yna--2020-09-12--(LEAD) Kang calls for region's 'unified message' for resumption of N.K. dialogue

Participants in the ministerial session shared the view that peace on the peninsula is directly linked to peace and prosperity @ @ @ @ @ But they also mentioned the need to implement U.N. Security Council sanctions against the North @

(ATTN: CHANGES headline, lead, photo; UPDATES throughout)
By Song Sang-ho
SEOUL, Sept. 12 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha called Saturday for Asia-Pacific countries to send a "unified message" for the resumption of dialogue with North Korea, renewing Seoul's resolve to forge ahead with efforts for lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Speaking at the video-linked ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), Kang also highlighted South Korea's push to improve inter-Korean ties through various projects for cross-border cooperation, which she called a "cornerstone" of peace on the peninsula.
Inter-Korean dialogue has remained stalled amid a deadlock in nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang, which has continued since their summit in Hanoi in February last year ended without a deal.
"Minister Kang said that although it would be difficult to resolve the long-standing distrust on the Korean Peninsula, the peninsula issue can be settled only through sustained dialogue and cooperation," the foreign ministry said in a press release.
"The minister said she expects the ARF to send a unified message calling for a peaceful resolution of the issue thorough an early resumption of dialogue," it added.
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha speaks during the video-linked session of the ASEAN Regional Forum 2020 at the foreign ministry in Seoul on Sept. 12, 2020, in this photo provided by her office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Participants in the ministerial session shared the view that peace on the peninsula is directly linked to peace and prosperity in the overall region. But they also mentioned the need to implement U.N. Security Council sanctions against the North.
The virtual ARF session brought together representatives from 27 countries, including the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the United States, China and Japan.
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Son-gwon did not participate, but An Kwang-in, a senior North Korean diplomat in Indonesia, attended the session instead.
On the South China Sea issue, Kang reiterated Seoul's position in support of the freedom of navigation and overflights in the strategically vital waterway, saying peace in the sea is particularly crucial at a time of the COVID-19 crisis.
Touching on the issue of refugees who fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar, Kang noted that Seoul is pushing for US$5.5 million in humanitarian aid for refugees this year.
In addition, the minister stressed the importance of the regional countries remaining vigilant against a series of nontraditional security challenges, such as terrorism and cyberincursions, noting increased cyberspace activity amid the pandemic.
On Wednesday, Kang joined the ASEAN Plus Three meeting, which includes South Korea, China and Japan; the South Korea-ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting; and the East Asia Summit (EAS) session. All these sessions were held via videoconference due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the sessions, Kang called for stronger multilateral cooperation in tackling transnational issues, such as the new coronavirus, while reaffirming Seoul's resolve to deepen relations with ASEAN under its signature New Southern Policy.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-12--Cardinals' Kim Kwang-hyun could rejoin rotation early next week following kidney ailment

`` He 's going to come back as a starter , '' Shildt said .
`` He had a really @ @ @ @ @ and another positive day ( Friday ) .
We need him to start , but @ @ @ @ @ to , we 're not going to cram him into something that he could n't @ @ @ @ @ 's ready .
We feel like he can get going . ''

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Sept. 12 (Yonhap) -- The St. Louis Cardinals' South Korean starter Kim Kwang-hyun has made significant progress from his recent kidney ailment and could return to the mound early next week.
Kim was hospitalized for a day in Chicago last week with renal infarction, caused by a blockage of blood flood to a kidney. He had been scheduled to start last Sunday against the Cubs but was instead placed on the 10-day injured list (IL), retroactive to last Wednesday.
In this Associated Press file photo from Aug. 27, 2020, Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the top of the second inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. (Yonhap)
St. Louis manager Mike Shildt told reporters Friday (local time) that Kim could rejoin the rotation as early as Monday in one of the doubleheader games against the Milwaukee Brewers.
"He's going to come back as a starter," Shildt said. "He had a really good day (Thursday) and another positive day (Friday). We need him to start, but just because we need him to, we're not going to cram him into something that he couldn't physically do. But he's ready. We feel like he can get going."
The clearance Kim needs to pitch is medical related, not baseball, according to the Cardinals. Kim has been placed on blood thinners, and he may have excessive bleeding if he has cuts or bruises.
Starting Monday, the Cardinals will play 13 games in 10 days on the road, with the Milwaukee Brewers, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Kansas City Royals on the horizon. The trip will include three sets of doubleheaders.
Kim last pitched on Sept. 1 and picked up his second win of the season by holding the Cincinnati Reds scoreless over five innings.
As a big league rookie following 13 seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), Kim has been one of the Cardinals' most reliable starters. He has a 0.44 ERA in four starts with a 2-0 record and hasn't allowed an earned run in his last 17 innings.
In this Associated Press file photo from Sept. 1, 2020, Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the bottom of the third inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-12--S. Korea exploring football friendlies in Europe in Nov.

One potential hurdle is the scheduling conflict with clubs in the top-flight K League 1 .
Four teams from the @ @ @ @ @ , Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors , Suwon Samsung Bluewings and FC Seoul , are scheduled to @ @ @ @ @ in the Asian Football Confederation ( AFC ) Champions League between Nov. 15 and Dec. @ @ @ @ @ , being the two best clubs so far this season , are expected to have @ @ @ @ @ up for the national team duty , too .

SEOUL, Sept. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea may travel to Europe for men's football friendlies during an international match window in November, a national team official said Saturday.
Because of travel restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic, the South Korean men's national football team hasn't played an official match in 2020.
An official with the Korea Football Association (KFA) said the governing body is "exploring possibilities" of visiting a European country with fewer COVID-19 restrictions to play two friendly matches during the FIFA international match window of Nov. 9-17.
In this file photo from Dec. 18, 2019, members of the South Korean men's national football team celebrate their title at the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Football Championship at Busan Asiad Main Stadium in Busan, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)
"With the mandatory two-week quarantine period for international arrivals into Korea, it'll be virtually impossible for us to host friendly matches here," the KFA official said. "We're trying to see if we could maybe play away matches in some European countries."
Though South Korea may travel to Europe, their opponents may not necessarily be from that continent. The biennial UEFA Nations League tournament will be in full swing in November.
"We're considering teams from Africa, South America, or Central and North America," the KFA official said. "Most of the key players from those countries play for clubs in Europe, and so they would prefer to play friendlies in Europe, too."
One potential hurdle is the scheduling conflict with clubs in the top-flight K League 1. Four teams from the league, Ulsan Hyundai FC, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Suwon Samsung Bluewings and FC Seoul, are scheduled to resume their group stage action in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League between Nov. 15 and Dec. 13. Ulsan and Jeonbuk, being the two best clubs so far this season, are expected to have a few key players called up for the national team duty, too.
In this file photo from May 8, 2020, Paulo Bento, head coach of the South Korean men's national football team, watches a K League 1 match between Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Suwon Samsung Bluewings at Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Jeonju, 240 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
South Korea last played in December 2019 at the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Football Championship in Busan, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
Coached by Paulo Bento, the senior national squad is scheduled to face the under-23 men's team in two exhibition matches during the Oct. 5-13 FIFA window.
The status of those matches is up in the air, though. The K League 1 is likely to announce changes to its calendar after the AFC's decision from Thursday to move Champions League restart dates. The final stretch of the K League 1 season will likely overlap with the Oct. 5-13 period.
"We understand completely where the K League 1 teams come from," the KFA official said. "We'll sit down next week and review the situation."
This image, provided by the Korea Football Association on July 24, 2020, shows Paulo Bento (L), head coach of the South Korean men's senior national football team, and Kim Hak-bum, who coaches the men's under-23 national football team. These two teams are scheduled to play two tuneup matches during the FIFA international match window of Oct. 5-13. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-12--Navy joins U.S.-led four-nation maritime exercise in Pacific

Before Pacific Vanguard , the four nations ' navies also took part in exercises together in Hawaii for the biannual @ @ @ @ @ ( RIMPAC ) from Aug. 17-31 and an additional maritime drill near Guam on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ said .

SEOUL, Sept. 12 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean Navy has joined a U.S.-led multinational maritime exercise in the Pacific, military officials said Saturday.
According to the officials, the navies of South Korea, the United States, Japan and Australia are engaged in the three-day joint maritime exercise, Pacific Vanguard, in waters near Guam, scheduled to continue through Sunday.
The South Korean Navy has dispatched the 7,600-ton Aegis destroyer Seoae Ryu Sung-ryong and the 4,400-ton Chungmugong Yi Sun-shin to the exercise.
Joining from the U.S. were an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, DDG-97, alongside a replenishment oiler and a submarine.
During the three-day exercise, the navies will engage in a range of drills, including an anti-submarine operation and a simulated battle.
Military officials said the Navy's participation in the latest Pacific Vanguard, the third of its kind since being launched last year, was requested by the U.S. side.
Before Pacific Vanguard, the four nations' navies also took part in exercises together in Hawaii for the biannual Rim of the Pacific exercise (RIMPAC) from Aug. 17-31 and an additional maritime drill near Guam on Wednesday and Thursday, the officials said.
This photo from the website of the United States Seventh Fleet shows the naval forces of South Korea, the United States, Japan and Australia engaged in a joint maritime exercise in the Pacific waters near Guam, scheduled to run from Sept. 11-13, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-12--(2nd LD) New virus cases under 200 for 10th day, extension of tougher virus curbs again under review

`` New daily infections have stubbornly stayed over 100 , and cluster infections of more or less than 20 cases @ @ @ @ @ outside of the capital area , '' Health Minister Park Neunghoo said in a government @ @ @ @ @ the day .
`` The situation is in a very worrisome state . ''

(ATTN: UPDATES with more info throughout; ADDS photos)
SEOUL, Sept. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new virus cases stayed below 200 for the 10th day in a row Saturday, but health authorities remain anxious about no letup in sporadic cluster infections and untraceable cases across the country.
Over the weekend, health authorities plan to determine whether to further extend stricter social distancing measures in the greater Seoul area by another week.
The country added 136 more COVID-19 cases, including 118 local infections, bringing the total caseload up to 22,055, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
The agency, an upgraded successor of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), officially set sail Saturday in a bid to elevate the country's capacity to contain infectious diseases, such as COVID-19.
The Saturday tally marked a solid drop from the 176 and 155 cases reported Friday and Thursday, respectively.
A shopkeeper in a traditional bazaar in the southern city of Gwangju on Sept. 12, 2020, wears a sign informing customers that she has tested negative for the new coronavirus after the market was closed for two days due to COVID-19 cases reported nearby. (Yonhap)
The country's new virus cases have been in the triple digits since Aug. 14, due mainly to cases tied to a conservative church in northern Seoul and an anti-government rally in mid-August. Daily infections soared to 441 on Aug. 27.
The number of additional virus cases has recently slowed to the 100 range on the back of stricter antivirus curbs, but it has not been on a markedly downward trend.
"New daily infections have stubbornly stayed over 100, and cluster infections of more or less than 20 cases have continued to show up outside of the capital area," Health Minister Park Neunghoo said in a government COVID-19 response meeting earlier in the day. "The situation is in a very worrisome state."
The minister said about 20 percent of recent daily new infections have stemmed from untraceable transmission sources, resulting in the virus "quietly spreading among local communities."
Park said that the country needs "more stringent and thorough (virus) management" now than during its first wave of transmissions centered around the southern city of Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province in late February.
"Currently, the virus transmissions are sporadically continuing across the country ... with 35 percent of (new) infection cases reported among people aged 60 or older," he said.
Kwon Jun-wook, a high-ranking health official, said later that ahead of the coming winter season, the country must avert a double epidemic of COVID-19 and influenza.
On Aug. 30, the country imposed Level 2.5 social distancing measures for eight days in the wider capital region, home to half of the country's 51.6 million population, and extended it by a week until Sunday.
Under the scheme, restaurants can operate only from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. and only takeaway or delivery is permitted outside of the permitted hours.
Franchise coffee houses, bakeries and ice cream shops are allowed to only offer takeaway or delivery at all times.
A restaurant in the famous Myeongdong shopping district in central Seoul is empty during lunch hours on Sept. 11, 2020, amid Level 2.5 social distancing rules in place. (Yonhap)
This weekend, health authorities will decide whether to extend the tougher curbs again.
Health authorities had initially set the goal of pushing daily cases below the 100 threshold before lifting the tougher distancing requirements.
But the prolonged business restrictions have been devastating to smaller business owners and the broader economy.
Government sources said the decision is likely to be announced Sunday.
Health authorities are warming to the option of retaining the present Level 2.5 social distancing while partly lifting the business restrictions imposed on restaurants and coffee shops, according to the sources.
Of the new locally transmitted cases, 50 cases were from Seoul and 28 from Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital. Incheon, west of Seoul, added eight cases.
Other municipalities reported new infections, with the central city of Daejeon adding seven cases and South Chungcheong Province reporting six cases.
A middle school student in Daejeon receives a COVID-19 test on Sept. 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
Cases traced to the protest rally in central Seoul on Aug. 15 added one more to a total of 565 cases as of noon on Saturday, according to health authorities.
Severance Hospital, one of the major general hospitals in Seoul, reported four more cases to a total of 23.
A Buddhist propagation facility in western Seoul added one more COVID-19 case, bringing the number of cluster infections there up to 23 cases.
Other cluster infections continued to pop up across the nation, including four more COVID-19 patients reported in a day care center for elderly people in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province. The cumulative number of infections there stood at 18.
Three more COVID-19 cases were traced to a health care product business forum in the central city of Daejeon to a total of 54 cases.
Citizens wait in line to be tested for COVID-19 at a makeshift clinic in central Seoul on Sept. 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
The country, meanwhile, reported 18 imported cases, including four from Australia and three from the United States.
South Korea reported five more deaths, raising the death toll to 355. The fatality rate came to 1.61 percent. Two more deaths were additionally reported as of noon on Saturday, which will be counted toward the daily tally for Sunday.
The number of patients in serious or critical condition came to 164, down 11 from the previous day. Slightly more than 23 percent of them were people in their 80s or older, while another 40 percent were patients in their 70s.
Of all the new cases confirmed during the past two weeks, 23.4 percent were classified as having been infected through untraceable sources, according to officials.
The total number of COVID-19 patients released from state-designated quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 18,029, up 413 from the previous day. So far, 81.75 percent of the patients reported here have been cured.
South Korea has carried out 2,135,457 COVID-19 tests since Jan. 3. The country reported its first case on Jan. 20.
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-12--(LEAD) 54 people contract COVID-19 from Daejeon's health care product event

`` Quarantine officials are trying to administer coronavirus tests for anybody who might have come into contact with the confirmed @ @ @ @ @ , '' a municipal official said .
`` But it 's frustrating that the speed @ @ @ @ @ faster than the speed of coronavirus tests . ''

(ATTN: UPDATES with eased restrictions on commercial and religious facilities in last 4 paras)
DAEJEON, Sept. 12 (Yonhap) -- Citizens in Daejeon, a central city about 150 kilometers south of Seoul, are getting restless as authorities announced Saturday a chain of coronavirus transmissions originating from a health care product business forum has infected 54 people so far.
Daejeon's latest cluster infection began Aug. 25, when a Seoul resident infected with COVID-19 hosted the forum on health care goods at a building in the In-dong district in the city's Dong Ward.
The entrance of a building in Daejeon's Dong Ward is closed on Sept. 11, 2020, after a cluster of coronavirus infections occurred from a health care goods event held there Aug. 25. (Yonhap)
A Daejeon woman in her 50s, codenamed Daejeon 293rd Patient, contracted the coronavirus from the Seoul resident and has since spread the virus to 28 other people, including her family members and acquaintances, according to municipal health authorities.
Soon after the business forum, the woman, a resident of Gayang-dong, Dong Ward, met with a number of family members and acquaintances, infecting six of them.
One of her infected acquaintances, identified only as a man in his 60s, visited a restaurant in Gayang-dong later, triggering a chain of coronavirus transmissions in the local community, the authorities explained.
They noted it is regrettable that the man codenamed Daejeon 311th Patient had visited the Gayang-dong restaurant twice, on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, for 20 minutes each time despite showing symptoms, such as phlegm and loss of taste.
The coronavirus then jumped from the 311th patient to as many as 19 people, including the restaurant's owner and a middle school student.
"Quarantine officials are trying to administer coronavirus tests for anybody who might have come into contact with the confirmed patients as swiftly as possible," a municipal official said. "But it's frustrating that the speed the coronavirus is spreading is faster than the speed of coronavirus tests."
Meanwhile, the municipality of Daejeon announced it will slightly ease business restrictions on commercial and religious facilities beginning next week.
Under the eased guidelines, nine types of businesses, including karaoke establishments, bars and indoor sports facilities, will be allowed to remain open until 1 a.m., beginning Monday, on condition that quarantine rules, such as wearing masks and electronic entry registration, are strictly observed.
But those facilities will still be banned from operating from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m.
Starting Sunday, the city's religious facilities will be allowed to resume in-person worship services attended by fewer than 50 people, the municipality said. Except the regular worship services, other religious gatherings and events, such as retreats and group meals, will still be prohibited.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-12--2.4 magnitude quake hits southeastern region

The maximum magnitude measured by regional observation equipment was 2 in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province , it noted .
@ @ @ @ @ only those in a quiet place or on the upper floors of a tall building @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Sept. 12 (Yonhap) -- A 2.4 magnitude earthquake hit the southeastern county of Chilgok on Saturday, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said.
The quake occurred at 1:31 p.m., 4 kilometers north of Chilgok of North Gyeongsang Province, at a depth of 15 km, according to the KMA. Chilgok is located some 280 km southeast of Seoul.
The epicenter was at 36.03 degrees north latitude and 128.4 degrees east longitude, the agency said, noting damage is not expected from the quake.
The maximum magnitude measured by regional observation equipment was 2 in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, it noted. Under such seismic intensity, only those in a quiet place or on the upper floors of a tall building can feel it.
This map shows the epicenter of a 2.4 magnitude earthquake that hit the southeastern county of Chilgok on Sept. 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-12--Today in Korean history

Today in Korean history

2005 -- The fourth round of six-party talks aimed at resolving the dispute over North Korea 's nuclear weapons program @ @ @ @ @ the session , the two Koreas , the United States , China , Japan and @ @ @ @ @ in which the North committed to abandoning its nuclear weapons program in exchange for economic @ @ @ @ @ other parties .

Sept. 13
1972 -- The two Koreas hold their second round of Red Cross talks.
1991 -- The Koreas separately apply for membership in the United Nations. They were approved five days later to join the world's largest body.
1996 -- The Busan International Film Festival, the first international film festival in South Korea, opens in the southeastern port city of Busan. The city changed the spelling of its name in 2001 to comply with a new government-devised Romanization system, but the film festival kept the former name.
2003 -- Typhoon Maemi hits South Korea, leaving nearly 120 people dead and 13 missing. Property damage was tallied at 4.2 trillion won (US$4 billion).
2004 -- North Korea says an explosion that occurred on Sept. 9 in the northern part of the country was related to the construction of a hydroelectric power station. The huge blast and mushroom cloud in Yanggang Province raised speculation that a nuclear device was detonated.
2005 -- The fourth round of six-party talks aimed at resolving the dispute over North Korea's nuclear weapons program resumes in Beijing. In the session, the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia issued a joint statement in which the North committed to abandoning its nuclear weapons program in exchange for economic and political incentives from the other parties.
2013 -- Embattled Prosecutor General Chae Dong-wook resigns after being dogged by allegations that he had a child through an extramarital affair.
(END)


yna--2020-09-12--54 people contract COVID-19 from Daejeon's health care product event

DAEJEON, Sept. 12 (Yonhap) -- Citizens in Daejeon, a central city about 150 kilometers south of Seoul, are getting restless as authorities announced Saturday a chain of coronavirus transmissions originating from a health care product business forum has infected 54 people so far.
Daejeon's latest cluster of infections began on Aug. 25, when a Seoul resident infected with COVID-19 hosted the forum on health care goods at a building in the In-dong district in the city's Dong Ward.
The entrance of a building in Daejeon's Dong Ward is closed on Sept. 11, 2020, after a cluster of coronavirus infections occurred from a health care goods event held there Aug. 25. (Yonhap)
A Daejeon woman in her 50s, codenamed Daejeon 293rd Patient, contracted the coronavirus from the Seoul resident and has since spread the virus to 28 other people, including her family members and acquaintances, according to municipal health authorities.
Soon after the business forum, the woman, a resident of Gayang-dong, Dong Ward, met with a number of family members and acquaintances, infecting six of them.
One of her infected acquaintances, identified only as a man in his 60s, visited a restaurant in Gayang-dong later, triggering a chain of coronavirus transmissions in the local community, the authorities explained.
They noted it is regrettable that the man codenamed Daejeon 311th Patient had visited the Gayang-dong restaurant twice, on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, for 20 minutes each time despite showing symptoms, such as phlegm and loss of taste.
The coronavirus then jumped from the 311th patient to as many as 19 people, including the restaurant's owner and a middle school student.
"Quarantine officials are trying to administer coronavirus tests for anybody who might have come into contact with the confirmed patients as swiftly as possible," a municipal official said. "But it's frustrating that the speed the coronavirus is spreading is faster than the speed of coronavirus tests."
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-13--South Korean shares log 2nd highest gains among G-20 peers

Global financial markets are still struggling to recover from the economic fallout of COVID-19 , data showed .
Only four @ @ @ @ @ , Argentina , the United States and China -- saw their key stock gauges go @ @ @ @ @ .

SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's key stock index has posted the second-highest profit rate among its Group of 20 peers since this year's bottom, helped by robust buying by individuals, the bourse operator said Sunday.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 2,396.69 points Friday, soaring 64.42 percent from 1,439.43 on March 19.
All G-20 countries saw their main stock indices plunge to the year's lowest in mid-March, when investors' fear peaked over the new coronavirus pandemic.
The gain marks the second-highest rate only after Argentina's 107.54 percent, the Korea Exchange (KRX) said.
Among advanced economies, Germany gained 56.4 percent, with Japan advancing 41.4 percent and France adding 34.07 percent. Among emerging economies, Brazil added 54.73 percent, with India and Russia up 49.55 percent and 46.96 percent, respectively.
Of the Wall Street peers, the Nasdaq rose 58.2 percent. The S&P 500 rose 49.32 percent, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 48.8 percent.
Screens at the trading room of Hana Bank in Seoul show the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 2,396.69 on Sept. 11, 2020, up 0.21 points, or 0.01 percent, from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)
Global financial markets are still struggling to recover from the economic fallout of COVID-19, data showed. Only four G-20 members -- South Korea, Argentina, the United States and China -- saw their key stock gauges go up from a year ago.
Local experts attributed the KOSPI's surge to the brisk investment by retail investors.
Since March 19 to Sept. 11, individuals bought a net 25.8 trillion won (US$21.7 billion) worth of local stocks, while foreigners sold a net 14.9 trillion won. Institutions offloaded a net 11.9 trillion won.
"The biggest push came from huge direct investment by individuals," said Kyobo Securities senior researcher Kim Hyung-ryeol.
"The current low-interest environment caused a massive inflow of cash into the local stock markets," he added.
Investors' desposits at brokerages stood at 57.4 trillion won as of Friday, according to the data from the Korea Financial Investment Association (KOFIA).
jwc@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-13--Foreign ministry to set up own videoconferencing system for better security

`` Before COVID-19 , we talked in person , so there were no concerns over leakage through the internet , @ @ @ @ @ are difficult , we need a platform where we can talk online without having to @ @ @ @ @ '' an official said .

SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- The foreign ministry is pushing to build its own videoconference platform to improve security as virtual meetings continue across the world due to the new coronavirus pandemic, officials said Sunday.
The ministry currently uses its intranet for talks with overseas missions but relies on private platforms for discussions with foreign governments or international organizations.
"Before COVID-19, we talked in person, so there were no concerns over leakage through the internet, but now as overseas trips are difficult, we need a platform where we can talk online without having to worry about such problems," an official said.
The government's plan is to keep the internet-based new system's server inside the ministry to minimize the possibility of hacking.
It plans to set up the platform by next year and will seek a 6.2 billion-won (US$5.2 million) budget increase from the National Assembly for the project, according to officials.
South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha (C) takes part in a video-linked session of the ASEAN Regional Forum at her office in Seoul on Sept. 12, 2020, in this photo provided by the foreign ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-09-13--LG forms consortium studying materials using AI tech

LG Science Park , the research and development ( R & D ) hub of LG Group in Seoul , @ @ @ @ @ firm Total S.A. , Canada 's McMaster University and the University of Toronto , and @ @ @ @ @ Canada to launch the Alliance for AI-Accelerated Materials Discovery ( A3MD ) .

SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- LG Group, South Korea's fourth-largest conglomerate, said Sunday it has formed a research consortium with global partners to discover high-performance materials with artificial intelligence (AI) and robot technologies.
LG Science Park, the research and development (R&D) hub of LG Group in Seoul, joined hands with French energy firm Total S.A., Canada's McMaster University and the University of Toronto, and the National Research Council of Canada to launch the Alliance for AI-Accelerated Materials Discovery (A3MD).
LG said the A3MD is the world's first academia-industry alliance to discover materials using AI solutions.
The consortium will search for environment-friendly catalysts and advanced optical materials, according to LG.
LG said the use of AI will significantly reduce the time of finding new materials with precise analysis of data compared with the traditional research method involving many tests.
The members of the consortium will share their data and algorithms for projects through online meetings and will hold AI education, expert forums and internship programs to expand their partnership.
LG Science Park, whose R&D field ranges from electronics to bio technology, has been trying to collaborate with other global institutes to bolster its AI capability.
In July 2019, the R&D center joined forces with the University of Toronto to develop AI technologies for business-to-business applications and set up a research center for enterprise AI solutions.
This photo provided by LG Corp. shows LG Science Park, the research and development hub of LG Group, in Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-13--S. Korea set to decide whether to further extend stricter virus curbs in greater capital

SEOUL , Sept. 13 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korea is set to decide Sunday whether to again extend its @ @ @ @ @ greater Seoul area by another one week as it is struggling to contain the spread @ @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is set to decide Sunday whether to again extend its tougher antivirus curbs in the greater Seoul area by another one week as it is struggling to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.
The government will determine whether to further extend the Level 2.5 social distancing measures, set to end at midnight, in the densely populated capital region, amid expectations it may ease some business restrictions on restaurants and franchise coffee chains.
Later in the day, the country will make an announcement after Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun presides over a pan-government meeting on the virus response.
On Aug. 30, the country imposed the enhanced social distancing scheme for eight days in the bigger Seoul area, home to half of the country's 51.6 million population, and extended it by a week until Sunday.
The measures call for restricting operations of eateries, franchise coffee chains, bakeries and ice cream parlors, and suspending indoor sports facilities and cram schools.
This photo, taken Sept. 7, 2020, shows an empty franchise bakery in Seoul as the government has limited franchise coffee chains, bakeries and ice cream shops to offering takeout and delivery over the COVID-19 outbreak. (Yonhap)
After the country kept new virus cases under 100 for months, it has seen daily infections grow by triple-digit figures since Aug. 14 due mainly to cases tied to a church and a political rally.
New COVID-19 cases fell below 200 for the 11th straight day Sunday on the back of stricter social distancing guidelines. But daily infections are not on a markedly downward trend.
Under the Level 2.5 measures, restaurants and smaller eateries can operate until 9 p.m., and only takeaway and delivery are permitted from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
For franchise coffee chains, bakeries and ice cream parlors, only takeout and delivery are being permitted regardless of operating hours.
The country also suspended the operation of indoor sports facilities, including fitness centers and billiard halls, as well as cram schools accommodating more than 10 people.
Health authorities are struggling to bring new virus cases below 100 on concerns that virus cases may rebound after the upcoming Chuseok fall harvest holiday, set for early next month.
But the prolonged virus curbs have heavily weighed down the livelihoods of small merchants and the self-employed.
The country may keep the Level 2.5 steps in the Seoul metropolitan area but ease some business restrictions at "mid-risk" facilities, such as eateries and coffee shops, according to government sources.
On Sept. 4, the country also extended the current Level 2 measures imposed across the nation under a three-tier social distancing scheme for another two weeks until Sept. 20.
The government raised the antivirus curbs to Level 2 in the greater Seoul area on Aug. 16 and expanded them across the nation a week later.
Under the Level 2 rules, indoor meetings of 50 or more people and open-air gatherings of 100 or more people are banned. "High-risk" facilities, including karaoke rooms, clubs, PC cafes and buffets, have been ordered to shut down.
The government has been cautious about raising antivirus steps to Level 3 as doing so has far-reaching social and economic impacts.
This file photo, taken Sept. 1, 2020, shows a restaurant in central Seoul where almost no customers were found during lunch time. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-13--(LEAD) New virus cases under 200 for 11th day, extension of tougher virus curbs under review

Health authorities said the current phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the densely populated Seoul area is more serious than @ @ @ @ @ virus outbreak that gripped the southeastern city of Daegu in February and March .

(ATTN: UPDATES with more detail in paras 4, 17)
SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new virus cases stayed below 200 for the 11th consecutive day Sunday, but sporadic cluster infections and untraceable cases continued to put health authorities on alert.
Later in the day, the country will decide whether to extend stricter antivirus curbs in the greater Seoul area by another week amid expectations that it may ease some restrictions on eateries and franchise coffee shops.
The country added 121 more COVID-19 cases, including 99 local infections, raising the total caseload to 22,176, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
It marked a fall from the 176 and the 136 new cases reported Friday and Saturday, respectively. The number of local infections also declined below 100 for the first time in a month.
A merchant at a traditional market in the southwestern city of Gwangju displays a sign on Sept. 12, 2020, informing customers that she tested negative for the new coronavirus after a virus outbreak at a nearby market food stall hurt business. (Yonhap)
After the country kept new virus cases under 100 for months, it has seen daily infections grow by triple-digit figures since Aug. 14, due mainly to cases tied to a Protestant church and an anti-government rally in Seoul.
Since new virus cases soared to 441 on Aug. 27, they have recently slowed to the 100 range on the back of stricter social distancing guidelines. But daily infections are not on a markedly downward trend.
Health authorities said the current phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the densely populated Seoul area is more serious than the first wave of the virus outbreak that gripped the southeastern city of Daegu in February and March.
The country is standing at a critical juncture in deciding whether to further extend the enhanced social distancing scheme in the capital region, called Level 2.5 measures. The measures are set to end at midnight.
Under the scheme, eating at restaurants is only allowed until 9 p.m. Franchise coffee chains, bakeries and ice cream parlors are permitted to offer only takeout and delivery.
Health authorities are struggling to bring new virus cases below 100 on concerns that virus cases may rebound after the upcoming Chuseok fall harvest holiday, set for early next month. But the prolonged virus curbs have dealt a heavy blow to small merchants and the self-employed.
Government sources said the country may keep the Level 2.5 steps in the Seoul metropolitan area but ease some business restrictions at "mid-risk" facilities, such as eateries and coffee shops.
A person who applied to work at the Financial Supervisory Service enters a middle school in southern Seoul to take a written test for recruitment on Sept. 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
Of the newly identified local infections, 30 cases were reported in Seoul and 27 in Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital. Incheon, west of Seoul, reported three more cases.
Other municipalities reported new infections, with the southeastern city of Daegu adding 14 cases and the southeastern port city of Busan reporting three new cases.
Cases traced to Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul, a hotbed of the recent spike in new infections, stayed unchanged for a fourth day at 1,167 as of noon Saturday.
Cases tied to the anti-government rally in Seoul on Aug. 15 reached 565.
Sporadic cluster infections showed no signs of letup, with cases linked to a general hospital in western Seoul hitting 23.
The country, meanwhile, reported 22 imported cases, with seven cases coming from Uzbekistan and four from India. Total cases coming in from overseas reached 3,003.
South Korea reported three more deaths, raising the death toll to 358. The fatality rate was 1.61 percent.
The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients reached 157 as of midnight, down seven from the previous day.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 18,226, up 197 from the previous day.
The country has carried out 2,143,270 coronavirus tests since Jan. 3.
This photo, taken Sept. 11, 2020, shows a sign announcing the temporary closure of major facilities around Seokchon Lake in southeastern Seoul on the weekend over the new coronavirus outbreak. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-13--Samsung Electro-Mechanics develops world's smallest power inductor

Samsung Electro-Mechanics has been producing inductors since 1996 .
With the rise of 5G telecommunications and wearable devices , the @ @ @ @ @ small power inductors will increase rapidly , with the use of such product forecast to @ @ @ @ @ percent .

SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., a major electronic components maker in South Korea, said Sunday it has developed the world's smallest power inductor.
The affiliate of Samsung Group said its new power inductor measures 0.8 millimeter in width and 0.4 mm in length, which is a significant decrease from the industry's previously smallest product with a width of 1.2 mm and a length of 1 mm. The latest product also has a thickness of 0.65 mm.
A power inductor is a component necessary to supply stable electricity coming from the battery to the semiconductor.
Samsung Electro-Mechanics said it first aims to supply its tiny power inductor to global smartphone manufacturers trying to make smaller and lighter handsets.
This photo provided by Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co. on Sept. 13, 2020, shows the company's super small power inductors on a finger. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"As the performance for electronic products increases and functionalities diversify, the size of the internal components must decrease along with an improvement in performance and volume," said Hur Kang-heon, head of the Central Research Institute at Samsung Electro-Mechanics.
The company said it was able to reduce the size of the power inductor by applying its material technology and semiconductor substrate manufacturing solutions used for multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCC).
Instead of producing power inductors in individual units, Samsung Electro-Mechanics said it manufactures them in substrate units, allowing the company to have better productivity.
Samsung Electro-Mechanics has been producing inductors since 1996. With the rise of 5G telecommunications and wearable devices, the company said the demand for small power inductors will increase rapidly, with the use of such product forecast to grow by at least 20 percent.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-13--New virus cases under 200 for 11th day, extension of tougher virus curbs under review

SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new virus cases stayed below 200 for the 11th consecutive day Sunday, but sporadic cluster infections and untraceable cases continued to put health authorities on alert.
Later in the day, the country will decide whether to extend stricter antivirus curbs in the greater Seoul area by another week amid expectations that it may ease some restrictions on eateries and franchise coffee shops.
The country added 121 more COVID-19 cases, including 99 local infections, raising the total caseload to 22,176, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
It marked a fall from the 176 and the 136 new cases reported Friday and Saturday, respectively.
A merchant at a traditional market in the southwestern city of Gwangju displays a sign on Sept. 12, 2020, informing customers that she tested negative for the new coronavirus as the virus outbreak at a market food stall drove away customers. (Yonhap)
After the country kept new virus cases under 100 for months, it has seen daily infections grow by triple-digit figures since Aug. 14, due mainly to cases tied to a Protestant church and an anti-government rally in Seoul.
Since new virus cases soared to 441 on Aug. 27, they have recently slowed to the 100 range on the back of stricter social distancing guidelines. But daily infections are not on a markedly downward trend.
Health authorities said the current phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the densely populated Seoul area is more serious than the first wave of the virus outbreak that gripped the southeastern city of Daegu in February and March.
The country is standing at a critical juncture in deciding whether to further extend the enhanced social distancing scheme in the capital region, called Level 2.5 measures. The measures are set to end at midnight.
Under the scheme, eating at restaurants is only allowed until 9 p.m. Franchise coffee chains, bakeries and ice cream parlors are permitted to offer only takeout and delivery.
Health authorities are struggling to bring new virus cases below 100 on concerns that virus cases may rebound after the upcoming Chuseok fall harvest holiday, set for early next month. But the prolonged virus curbs have dealt a heavy blow to small merchants and the self-employed.
Government sources said the country may keep the Level 2.5 steps in the Seoul metropolitan area but ease some business restrictions at "mid-risk" facilities, such as eateries and coffee shops.
A person who applied to work at the Financial Supervisory Service enters a middle school in southern Seoul to take a written test for recruitment on Sept. 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
Of the newly identified local infections, 30 cases were reported in Seoul and 27 in Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital. Incheon, west of Seoul, reported three more cases.
Other municipalities reported new infections, with the southeastern city of Daegu adding 14 cases and the southeastern port city of Busan reporting three new cases.
Cases traced to Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul, a hotbed of the recent spike in new infections, stayed unchanged for a fourth day at 1,167 as of noon Saturday.
Cases tied to the anti-government rally in Seoul on Aug. 15 reached 565.
Sporadic cluster infections showed no signs of letup, with cases linked to a general hospital in western Seoul hitting 23.
The country, meanwhile, reported 22 imported cases, with seven cases coming from Uzbekistan and four from India.
South Korea reported three more deaths, raising the death toll to 358. The fatality rate was 1.61 percent.
The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients reached 157 as of midnight, down seven from the previous day.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 18,226, up 197 from the previous day.
The country has carried out 2,143,270 coronavirus tests since Jan. 3.
This photo, taken Sept. 11, 2020, shows a sign announcing the temporary closure of major facilities around Seokchon Lake in southeastern Seoul on the weekend over the new coronavirus outbreak. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-13--(URGENT) 197 more patients released from coronavirus treatment, total now at 18,226: KDCA

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


yna--2020-09-13--Property damage from heavy rains in July-Aug. estimated at over 1 trillion won

`` Normally , the restoration fund is set at around 2.5 times to up to triple the amount of financial @ @ @ @ @ government ) has decided to support a bit more to fundamentally resolve causes behind the @ @ @ @ @ , '' the ministry said .

SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- Torrential rains that lashed South Korea from late July to early August have caused property damage estimated at over 1 trillion won (US$842 million), the worst damage from storms and flooding in 14 years in the country, the interior ministry said Sunday.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters under its wing has finished assessing total economic losses from heavy rains that hit the country from July 28-Aug. 11, during a meeting held Friday.
Exercise equipment along Haemi Stream in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, is submerged due to torrential rains on Aug. 9, 2020, in this photo provided by Seosan city. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The office tallied the damage at 1.037 trillion won -- 936.3 billion won to public facilities and 100.8 billion won to private facilities.
This marks the worst damage from storms and flooding in the country since 2006, when it suffered 1.834 trillion won in property damage from Typhoon Ewiniar and torrential rains.
Three typhoons have previously caused damage estimated at over 1 trillion won. They are Typhoon Olga (1.049 trillion won) in 1999, Typhoon Rusa (5.148 trillion won) in 2002 and Typhoon Maemi (4.223 trillion won) in 2003.
Cows run along a road in the southern county of Hapcheon, South Gyeongsang Province, on Aug. 8, 2020, as heavy rain pounded the region, in this photo provided by the Hapcheon county government. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Some 3.43 trillion won, aggregated from government, provincial and independent expenditures, has been fixed for restoring the harm done by the recent rainfalls, also the highest since 2006. The sum breaks down to 3.26 trillion won earmarked for public facilities and 1.64 trillion won for private facilities, according to the ministry.
"Normally, the restoration fund is set at around 2.5 times to up to triple the amount of financial loss, but (the government) has decided to support a bit more to fundamentally resolve causes behind the suffering through improvement and restoration," the ministry said.
The ministry said the tally excluded heavy downpours that hit Busan and its adjacent cities on July 23-25 because damage wasn't big enough to require support from the state coffers, according to the ministry.
The damage from the ninth and tenth typhoons of this summer, Maysak and Haishen, will be assessed and settled as well, the ministry added.
Tents are pitched at a temporary shelter for flood victims in Gurye, South Jeolla Province, southwestern South Korea, on Aug. 10, 2020, after they evacuated their homes due to heavy rain. (Yonhap)
Work is under way to pump water out of an inundated street in the eastern port city of Gangneung on Sept. 7, 2020, as Typhoon Haishen brought heavy rains to the region. (Yonhap)
nyway@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-13--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 3 additional coronavirus deaths, total now at 358: KDCA


yna--2020-09-13--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 121 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 22,176: KDCA


yna--2020-09-13--Lawmakers propose bills on sex offenders ahead of notorious child rapist's release

Under the current law , which came into force in 2010 , people can check detailed addresses of sexual offenders @ @ @ @ @ for those who had committed crimes before the implementation of the law , such as @ @ @ @ @ is disclosed to the public .

SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- As the release from prison of one of South Korea's most notorious child rapist approaches, lawmakers of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) are working to propose multiple bills aimed at preventing convicts from recommitting such sexual crimes.
Cho Du-sun, 69, is set to be freed from prison on Dec. 13 after serving a 12-year term for kidnapping and raping an 8-year-old girl in a church bathroom in Ansan, 42 kilometers southwest of Seoul, in December 2008. The victim sustained severe injuries.
His penalty has sparked huge criticism among South Koreans that the country's judicial authority is lenient on child sex offenders and overall sexual criminals.
Nearly 20,000 people have supported a petition to block Cho's release, posted on the website of the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, as of Sunday.
Rep. Kim Kyung-hyup said Friday he has tabled a bill that will broaden the range of sex offenders subject to identity disclosure under the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles against Sexual Abuse.
Under the current law, which came into force in 2010, people can check detailed addresses of sexual offenders released from prison, but for those who had committed crimes before the implementation of the law, such as Cho, only limited information is disclosed to the public.
In August, Rep. Kim Young-ho proposed a bill seeking a life sentence for convicts who sexually offend children under the age of 13 and permanently segregating them from society. The bill requires the court to respectively put second offenders behind bars for life, prohibiting them from parole.
Rep. Jung Choun-sook also said she plans to submit a bill next month aimed at strengthening restraining orders currently keeping child sex offenders 0.1 kilometer away from victims' homes and schools to 1 km.
"The key is to increase the penalty (on child sex offenders) and beef up protection measures for the victims," she wrote on her Facebook page, emphasizing she will try to win the parliamentary passage of the bill before Cho's release.
An undated image of a petition posted on the website of the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae against the release of Cho Du-sun, a notorious child rapist, in December 2020 (Yonhap)
nyway@yna.co.kr
(END)


Sunday's weather forecast

SEOUL , Sept. 13 ( Yonhap ) -- The following is the weather forecast for South Korea 's 12 major @ @ @ @ @ .


(Copyright)

The use of the content for any other purposes other than personal and noncommercial use is expressly prohibited without the @ @ @ @ @ News Agency .

All information carried by the Yonhap News Agency, including articles, photographs, graphics, audio and video images, and illustrations (collectively, the content) is owned by the Yonhap News Agency.
The use of the content for any other purposes other than personal and noncommercial use is expressly prohibited without the written consent of the Yonhap News Agency.
Any violation can be subject to a compensation claim or civil and criminal lawsuits.
Requests to use the content for any purpose besides the ones mentioned above should be directed in advance to Yonhap's Information Business Department at 82-2-398-3557 or 82-2-398-3552.
(END)


yna--2020-09-12--N. Korean man suspected of killing Kim Jong-un's half brother charged with violating sanctions

John C. Demers , assistant attorney general for national security , added , `` These defendants allegedly violated U.S. sanctions @ @ @ @ @ institutions in order to dupe them into processing transactions in U.S. dollars which they would @ @ @ @ @ The Department of Justice will continue to investigate and prosecute violations of the North Korea @ @ @ @ @ that country may rejoin the community of nations . ''

SEOUL, Sept. 12 (Yonhap) -- The United States Department of Justice has filed a criminal complaint against a North Korean man suspected of killing Kim Jong-un's half brother on charges of violating sanctions placed on the communist regime.
The justice department on Friday (Washington time) announced a criminal complaint charging Ri Jong-chol and two others with "conspiracy to violate North Korean Sanctions Regulations and bank fraud, and conspiracy to launder funds."
Ri is suspected of murdering Kim Jong-nam, the half brother of the North Korean leader, in 2017 in Malaysia. Ri was taken into custody but was later released due to lack of evidence.
In this file photo from March 3, 2017, Ri Jong-chol (C, rear), wearing a bulletproof vest, heads to a vehicle at a police station in Kuala Lumpur, ahead of his deportation. Ri, 47, was one of the North Korean suspects in the murder of Kim Jong-nam, the half brother of the North's leader Kim Jong-un, who died from what appeared to be a poison attack at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Feb. 13, 2017. (Yonhap)
"The defendants allegedly established and utilized front companies that transmitted U.S. dollar wires through the United States to purchase commodities on behalf of North Korean customers," the justice department's statement read.
John C. Demers, assistant attorney general for national security, added, "These defendants allegedly violated U.S. sanctions by lying to international financial institutions in order to dupe them into processing transactions in U.S. dollars which they would not otherwise have cleared. The Department of Justice will continue to investigate and prosecute violations of the North Korea sanctions so that one day that country may rejoin the community of nations."
Acting U.S. Attorney Michael R. Sherwin said Ri and the other defendants "knowingly and willfully circumvented sanctions designed to protect the U.S. financial system from abuse by individuals working on behalf of North Korea."
According to U.S. court documents, beginning in at least August 2015 and continuing until at least August 2016, the defendants deceived banks in the U.S. into processing transactions for North Korean customers. The defendants and their co-conspirators utilized financial cutouts and front companies to conceal the North Korean nexus.
Court documents said Ri was the deputy director of a company sanctioned by the U.S. treasury department, which referred to the company as a subordinate of the North Korean military.
The FBI's Minneapolis field office is investigating the case, the justice department said.
"The FBI will not stand idle while North Koreans attempt to covertly access the U.S. financial system in violation of U.S. sanctions," said Alan E. Kohler Jr., assistant director of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division. "The FBI will continue to protect the sanctity of the U.S. financial system."
(END)


yna--2020-09-13--(4th LD) S. Korea to ease biz restrictions on eateries, coffee franchises in greater Seoul

`` Thanks to our concerted efforts , the spread of COVID-19 has been constantly decreasing in the greater Seoul area @ @ @ @ @ `` But we are still in a critical situation .
The downward pace is slower @ @ @ @ @ that of the first wave in spring . ''

(ATTN: ADDS more comments, info in paras 5, 15-16, 23-24, photo)
SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will relax business restrictions on eateries, franchise coffee chains and other facilities in the wider Seoul area, as the country decided Sunday to ease tougher anti-virus curbs in the region for the next two weeks.
The country decided not to extend the so-called Level 2.5 social distancing scheme, set to end at midnight, in the densely populated capital area, as the stricter curbs have been effective in slowing new virus cases, according to health authorities.
Starting Monday, the Seoul metropolitan area will be placed back under the Level 2 rules in the three-tier system, on a par with the nationwide alert level, until Sept. 27.
"While relaxing the social distancing guidelines, the government will apply strict and targeted quarantine steps at high-risk facilities," Health Minister Park Neunghoo said in a briefing.
"Thanks to our concerted efforts, the spread of COVID-19 has been constantly decreasing in the greater Seoul area," he said. "But we are still in a critical situation. The downward pace is slower than expected, compared to that of the first wave in spring."
This photo, taken Sept. 7, 2020, shows an empty franchise bakery in Seoul as the government has limited franchise coffee chains, bakeries and ice cream shops to offering takeout and delivery over the COVID-19 outbreak. (Yonhap)
Since late last month, the country has imposed the enhanced social distancing scheme in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, home to half of the country's 51.6 million population.
The measures called for restricting operations of eateries, franchise coffee chains, bakeries and ice parlors, as well as indoor sports facilities and cram schools.
Under the Level 2.5 scheme, eating at restaurants is only allowed until 9 p.m. Franchise coffee chains, bakeries and ice cream parlors are permitted to offer only takeout and delivery.
Starting Monday, those facilities will be permitted to operate normally, but under the condition that they will strictly manage entry logs of customers and keep other sanitary measures.
Franchise coffee shops and bakeries can allow customers to eat or drink inside the outlets, but they should limit the number of such people.
A ban on operations will be lifted for midsize cram schools and indoor sports facilities under the strict quarantine steps.
Internet cafes will be allowed to reopen across the nation. But they should ban the entry of teenagers and eating food inside the cafes and ensure that customers sit at a distance from one another.
Under the Level 2 scheme, South Koreans are allowed to maintain most of their daily routines, but outdoor gatherings of more than 100 people are banned. Sports events are allowed without spectators, and indoor meetings of 50 or more people are also prohibited.
"High-risk" facilities, including karaoke rooms, clubs and buffets, should continue to shut down under the rules.
Owners of franchise cafes and mom-and-pop stores welcomed the downgrade and rolled up their sleeves to bring back tables and chairs to their premises to receive customers starting Monday.
"We fully welcome the government's announcement," said an official from the Korea Foodservice Industry Association. "We will comply with the government's requirements, and we ask customers to follow sanitary and distancing guidelines as well."
After the country kept new virus cases under 100 for months, it has seen daily infections grow by triple-digit figures since Aug. 14 due mainly to cases tied to a church and a political rally.
New COVID-19 cases fell below 200 for the 11th straight day Sunday on the back of stricter social distancing guidelines. But daily infections are not on a markedly downward trend.
Despite concerns about sporadic cluster infections and untraceable cases, health authorities decided to scale down the level of social distancing, apparently taking into account economic pains faced by smaller merchants and the self-employed.
"We took into consideration the social fatigue, as well as the results of the strict disease prevention measures," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said at a pan-government meeting on COVID-19 response.
This file photo, taken Sept. 1, 2020, shows a restaurant in central Seoul where almost no customers were found during lunch time. (Yonhap)
The government said it will set the two weeks starting Sept. 28 as a special period for strong nationwide anti-virus efforts since early October is expected to be "the biggest challenge" against the efforts in the second half of the year.
The period includes the extended five-day Chuseok fall harvest holiday and the Oct. 9 Hangeul Day, a national holiday for commemorating the proclamation of the Korean alphabet by King Sejong of the Joseon Dynasty in 1446.
"We will impose tighter distancing guidelines during the Chuseok holiday," the government said. "It is a precautionary measure against possible mass infections caused by increased mobility."
It said the two-week special period is also aimed at bringing the number of infections under control before the winter season starts.
A street in downtown Seoul is relatively empty on Sept. 13, 2020. (Yonhap)
On Sept. 4, the country also extended the current Level 2 measures imposed across the nation under a three-tier social distancing scheme for another two weeks until Sept. 20.
The government raised the antivirus curbs to Level 2 in the greater Seoul area on Aug. 16 and expanded them across the nation a week later.
The government has been cautious about raising antivirus steps to Level 3 as doing so has far-reaching social and economic impacts.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-13--Rays' Choi Ji-man expected to miss time with hamstring injury

The Rays improved to 30-16 for the season , the best record in the AL and tops in the AL @ @ @ @ @ the Toronto Blue Jays .
The Rays have 14 games remaining in this coronavirus-hit season @ @ @ @ @ the top seed in the AL in the postseason .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- On the day his team became the first in the American League (AL) to reach 30 wins this season, Tampa Bay Rays' first baseman Choi Ji-man suffered a hamstring injury that will sideline him for some time.
Choi left the Rays' 5-4 win over the Boston Red Sox at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Saturday (local time) with a left hamstring strain. He suffered the injury while scoring from second on a Nate Lowe RBI single in the bottom fourth.
In this Associated Press photo, Choi Ji-man of the Tampa Bay Rays scores on a single by Nate Lowe in the bottom of the fourth inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game against the Boston Red Sox at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Sept. 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
Choi slid home safely but appeared to have hurt his hamstring even before touching home plate. Choi said afterward he had been feeling some pain in the hamstring "for a while," and he felt something was wrong as he rounded third base.
"I think it's fair that he's going to miss some time. It's pretty unfortunate," Rays manager Kevin Cash told MLB.com. "He's such a big part of our team. It's really unfortunate at this point. We'll see what the doctors say, but that's a tough one."
Choi tried to walk it off but instead left with some assistance from Cash. Choi is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Sunday.
"It doesn't feel good right now," Choi said. "We'll see what happens with the MRI tomorrow, but we're just hoping for the best."
In this Getty Images photo, Choi Ji-man of the Tampa Bay Rays stays on the field after injuring his left hamstring in the bottom of the fourth inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game against the Boston Red Sox at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Sept. 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
The Rays improved to 30-16 for the season, the best record in the AL and tops in the AL East by 4.5 games over the Toronto Blue Jays. The Rays have 14 games remaining in this coronavirus-hit season and will try to secure the top seed in the AL in the postseason.
Choi is batting only .230/.331.410 for the season, though he showed some signs of life by batting .282 in his last dozen games.
If Choi goes on the injured list, he will be the third among four South Korean players in the majors to be sidelined.
Texas Rangers' outfielder Choo Shin-soo is out with a right hand injury. St. Louis Cardinals' starter Kim Kwang-hyun is recovering from a kidney ailment, and he's expected to rejoin the rotation by as early as Monday.
In this Associated Press photo, Choi Ji-man of the Tampa Bay Rays (C) is helped off the field by his manager Kevin Cash (R) and a team trainier after injuring his left hamstring in the bottom of the fourth inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game against the Boston Red Sox at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Sept. 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-13--(LEAD) Senior medical students to pause collective action protesting gov't policy

Doctors and the government have been at odds over whether to give medical students another opportunity to take the licensing @ @ @ @ @ should be allowed to take the test even if they did not register before the @ @ @ @ @ has rejected such a step .

(ATTN: ADDS gov't's response in paras 7-9)
SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- Senior medical students boycotting the state licensing exam said Sunday they will put on hold their collective action taken in protest of the government's medical workforce reform plan.
Medical students in the fourth year have refused to take the exam and junior students have taken a leave of absence in protest of the government's plan to increase admission quotas at medical schools.
As trainee doctors returned to work last week after weeks of a strike over the government's policy, the medical students' collective action has served as a lingering source of tensions between the government and the medical sector.
This photo, taken Sept. 10, 2020, shows a medical student entering a building in Seoul to take the state medical licensing exam. (Yonhap)
Doctors and the government have been at odds over whether to give medical students another opportunity to take the licensing exam. Doctors insisted students should be allowed to take the test even if they did not register before the deadline, while the government has rejected such a step.
Representatives of senior medical students said they will halt their collective action, a move seen as expressing their willingness to take the exam.
"We will monitor whether the government will reconsider its policy and implement medical policy for the sake of the people. If the government and the parliament push ahead with the wrong medical policy, we will start the collective action again," they said in a joint statement.
The government welcomed the students' decision to stop their protests but reiterated its earlier stance that it will not allow medical students to retake the medical licensing exam. Earlier, the government said public opinion is still overwhelmingly negative toward giving an extra chance to students who had withdrawn their applications.
"The government's position remained unchanged," Sohn Young-rae, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said in a press briefing. "As there will be a sincere discussion among the Korean Medical Association (KMA), the government and the parliament, we again ask medical students to return to school."
The KMA, the country's largest doctors' association representing some 130,000 doctors, has demanded the government ensure medical students who had withdrawn their applications take the exam.
The government's plan to expand the number of medical students by 4,000 over the next 10 years and open a new public medical school sparked tensions within the medical sector. Thousands of trainee doctors staged a strike for 18 days starting in mid-August over the policy.
A group of doctors and the ruling party agreed in early September to end a nationwide walkout on concerns that the prolonged collective action could disrupt the health care system amid the new coronavirus outbreak.
In response to the deal, the government backed down and promised to halt the medical reform plan in early September.
This photo, captured from footage of Yonhap News TV, is of medical students. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-13--(3rd LD) S. Korea to ease biz restrictions on eateries, coffee franchises in greater Seoul

Under the Level 2 scheme , South Koreans are allowed to maintain most of their daily routines , but outdoor @ @ @ @ @ people are banned .
Sports events are allowed without spectators , and indoor meetings of @ @ @ @ @ also prohibited .

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details in paras 12-13)
SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will relax business restrictions on eateries, franchise coffee chains and other facilities in the wider Seoul area, as the country decided Sunday to ease tougher anti-virus curbs in the region for the next two weeks.
The country decided not to extend the so-called Level 2.5 social distancing scheme, set to end at midnight, in the densely populated capital area, as the stricter curbs have been effective in slowing new virus cases, according to health authorities.
Starting Monday, the Seoul metropolitan area will be placed back under the Level 2 rules in the three-tier system, on a par with the nationwide alert level, until Sept. 27.
"While relaxing the social distancing guidelines, the government will apply strict and targeted quarantine steps at high-risk facilities," Health Minister Park Neunghoo said in a briefing.
This photo, taken Sept. 7, 2020, shows an empty franchise bakery in Seoul as the government has limited franchise coffee chains, bakeries and ice cream shops to offering takeout and delivery over the COVID-19 outbreak. (Yonhap)
Since late last month, the country has imposed the enhanced social distancing scheme in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, home to half of the country's 51.6 million population.
The measures called for restricting operations of eateries, franchise coffee chains, bakeries and ice parlors, as well as indoor sports facilities and cram schools.
Under the Level 2.5 scheme, eating at restaurants is only allowed until 9 p.m. Franchise coffee chains, bakeries and ice cream parlors are permitted to offer only takeout and delivery.
Starting Monday, those facilities will be permitted to operate normally, but under the condition that they will strictly manage entry logs of customers and keep other sanitary measures.
Franchise coffee shops and bakeries can allow customers to eat or drink inside the outlets, but they should limit the number of such people.
A ban on operations will be lifted for midsize cram schools and indoor sports facilities under the strict quarantine steps.
Internet cafes will be allowed to reopen across the nation. But they should ban the entry of teenagers and eating food inside the cafes and ensure that customers sit at a distance from one another.
Under the Level 2 scheme, South Koreans are allowed to maintain most of their daily routines, but outdoor gatherings of more than 100 people are banned. Sports events are allowed without spectators, and indoor meetings of 50 or more people are also prohibited.
"High-risk" facilities, including karaoke rooms, clubs and buffets, should continue to shut down under the rules.
After the country kept new virus cases under 100 for months, it has seen daily infections grow by triple-digit figures since Aug. 14 due mainly to cases tied to a church and a political rally.
New COVID-19 cases fell below 200 for the 11th straight day Sunday on the back of stricter social distancing guidelines. But daily infections are not on a markedly downward trend.
Despite concerns about sporadic cluster infections and untraceable cases, health authorities decided to scale down the level of social distancing, apparently taking into account economic pains faced by smaller merchants and the self-employed.
"We took into consideration the social fatigue, as well as the results of the strict disease prevention measures," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said at a pan-government meeting on COVID-19 response.
This file photo, taken Sept. 1, 2020, shows a restaurant in central Seoul where almost no customers were found during lunch time. (Yonhap)
The government said it will set the two weeks starting Sept. 28 as a special period for strong nationwide anti-virus efforts since early October is expected to be "the biggest challenge" against the efforts in the second half of the year.
The period includes the extended five-day Chuseok fall harvest holiday and the Oct. 9 Hangeul Day, a national holiday for commemorating the proclamation of the Korean alphabet by King Sejong of the Joseon Dynasty in 1446.
On Sept. 4, the country also extended the current Level 2 measures imposed across the nation under a three-tier social distancing scheme for another two weeks until Sept. 20.
The government raised the antivirus curbs to Level 2 in the greater Seoul area on Aug. 16 and expanded them across the nation a week later.
The government has been cautious about raising antivirus steps to Level 3 as doing so has far-reaching social and economic impacts.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-13--(2nd LD) S. Korea to ease biz restrictions on eateries, coffee franchises in greater Seoul

The government said it will set the two weeks starting Sept. 28 as a special period for strong nationwide anti-virus @ @ @ @ @ expected to be `` the biggest challenge '' against the efforts in the second half @ @ @ @

(ATTN: REWRITES lead; UPDATES with more details throughout)
SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will relax business restrictions on eateries, franchise coffee chains and other facilities in the wider Seoul area, as the country decided Sunday to ease tougher anti-virus curbs in the region for the next two weeks.
The country decided not to extend the so-called Level 2.5 social distancing scheme, set to end at midnight, in the densely populated capital area, as the stricter curbs have been effective in slowing new virus cases, according to health authorities.
Starting Monday, the Seoul metropolitan area will be placed back under the Level 2 rules in the three-tier system, on a par with the nationwide alert level, until Sept. 27.
"While relaxing the social distancing guidelines, the government will apply strict and targeted quarantine steps at high-risk facilities," Health Minister Park Neunghoo said in a briefing.
This photo, taken Sept. 7, 2020, shows an empty franchise bakery in Seoul as the government has limited franchise coffee chains, bakeries and ice cream shops to offering takeout and delivery over the COVID-19 outbreak. (Yonhap)
Since late last month, the country has imposed the enhanced social distancing scheme in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, home to half of the country's 51.6 million population.
The measures called for restricting operations of eateries, franchise coffee chains, bakeries and ice parlors, as well as indoor sports facilities and cram schools.
Under the Level 2.5 scheme, eating at restaurants is only allowed until 9 p.m. Franchise coffee chains, bakeries and ice cream parlors are permitted to offer only takeout and delivery.
Starting Monday, those facilities will be permitted to operate normally, but under the condition that they will strictly manage entry logs of customers and keep other sanitary measures.
Franchise coffee shops and bakeries can allow customers to eat or drink inside the outlets, but they should limit the number of such people.
A ban on operations will be lifted for midsize cram schools and indoor sports facilities under the strict quarantine steps.
Internet cafes will be allowed to reopen across the nation. But they should ban the entry of teenagers and eating food inside the cafes, and ensure that customers sit at a distance from one another.
After the country kept new virus cases under 100 for months, it has seen daily infections grow by triple-digit figures since Aug. 14 due mainly to cases tied to a church and a political rally.
New COVID-19 cases fell below 200 for the 11th straight day Sunday on the back of stricter social distancing guidelines. But daily infections are not on a markedly downward trend.
Despite concerns about sporadic cluster infections and untraceable cases, health authorities decided to scale down the level of social distancing, apparently taking into account economic pains faced by smaller merchants and the self-employed.
"We took into consideration the social fatigue, as well as the results of the strict disease prevention measures," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said at a pan-government meeting on COVID-19 response.
This file photo, taken Sept. 1, 2020, shows a restaurant in central Seoul where almost no customers were found during lunch time. (Yonhap)
The government said it will set the two weeks starting Sept. 28 as a special period for strong nationwide anti-virus efforts since early October is expected to be "the biggest challenge" against the efforts in the second half of the year.
The period includes the extended five-day Chuseok fall harvest holiday and the Oct. 9 Hangeul Day, a national holiday for commemorating the proclamation of the Korean alphabet by King Sejong of the Joseon Dynasty in 1446.
On Sept. 4, the country also extended the current Level 2 measures imposed across the nation under a three-tier social distancing scheme for another two weeks until Sept. 20.
The government raised the antivirus curbs to Level 2 in the greater Seoul area on Aug. 16 and expanded them across the nation a week later.
The government has been cautious about raising antivirus steps to Level 3 as doing so has far-reaching social and economic impacts.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-13--Russia provides 25,000 tons of wheat to typhoon-hit N. Korea

`` The Korean side expressed heartfelt gratitude to the government and the people of Russia '' for the support in @ @ @ @ @ the COVID-19 pandemic and a series of typhoons , it said .

SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- Russia has delivered 25,000 tons of wheat in humanitarian assistance to North Korea, the Russian mission in Pyongyang has said, as the impoverished North struggles to recover from damage caused by recent back-to-back typhoons.
The grains were delivered with strict quarantine measures in place to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, the Russian Embassy said in a Facebook post on Saturday.
"The Korean side expressed heartfelt gratitude to the government and the people of Russia" for the support in time of difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and a series of typhoons, it said.
The North has been hit by three consecutive typhoons in recent weeks, with the latest one, Haishen, lashing the country's eastern regions last week. In August, heavy rainfall also pounded the southwestern Hwanghae Province.
On Saturday, state media said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a flood-hit village in the Hwanghae Province for the second time in a month to check on recovery efforts. Hwanghae Province is the country's major rice-producing region.
Kim called on officials and workers in the agricultural field to make "redoubled efforts to minimize the damage to the crops and increase the yield in a consistent and responsible way."
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (L) inspects a flood-hit village in Unpha, North Hwanghae Province, in this photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Sept. 12, 2020. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-13--(3rd LD) New virus cases under 200 for 11th day; tougher virus curbs eased in greater Seoul

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with more details throughout)
SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new virus cases stayed below 200 for the 11th consecutive day Sunday, prompting health authorities to ease tougher virus curbs in the greater Seoul area for two weeks.
The country decided not to further extend the Level 2.5 measures, set to end at midnight, in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon but to lower the virus curbs to Level 2 instead, effective starting Monday, amid slowing virus cases.
The country added 121 more COVID-19 cases, including 99 local infections, raising the total caseload to 22,176, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
It marked a fall from 136 new cases reported Saturday. The number of local infections also declined below 100 for the first time in a month.
A Seoul city official checks how well quarantine measures are kept over the new coronavirus outbreak at a Catholic church in western Seoul on Sept. 13, 2020. (Yonhap)
After the country kept new virus cases under 100 for months, it has seen daily infections grow by triple-digit figures since Aug. 14, due mainly to cases tied to a Protestant church and an anti-government rally in Seoul.
Since new virus cases soared to 441 on Aug. 27, they have recently slowed to the 100 range on the back of stricter social distancing guidelines. But daily infections are not on a markedly downward trend.
Health authorities said the current phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the densely populated Seoul area is more serious than the first wave of the virus outbreak that gripped the southeastern city of Daegu in February and March.
Despite concerns about sporadic cluster infections and untraceable cases, the country decided to ease the enhanced social distancing scheme, apparently taking into account economic pains faced by small merchants.
Under the Level 2.5 scheme, eating at restaurants is only allowed until 9 p.m. Franchise coffee chains, bakeries and ice cream parlors are permitted to offer only takeout and delivery.
Starting Monday, the capital area will be placed under the Level 2 rules in the three-tier system.
Accordingly, the country is expected to lift business restrictions on facilities, including eateries, franchise coffee shops and cram schools.
Under the Level 2 scheme, outdoor gatherings of more than 100 people are banned. Sports events are allowed without spectators, and indoor meetings of 50 or more people are also prohibited.
Health authorities are struggling to bring new virus cases below 100 amid concerns that infections may rebound after the upcoming Chuseok fall harvest holiday, set for early next month. But the prolonged tough virus curbs have dealt a heavy blow to small merchants and the self-employed.
Members of a family pay their respects at an ancestral grave site in a memorial park in Incheon, west of Seoul, on Sept. 13, 2020, well ahead of the upcoming Chuseok fall harvest holiday. (Yonhap)
Of the newly identified local infections, 30 cases were reported in Seoul and 27 in Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital. Incheon, west of Seoul, reported three more cases.
Other municipalities reported new infections, with the southeastern city of Daegu adding 14 cases and the southeastern port city of Busan reporting three new cases.
Cases traced to Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul, a hotbed of the recent spike in new infections, stayed unchanged for a fifth day at 1,167 as of noon.
Cases tied to the anti-government rally in Seoul on Aug. 15 reached 577, up 12 from the previous day.
Sporadic cluster infections showed no signs of letup, with cases linked to a general hospital in western Seoul rising by six to 29. Infections tied to a mountain hiking club in the Seoul area increased by three to 38.
Over the past two weeks, the proportion of untraceable cases accounted for 23.9 percent of the total 2,477 cases, according to the KDCA.
The country, meanwhile, reported 22 imported cases, with seven cases coming from Uzbekistan and four from India. Total cases coming in from overseas reached 3,003.
South Korea reported three more deaths, raising the death toll to 358. The fatality rate was 1.61 percent.
The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients reached 157 as of midnight, down seven from the previous day.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 18,226, up 197 from the previous day.
The country has carried out 2,143,270 coronavirus tests since Jan. 3.
This photo, taken Sept. 13, 2020, shows a closed riverside park in Yeouido, western Seoul, due to the new coronavirus outbreak. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-13--(LEAD) S. Korea to ease virus curbs in greater Seoul for next two weeks

`` After a comprehensive review of the current situation and experts ' opinions , the government decided to relax social @ @ @ @ @ to Level 2 for two weeks , '' Chung said at a pan-government meeting on @ @ @ @ @ took into consideration the social fatigue , as well as the results of the strict @ @ @ @ @

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES paras 2-6 with PM's remarks)
SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea decided on Sunday to slightly ease anti-virus curbs in the greater Seoul area for the next two weeks, as the impact of the latest restrictions are showing results, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said.
Since late last month, the country has imposed the so-called Level 2.5 social distancing scheme in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, home to half of the country's 51.6 million population, restricting operations of eateries, franchise coffee chains and bakeries.
Starting Monday, the capital area will be placed under the Level 2 rules in the three-tier system.
Under the Level 2 scheme, South Koreans are allowed to maintain most of their daily routines, but outdoor gatherings of more than 100 people are banned. Sports events are allowed without spectators, and indoor meetings of 50 or more people are also prohibited.
"After a comprehensive review of the current situation and experts' opinions, the government decided to relax social distancing for the metropolitan area to Level 2 for two weeks," Chung said at a pan-government meeting on COVID-19 response. "We took into consideration the social fatigue, as well as the results of the strict disease prevention measures."
But he said the government will set the two weeks starting Sept. 28 as a special period for strong nationwide anti-virus efforts since early October is expected to be "the biggest challenge" against the efforts in the second half of the year.
The period includes the extended five-day Chuseok fall harvest holiday and the Oct. 9 Hangeul Day, a national holiday for commemorating the proclamation of the Korean alphabet by King Sejong of the Joseon Dynasty in 1446.
This photo, taken Sept. 7, 2020, shows an empty franchise bakery in Seoul as the government has limited franchise coffee chains, bakeries and ice cream shops to offering takeout and delivery over the COVID-19 outbreak. (Yonhap)
After the country kept new virus cases under 100 for months, it has seen daily infections grow by triple-digit figures since Aug. 14 due mainly to cases tied to a church and a political rally.
New COVID-19 cases fell below 200 for the 11th straight day Sunday on the back of stricter social distancing guidelines. But daily infections are not on a markedly downward trend.
Under the Level 2.5 measures, restaurants and smaller eateries can operate until 9 p.m., and only takeaway and delivery are permitted from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
For franchise coffee chains, bakeries and ice cream parlors, only takeout and delivery are being permitted regardless of operating hours.
The country also suspended the operation of indoor sports facilities, including fitness centers and billiard halls, as well as cram schools accommodating more than 10 people.
Health authorities are struggling to bring new virus cases below 100 on concerns that virus cases may rebound after the upcoming Chuseok holiday.
But the prolonged virus curbs have heavily weighed down the livelihoods of small merchants and the self-employed.
On Sept. 4, the country also extended the current Level 2 measures imposed across the nation under a three-tier social distancing scheme for another two weeks until Sept. 20.
The government raised the antivirus curbs to Level 2 in the greater Seoul area on Aug. 16 and expanded them across the nation a week later.
The government has been cautious about raising antivirus steps to Level 3 as doing so has far-reaching social and economic impacts.
This file photo, taken Sept. 1, 2020, shows a restaurant in central Seoul where almost no customers were found during lunch time. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-13--(LEAD) Justice minister apologizes over alleged power abuse scandal involving her son

Choo has come under fire over suspicions that she abused her power to seek preferential treatment for her son , @ @ @ @ @ was in the military in 2017 , such as by extending medical leave without following @ @ @ @ @ chairwoman of the ruling Democratic Party at the time .

(ATTN: ADDS more quotes, info throughout; CHANGES photo)
SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae apologized Sunday over allegations she used her influence to seek special favors for her son during his mandatory military service, breaking her recent silence on the issue.
Choo has come under fire over suspicions that she abused her power to seek preferential treatment for her son, surnamed Seo, when he was in the military in 2017, such as by extending medical leave without following due procedures. Choo was chairwoman of the ruling Democratic Party at the time.
"I have caused trouble to the people with issues involving my son's military duty at a time when the whole nation is having a difficult time due to the COVID-19 crisis. I want to first express my apologies," she said in a Facebook post.
But the minister said she has kept her principles strict, apparently denying the allegations raised against her, and stressed there were no reasons to violate the guidelines.
"Black is black, and white is white. I have never called something black white," she said. "Prosecutors are investigating whether illegal acts were conducted in the process as some suspect, and I'm only waiting (for the results) in silence. The truth should be clearly revealed through the prosecution's investigation."
Choo said she has saved her breath on the issue over concerns her words might have an influence on the ongoing probe, adding that her son is fully cooperating with the investigation.
The allegations of preferential treatment have become the latest political football, with the main opposition People Power Party calling on President Moon Jae-in to take a stand.
Other key allegations surrounding Seo are his family's reported attempt to get him assigned to a base in Seoul, rather than in Uijeongbu, north of the capital, and their reported push to have him selected as an interpreter for the February 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games.
Prosecutors launched an investigation into the alleged preferential treatment in January, but no progress has been announced.
Both the main opposition party and Seo's lawyers have called for a swift investigation to get to the bottom of the allegations.
"I believe that unwaveringly fulfilling my responsibility to reform the prosecution is what the public wants and my destined duty," the minister said. "I will no matter what complete the prosecution reform."
Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae arrives at the government complex in Seoul on Sept. 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-09-13--Senior medical students to pause collective action protesting gov't policy

SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- Senior medical students boycotting the state licensing exam said Sunday they will put on hold their collective action taken in protest of the government's medical workforce reform plan.
Medical students in the fourth year have refused to take the exam and junior students have taken a leave of absence in protest of the government's plan to increase admission quotas at medical schools.
As trainee doctors returned to work last week after weeks of a strike over the government's policy, the medical students' collective action has served as a lingering source of tensions between the government and the medical sector.
This photo, taken Sept. 10, 2020, shows a medical student entering a building in Seoul to take the state medical licensing exam. (Yonhap)
Doctors and the government have been at odds over whether to give medical students another opportunity to take the licensing exam. Doctors insisted students should be allowed to take the test even if they did not register before the deadline, while the government has rejected such a step.
Representatives of senior medical students said they will halt their collective action, a move seen as expressing their willingness to take the exam.
"We will monitor whether the government will reconsider its policy and implement medical policy for the sake of the people. If the government and the parliament push ahead with the wrong medical policy, we will start the collective action again," they said in a joint statement.
But it is uncertain whether they will be allowed to take the licensing exam as public opinions remain overwhelmingly negative toward it.
The government's plan to expand the number of medical students by 4,000 over the next 10 years and open a new public medical school sparked tensions within the medical sector. Thousands of trainee doctors staged a strike for 18 days starting in mid-August over the policy.
A group of doctors and the ruling party agreed in early September to end a nationwide walkout on concerns that the prolonged collective action could disrupt the health care system amid the new coronavirus outbreak.
In response to the deal, the government backed down and promised to halt the medical reform plan in early September.
This photo, captured from footage of Yonhap News TV, is of medical students. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-13--(URGENT) S. Korea to ease social distancing in greater Seoul area for two weeks: PM