faces of the latest SuperM concert's spectators flickered in the backdrop of the live show as Alison, one of the fans, posed a question about pastime to Taemin, a member of the boy band.
An image from SuperM's online livestreaming concert on April 26, 2020, captured from the show (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Taemin immediately answered, telling the waiting fans that he watches movies or YouTube while staying at home. Fans instantly erupted in cheers.
As the band performed 18 songs during the two-hour event, moving 3D images of animals and stage settings appeared on the screen, enhancing the show's excitement while an accompanying chat room allowed fans to share comments among themselves and with the stars.
The simultaneous screams of roaring fans were also intermittently inserted to the show's background while the fans' light sticks were connected to the show's control center to change colors in sync with the show's progress.
An image from SuperM's online livestreaming concert on April 26, 2020, captured from the show (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
SM Entertainment, the band's management agency, said the show, with the ticket price of 33,000 won (US$27) and technically supported by Naver, was watched by about 75,000 fans from 109 countries as the first edition of the Beyond Live concert series.
SM's other high-profile artists, including NCT 127, TVXQ and Super Junior, are also on course to meet with fans through the concert system this month.
Going forward, SM said the concert series will adopt a "multicam" function, starting this month, allowing fans to select their favorite band members and to enjoy zoomed-in images of a particular artist.
"Beyond Live is the first-ever paid concert conducted exclusively online in the world that SM launched in cooperation with Naver," SM said. "Equipping K-pop performances with AR and 3D graphic technologies, it provides entertainment that is only possible online," it said.
Including SM's new business venture, the K-pop scene is striving to convert its lucrative performance business online as the industry is looking for a new source of revenue as the pandemic axed its massive global concert revenues.
Having postponed the entire itinerary of its world tour this year, K-pop superband BTS is also gearing up to join the ticketed livestreaming concert front.
BTS' agency, Big Hit Entertainment announced a day earlier that the septet will stage an online live concert, Bang Bang Con the Live, on June 14 (Korean time), inviting fans from around the world.
The paid concert comes after BTS aired free online streams of its previous live shows last month in a pilot online concert project. A total of 2.24 million fans simultaneously connected to the two-day livestreaming event in April, proving the potential of online live shows in the time of social distancing.
A promotional image for Bang Bang Con the Live, provided by Big Hit Entertainment (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Joining the trend, South Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM has announced that this year's KCON, a major annual K-pop and Korean culture festival, will be held partly as an YouTube streaming event from June 20-26, featuring some 30 K-pop artists.
Some of the festival's content, which spans from music concerts, fan-meeting events and beauty and food promotion programs, will be available as paid services, CJ said, adding that parts of the proceeds will be donated to UNESCO.
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-15--(4th LD) S. Korea at critical juncture to stem further virus spread after Itaewon cluster

However , the number of daily new cases has been between 20 and 30 for the past six days after @ @ @ @ @ spike in cases coming from entertainment facilities in Seoul 's Itaewon area , with secondary @ @ @ @ @ only in Seoul but other cities .

(ATTN: ADDS official's remarks and more info in paras 20-25)
SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korean health authorities said Friday that this weekend will be a critical juncture in the country's efforts to stem the further spread of the virus following cluster infections in a nightlife zone in Seoul, as more citizens may be exposed to the virus over the weekend.
Twenty-seven new cases of COVID-19 were detected Thursday, with 22 of them being local infections, bringing the nation's total number to 11,018, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
Of the newly added cases, 17 are connected to bars and clubs in Seoul's popular nightlife district of Itaewon between April 24 and May 6, according to the KCDC.
As of Friday noon, a total of 153 people have tested positive in connection with the Itaewon outbreak, including 90 clubgoers and 63 of their family members, coworkers and contacts, indicating that secondary and tertiary infections from the nightclub cases have already emerged, the KCDC said.
Park Min-young, the homeroom teacher of a sixth-grade class, conducts a remote class at an empty classroom in Borame Elementary School in Seoul, on May 15, 2020, Teachers' Day, as South Korea has introduced online classes for elementary, middle and high schools amid the coronavirus pandemic. On the screen is a message in Korean that says, "Mr. Park, Thank You." (Yonhap)
Health authorities are staying vigilant against the community spread of COVID-19 connected to the Itaewon cluster that began early this month, urging those who visited places in the neighborhood to get virus tests.
"A slew of secondary and tertiary infections have been reported across the country," Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip said. "We expect to witness small-sized cluster infection cases down the road."
Health authorities again urged people to refrain from visiting multiuse facilities and having gatherings this weekend.
South Korea had added fewer than 15 cases of COVID-19 since mid-April, with the number of domestic infections even falling to zero on some days.
However, the number of daily new cases has been between 20 and 30 for the past six days after the country saw an unexpected spike in cases coming from entertainment facilities in Seoul's Itaewon area, with secondary and tertiary infections reported not only in Seoul but other cities.
In an effort to prevent the Itaewon infection cluster from expanding into a mass outbreak, health authorities said they will disinfect nightclubs and bars this weekend.
Of the 22 new local infections, 14 are from Seoul, followed by the western port city of Incheon with four, the KCDC said.
Besides the Itaewon cluster, the KCDC said a total of 15 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in connection with a private academy instructor from Incheon.
The instructor has come under fire after lying about his occupation following his recent visit to a Itaewon club.
For South Korea's quarantine operations, imported cases are now less of a concern, though the country reported five more such cases Friday.
South Korea's oldest COVID-19 patient, a 104-year-old surnamed Choi, is discharged from a hospital in Pohang, South Korea, on May 15, 2020. (Yonhap)
South Korea's virus deaths remained the same at 260, according to the KCDC, with the mortality rate reaching 2.37 percent.
The total number of people released from quarantine after full recoveries stood at 9,821, up 59 from a day earlier, the KCDC said.
The country has carried out COVID-19 tests on 726,747 people since Jan. 3, including 15,263 from a day earlier.
The number of people undergoing tests has spiked recently due to cases linked to nightspots in Itaewon.
Some 4,300 out of estimated 5,500 visitors to five nightclubs have been tested over the Itaewon infection cluster, according to the KCDC.
Health authorities said they are still tracking down the whereabouts of some 1,200 clubgoers during the cited period.
KCDC Chief Jeong Eun-kyeong cautioned against additional infections at other cluster facilities such as karaoke rooms, also known as noraebang in Korean.
A chain transmission has been reported at another karaoke room in the northeastern Seoul ward of Dobong, where an acquaintance of an Itaewon clubber visited.
"There is a possibility that the virus was transmitted through contacts in common areas, such as toilets and resting rooms," she said, adding that the virus might have spread through tiny droplets in the air, not the air ventilation system.
On May 6, the country switched to an "everyday life quarantine" and the normalization of public facilities and other business establishments, under the condition they follow basic sanitation measures.
However, due to the recent surge in virus cases traced to the Itaewon area, the country has decided to push back the reopening of schools by one week.
The KCDC said schools will reopen as planned Wednesday, allowing students to begin physically attending classes.
A sign shows the Seoul Central District Court is temporarily closed on May 15, 2020, after one of its employees tested positive for COVID-19. (Yonhap)
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-16--(URGENT) 30 more people released after full recovery from coronavirus, bringing total to 9,851: KCDC

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


yna--2020-05-16--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 2 additional virus death, death toll now at 262: KCDC


yna--2020-05-16--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 19 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 11,037: KCDC


yna--2020-05-16--Monthly moviegoers hit record low in April

The number of moviegoers in South Korea has been declining sharply since the beginning of 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic @ @ @ @ @

SEOUL, May 16 (Yonhap) -- The number of moviegoers fell to a record low last month as the coronavirus scare has kept people from going to cinemas, data showed Saturday.
A total of 970,000 movie tickets were sold in April, plunging 92.7 percent from 13.3 million tallied a year ago, according to data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC).
It is the lowest monthly box office number since KOFIC started to compile such data in 2004, and below the previous all-time low of 1.83 million set in March.
Total revenue nose-dived 93.4 percent on-year to 7.5 billion won (US$6.1 million) in April.
A record low of 140,000 people saw homegrown films last month, down 94.9 percent on-year, while foreign flicks attracted 830,000 viewers over the same period, down 92.1 percent from a year earlier.
The number of moviegoers in South Korea has been declining sharply since the beginning of 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the world.
Some 16.8 million people went to theaters in January, followed by 7.37 million in February and 1.83 million in March.
In efforts to cope with slumping demand, big multiplex chains have closed some of their theaters in April, while dozens of movies have postponed scheduled premieres.
A movie theater in Seoul is almost empty amid fears over the coronavirus on May 1, 2020. (Yonhap)
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-16--Seoul shares set to trade in tight range next week on pandemic, U.S.-China tension

The index further lost ground after U.S. President Donald Trump insisted that he was `` not interested '' in seeking @ @ @ @ @ the ongoing trade row .
The world 's top two economies are also major trade @ @ @ @ @

SEOUL, May 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks are expected to trade in a tight range next week due to the growing tension between the United States and China, coupled with a rise in new virus cases here, analysts said Saturday.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 1,927.28 points Friday, down 0.95 percent from a week earlier.
On Monday, the stock market lost ground on growing concerns over new cluster infections of COVID-19 in the capital city.
South Korea had added fewer than 15 cases of COVID-19 since mid-April, with the number of domestic infections even falling to zero on some days.
A dealer works in front of an electronic signboard at the headquarters of Hana Bank in Seoul on May 15, 2020. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 1,927.28 points Friday, down 0.95 percent from a week earlier. (Yonhap)
However, the number of daily new cases has been between 20 and 30 for the past week after the country saw an unexpected spike in cases coming from nightlife facilities in Seoul's popular Itaewon district.
The index further lost ground after U.S. President Donald Trump insisted that he was "not interested" in seeking new negotiations with China on the ongoing trade row. The world's top two economies are also major trade partners of South Korea.
"The discord between Washington and Beijing will linger as a threat for the South Korean stock market," said Noh Dong-kil, a researcher at NH Investment & Securities Co. But the analyst hinted the stimulus moves from the U.S. may limit the decrease.
Trump later warned that the U.S. is willing to cut off all ties with China, expressing discontent over Beijing's handling of the virus pandemic.
Foreigners offloaded a net 1.8 trillion won (US$1.25 billion) this week, while retail investors scooped up a net 2.3 trillion won. Institutions sold a net 564 billion won.
Analysts said the market is expected to lose ground next week on the deepening tension between South Korea's top two trade partners.
This week, tech and chemical shares mostly lost ground, while pharmaceutical firms moved up.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-16--(EDITORIAL from Korea Times on May 16)

(EDITORIAL from Korea Times on May 16)

Understandably , the academic schedule is particularly pressing for the seniors with the all-important College Scholastic Ability Test on Dec. @ @ @ @ @ call for the flexible operation of academic and curricular requirements so that students can learn @ @ @ @ @ without much physical attendance .
The authorities are surely working hard , but we have @ @ @ @ @ detailed plans to realistically prevent infection once the schools reopen ― such as how to @ @ @ @ @ the masks in hot weather or how schools will respond in the case of an @ @

Alert on school opening
Use Korea's competitive disease control methods to fight second wave
When President Moon Jae-in rallied teachers Friday vowing to "develop remote learning systems and information-communication infrastructure," on social media, he sounded prophetic about a new educational reality for Korea.
Schools are still scheduled to reopen, starting with high school seniors on May 20. But the fear of a second wave of COVID-19 infections among visitors to bars and clubs in Itaewon has prompted more than 200,000 people to endorse a petition on the presidential office's site asking for the reopening of schools to be delayed. The government must now respond.
The education ministry has reiterated that it will open schools for high school seniors. In response to fears of new infections, the ministry said it will strengthen social distancing and everyday disease control rules further for schools and private institutes. As the World Health Organization has warned that the novel coronavirus may never go away and we will have to learn to live with it, the education ministry's plans may well be the best option.
But since a man in his 20s tested positive after visiting bars and clubs in Itaewon on May 6, the number of related infections has risen to more than 150. Another man in his 20s who tested positive in Incheon has infected his students and adults.
These figures are not yet menacing with a view to the Korean quarantine system in mind. However, they do evoke the dread of a repetition of the first mass infections that occurred within the members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which engulfed Daegu and spread throughout the country from February for two months. Like the church, the nation's 20,000 kindergartens, primary and secondary schools with about 6 million students and 500,000 teachers, are a cauldron for possible mass infections.
Understandably, the academic schedule is particularly pressing for the seniors with the all-important College Scholastic Ability Test on Dec. 3. But the times call for the flexible operation of academic and curricular requirements so that students can learn throughout this academic year even without much physical attendance. The authorities are surely working hard, but we have to ask if there are detailed plans to realistically prevent infection once the schools reopen ― such as how to get the students to wear the masks in hot weather or how schools will respond in the case of an emergency.
There is no easy answer to this for sure. But the safety of schools for students and teachers alike should be the top priority. Surely the erstwhile quarantine practices that Korea has accrued in fighting the first wave have left clues and lessons for the educational and health authorities to learn from.
(END)


yna--2020-05-16--Top headlines in major S. Korean newspapers

Korean-language dailies -- Ex-President Chun sought U.S. help after military coup in 1979 : U.S. documents ( Kyunghyang Shinmun ) @ @ @ @ @ following military coup in December 1979 : U.S. documents ( Kookmin Daily ) -- Itaewon-tied @ @ @ @ @ llbo ) -- Downside economic risks rise in May over coronavirus : gov't ( Segye @ @ @ @ @ group accused of using shelter for ex-sex slaves as a pension ( Chosun Ilbo ) @ @ @ @ @ cases spawn concerns about chain infections ( JoongAng Ilbo ) -- Global leaders raise need @ @ @ @ @ vaccine , treatment ( Hankyoreh ) -- Shelter for former sex slaves put up for @ @ @ @ @ purchase ( Hankook Ilbo ) -- Seoul city gov't lacks budget for emergency aid funds @ @ @ @ @ -- Airliners , travel agencies to post terrible earnings over coronavirus ( Korea Economic Daily @

SEOUL, May 16 (Yonhap) -- The following are the top headlines in major South Korean newspapers on May 16.
Korean-language dailies
-- Ex-President Chun sought U.S. help after military coup in 1979: U.S. documents (Kyunghyang Shinmun)
-- Chun sought U.S. help following military coup in December 1979: U.S. documents (Kookmin Daily)
-- Itaewon-tied infections fast spread (Donga llbo)
-- Downside economic risks rise in May over coronavirus: gov't (Segye Times)
-- Controversial civic group accused of using shelter for ex-sex slaves as a pension (Chosun Ilbo)
-- Rise in Itaewon clubs-linked cases spawn concerns about chain infections (JoongAng Ilbo)
-- Global leaders raise need for free supply of coronavirus vaccine, treatment (Hankyoreh)
-- Shelter for former sex slaves put up for sale only 3 years after purchase (Hankook Ilbo)
-- Seoul city gov't lacks budget for emergency aid funds (Maeil Business Newspaper)
-- Airliners, travel agencies to post terrible earnings over coronavirus (Korea Economic Daily)
English-language dailies
-- Taiwan question puts S. Korea to test over US-China row (Korea Times)
(END)


Saturday's weather forecast

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


yna--2020-05-16--Mortician nabbed for stealing gold teeth from corpses

On arriving at the funeral home in the port city 's Sasang Ward , police officers were surprised to find @ @ @ @ @ with a tweezer and a plier , in his pocket .
When asked why he @ @ @ @ @ , he confessed to having pulled out the gold teeth from three corpses stored in @ @ @ @ @ tools prepared in advance , according to the police .

BUSAN, May 16 (Yonhap) -- A funeral director has been detained for stealing at least 10 gold teeth from bodies at a hospital funeral home in Busan, police said Saturday.
The mortician, identified only as a man in his 30s, was detected on surveillance cameras trespassing into the funeral parlor's chapel of rest at 3:30 a.m. Thursday and opening corpse refrigerators. His intrusion and gristly acts in the wee hours of the night were immediately reported by hospital security guards to the police.
On arriving at the funeral home in the port city's Sasang Ward, police officers were surprised to find 10 gold teeth, along with a tweezer and a plier, in his pocket. When asked why he broke into the funeral home, he confessed to having pulled out the gold teeth from three corpses stored in the refrigerator, using the tools prepared in advance, according to the police.
He was accused of collecting only the gold in crowns or fillings from the corpses for sale, instead of pulling out entire teeth. Gold teeth reportedly sell for 20,000 won (US$16.3) to 50,000 won apiece in the market.
The man, who has worked as a freelance funeral instructor over the past six years, told police that he had committed the theft to make up for his poor income. He said he had thought of profiting from the corpses because their gold teeth would be abandoned anyway.
Police said the man had never worked at the funeral parlor into which he trespassed.
Police have requested a pretrial detention warrant for him on charges of trespassing and dismemberment of corpses, while inquiring into the possibility of his other crimes in the past.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-16--Moon gearing up for key projects on economy, peace process in June

Moon has ordered relevant ministries to draw up a comprehensive action plan and to report it to him by this @ @ @ @ @ Ministry of Environment , the Ministry of Trade , Industry and Energy , the Ministry @ @ @ @ @ the Ministry of Land , Infrastructure and Transport .

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, May 16 (Yonhap) -- For President Moon Jae-in, June will be a crucial month in preparations for the post-coronavirus era and efforts to jump-start inter-Korean ties.
He is setting his sights on a string of major projects in the coming month related to the economy and inter-Korean cooperation, while quarantine authorities here are struggling to contain COVID-19 amid concerns about new cluster infections in Seoul's nightlife district of Itaewon.
Moon and his aides hope that the number of daily confirmed cases will drop back to single digits ahead of end-May, as they are seeking to launch a full-fledged drive the following month to reinvigorate the economy and inter-Korean relations.
In early June, Moon's economy team plans to unveil its policy direction for the latter half of this year. A highlight would be details of Moon's Korean version of the New Deal. The concept is to seek a "Green New Deal" or "Digital New Deal," but details remain vague.
Moon has ordered relevant ministries to draw up a comprehensive action plan and to report it to him by this weekend. They are the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
"Beginning in June, President Moon would like to focus on (taking) concrete measures to prepare for the post-coronavirus era. The new National Assembly is opening as well at a time when related legislative steps are necessary in addition to administrative ones," a Cheong Wa Dae official said.
Moon expects a breakthrough in his attempt to improve the Seoul-Pyongyang relationship, with the two sides commemorating key joint anniversaries, such as the 20th anniversary of the June 15 summit accord and the 70th anniversary of the June 25 outbreak of the Korean War.
This file photo shows President Moon Jae-in taking off a face mask before making opening remarks at a meeting with young startup leaders in Seoul on May 14, 2020. (Yonhap)
South Korea hopes to organize relevant ceremonies with the North, which depends apparently on Pyongyang's attitude and coronavirus-related conditions.
Moon has already proposed inter-Korean quarantine cooperation as a starting point for a broader range of partnerships including relinking cross-border railways and allowing South Koreans to make individual tours of the communist nation.
He believes that Chinese President Xi Jinping could support the process, probably as a mediator.
Cheong Wa Dae still hopes that Xi will travel to South Korea before the end of June as initially agreed. The best-case scenario is that he visits the South with a message from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un right after holding summit talks with him in Pyongyang, according to an informed source.
Regarding the yearlong trade row with Japan, the government urged the neighboring country to retract export control measures by the end of June, according to another source. Tokyo initiated the retaliatory action in early July last year in protest against Seoul's handing of the wartime forced labor compensation issue.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)