yna--2020-12-11--(LEAD) New virus cases nearing 700 for 3rd day, strongest curbs not considered

Health authorities warned the current wave of the pandemic is growing bigger than the previous ones and last longer , @ @ @ @ @ new coronavirus cases is threatening to undermine the country 's medical system with the number @ @ @ @ @ rising rapidly amid looming shortages of hospital beds .

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with more info in paras 6-8, 11-14; ADDS photo)
SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's daily number of new cases neared 700 for the third consecutive day Friday amid concerns over a bigger and longer-than-expected wave of the pandemic during the winter. But health authorities remained cautious in adopting the toughest virus curbs as they could deal a hard blow to the economy.
The country reported 689 new virus cases, including 673 domestically transmitted ones, raising the total caseload to 40,786, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
Of the 689 new virus cases, 512 were reported in the greater Seoul area that covers Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, west of Seoul.
Friday's daily caseload marks a slight rise from 682 the previous day and is the second-highest mark since January, when the country reported its first confirmed COVID-19 case.
The number of confirmed cases hit a record high of 909 on Feb. 29. Eight additional coronavirus deaths were reported, raising the death toll to 572.
"Virus cases reported in the wider Seoul area account for 76 percent of the total, and there are no signs of a slowdown," Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health official, said in a briefing.
"The Level 2 social distancing scheme implemented since Nov. 24 appears to have had a limited impact on reducing virus cases," he said.
The official urged people to strictly follow the current Level 2.5 social distancing measures, the second-strongest curbs under the five-tier virus restrictions, adding that implementing the highest level of social distancing would severely hurt economic activities.
Workers at the Pohang steel industrial complex, 374 kilometers southeast of Seoul, line up in front of a screening center set up at the Pohang Sports Complex to take coronavirus tests on Dec. 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
As part of efforts to curb the virus flare-ups, the authorities will expand virus tests in the greater Seoul area, which has emerged as a hotbed of new infections, on Monday for the next three weeks.
About 150 temporary screening centers will be set up in the Seoul metropolitan area, the authorities said.
The number of drive-thru screening centers will be increased to have more people take virus tests, it said.
The authorities will provide the tests to people for free if they offer their mobile phone numbers.
Health authorities also said they will make 1,000 beds for virus patients available amid looming bed shortages.
Early in the day, Prime Minister Chun Sye-kyun said the government will dispatch some 800 military, police and newly hired civil servants with probationary status to areas of the capital region in a bid to support epidemiological investigations.
Health authorities warned the current wave of the pandemic is growing bigger than the previous ones and last longer, warning that a spike in new coronavirus cases is threatening to undermine the country's medical system with the number of seriously ill virus patients rising rapidly amid looming shortages of hospital beds.
Adding to concerns is the rising ratio of untraceable infections, according to health authorities.
The percentage of virus cases with unclear transmission routes stayed in the range of 15 percent to 16 percent out of the total in the first six days of December but rose to 20.5 percent Thursday.
A thermographic camera to detect people infected with COVID-19 is set up at a ski lift station in Kangwon Land High 1 Resort, 227 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in this photo provided by Kangwon Land on Dec. 11, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The number of imported cases reached 16, down from 36 the previous day. They include four from the United States, three from Europe and four from Africa.
The number of COVID-19 patients with serious symptoms across the country amounted to 169, down from 172 on Thursday.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries came to 31,157, up 520 from Thursday.
ksnam@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--Households reduce consumption of clothes, shoes the most during pandemic

Households ' consumption contracted 6.5 percent on-year in the first quarter of the year , when the country was gripped @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic , according to the report by Statistics Korea .

SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korean households reduced spending on semi-durable goods, such as clothes and shoes, by the most among consumer goods during the new coronavirus outbreak, showing a similar pattern as during the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis, a report showed Friday.
Households' consumption contracted 6.5 percent on-year in the first quarter of the year, when the country was gripped by the first wave of the pandemic, according to the report by Statistics Korea.
Consumption remained sluggish this year as people refrained from visiting offline stores due to concerns about virus infection risks and tougher social distancing guidelines.
Amid the pandemic, Korean households' purchases of clothes and shoes declined the most.
This photo, taken on March 3, 2020, shows sales sections of clothes at a large discount store in Seoul. (Yonhap)
The bottom 20 percent income bracket and temporary employees or day laborers curtailed consumption of clothing and shoes more than anything else this year. But the top 20 percent income group and permanent workers reduced the use of private education services more.
Meanwhile, Korean households' disposable income grew 3.7 percent on-year in the first quarter of this year due largely to an increase in income by the top 20 percent income bracket and permanent workers.
Only temporary employees or day laborers saw their disposable income decline 3.4 percent on-year in the cited period.
The report said the pandemic dealt a severe blow to the face-to-face service segments, including the wholesale and retail industry, accomodation and food services and education service providers.
This is different from the situation during the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis and the 2008 global financial turmoil, when the manufacturing and construction industries took the biggest beating.
During the previous crises, education services were not affected until households felt severe economic pinch, but the COVID-19 pandemic had an immediate and grave impact on the segment, the report said.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


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yna--2020-12-11--Daewoo Shipbuilding wins LPG carrier order from America

The 91,000-square-meter carrier will be delivered by the first quarter of 2023 , the shipbuilder said .

By Nam Kwang-sik
SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. said Friday that it has signed a deal to build a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier with an American company.
The 91,000-cubic-meter carrier will be delivered by the first quarter of 2023, the shipbuilder said.
Daewoo Shipbuilding did not reveal the value of the deal.
This photo provided by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. on Dec. 11, 2020, shows a liquid petroleum gas carrier built by the shipbuilder. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
ksnam@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--Infielder becomes 1st KBO free agent to switch teams in '20

`` The Wyverns recognized my value as a second baseman , and that was the biggest factor in my decision @ @ @ @ @ , '' Choi said .
`` I 'll try to keep getting better and take @ @ @ @ @ level . ''

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- Veteran infielder Choi Joo-hwan has become the first free agent to switch teams in South Korean baseball this winter.
The SK Wyverns of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced Friday they signed the 32-year-old to a four-year deal worth up to 4.2 billion won (US$3.9 million). He will earn 2.6 billion won in total salary and 1.2 billion won in signing bonus. He can make up to 400 million won in incentives.
It's the largest deal the Wyverns have handed out to an outside free agent. Choi is also the first free agent to join the Wyverns from another team in nine years.
Choi Joo-hwan of the SK Wyverns poses wearing the uniform and hat of his new Korea Baseball Organization club after signing a four-year deal as a free agent on Dec. 11, 2020, in this photo provided by the Wyverns. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Choi spent the first 13 seasons of his career with the Doosan Bears. He's the fourth free agent to sign a deal this offseason, but first to do so with a new club.
Earlier this month, infielders Kim Sung-hyun (Wyverns) and Kim Yong-eui (LG Twins) both stayed put on modest deals. Then on Thursday, the first big domino fell as All-Star third baseman Heo Kyoung-min signed a four-year deal worth 6.5 billion won, plus a three-year player option for 2 billion won, to remain with the Bears.
Choi and Heo were two of seven Bears to hit the open market this year. Two other members of their starting infield, first baseman Oh Jae-il and shortstop Kim Jae-ho, are also free agents.
Choi Joo-hwan of the SK Wyverns poses wearing the uniform and hat of his new Korea Baseball Organization club after signing a four-year deal as a free agent on Dec. 11, 2020, in this photo provided by the Wyverns. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Choi batted .306 this year in 140 games with 16 home runs and 88 RBIs, both the second-highest totals of his career. Choi was the Bears' primary second baseman, but he can also handle first base and third base.
"Choi Joo-hwan is a steady defender at second base who can hit for power and average," SK general manager Ryu Sun-kyu said. "I think he'll thrive in our hitter-friendly home stadium (in Incheon, just west of Seoul)."
Choi thanked the Bears for helping him become the player that he is today and said he was sorry to leave the club after more than a decade.
"The Wyverns recognized my value as a second baseman, and that was the biggest factor in my decision to sign with this team," Choi said. "I'll try to keep getting better and take the team to the next level."
In this file photo from Nov. 23, 2020, Choi Joo-hwan, then of the Doosan Bears, watches his double against the NC Dinos in the top of the second inning of Game 5 of the Korean Series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--Audi VW to add 8 EV models in S. Korea by 2023

`` This year , we launched the first electric model e-tron in Korea as the future of the auto industry @ @ @ @ @ will make necessary investments to continue to grow in Korea , '' said Christian Dahlheim @ @ @ @ @ of sales at Volkswagen Group .

SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- Audi Volkswagen Korea Group said Friday it will launch eight all-electric models in South Korea by 2023 to boost sales and absorb growing local demand for zero-emission cars.
The German carmaker launched its first pure electric e-tron SUV in July to prop up sales in the "extremely important" Korean market despite the coronavirus outbreak.
Audi Volkswagen plans to introduce eight electric models, including the Audi e-tron Sportback 55 in 2021 and the Volkswagen ID.4 SUV in 2022, in the next three years, Audi Volkswagen Korea Managing Director Rene Koneberg said in an online press conference.
This photo taken Dec. 11, 2020, and provided by Audi Volkswagen Korea Group shows the group's Managing Director Rene Koneberg delivering an online briefing on the company's business plans in South Korea for the next three years. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Audi Volkswagen has managed the emissions cheating scandal very well and now will focus on promoting electrified models in the coming years to further improve its sales in South Korea, he said.
The company expects sales to more than double to 42,000 units this year compared with last year, helped by new models, such as the Tiguan SUV and the Arteon sedan.
"This year, we launched the first electric model e-tron in Korea as the future of the auto industry will change dramatically. We will make necessary investments to continue to grow in Korea," said Christian Dahlheim, director general in charge of sales at Volkswagen Group.
Audi Volkswagen Korea has struggled with weak sales in recent years due to the impact of the Dieselgate emissions cheating scandal that began in September 2015, when the United States discovered the German carmaker cheated on its local diesel emissions tests.
In July 2016, the group "voluntarily" stopped selling its vehicles here as the Seoul government announced it would ban the sale of all Audi and Volkswagen cars and impose heavy fines for emissions cheating.
Audi Volkswagen Korea, which sells vehicles under four brands -- Audi, Volkswagen, Lamborghini and Bentley -- resumed sales in Korea in early 2018 after suspending normal operations in 2016 following the emissions scandal.
Volkswagen Korea's sales plunged 45 percent to 8,510 vehicles in 2019 from 15,390 units a year earlier. But its sales appear to be improving this year helped by new models.
From January to November, the four brands' sales more than doubled to 37,824 autos from 15,607 units in the same period of last year, according to the Korean Automobile Importers and Distributors Association.
This photo, taken July 1, 2020, and provided by Audi Korea, shows the Audi e-tron 55 quattro SUV during a launch event in Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--Global interest in Korean films rises after 'Parasite' wins Oscars, KFA says

During the Global Korea Convention 2020 forum on Thursday , the KFA said the popularity of its DVDs has been @ @ @ @ @ on the back of the unprecedented success of `` Parasite , '' which won four @ @ @ @ @ , at this year 's Academy Awards .

SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- Overseas inquiries about South Korean movies have been on the rise thanks to the Oscar-winning Korean film "Parasite," the national film archive said during a forum in Seoul.
The Korean Film Archive (KFA) has produced DVDs of major Korean films, ranging from the early years of the 1950s to the present, every year since 2012 and distributed them to overseas research institutions for Korean studies, cultural centers, Korean language institutes and university libraries as part of efforts to promote Korean cinema.
During the Global Korea Convention 2020 forum on Thursday, the KFA said the popularity of its DVDs has been gaining ground throughout this year on the back of the unprecedented success of "Parasite," which won four prizes, including Best Picture, at this year's Academy Awards.
The international forum kicked off in Seoul on Wednesday for a three-day run to share South Korea's achievements in global cooperation and explore its future roles and challenges.
"We receive up to 200 thank-you letters and emails every year," an official from the KFA said. "Some asked us to send more DVDs and others said they wanted to see recent releases."
For this year, under the theme of "Films and the Korean War," the KFA sent DVDs of movies, like the romance "Free Frontline" (1955) and the war drama "To the Starry Island" (1993) directed by Lee Chang-dong, to 641 entities in 100 countries around the world.
The selected movies on DVD are subtitled in seven languages, including English, French and Spanish, to help foreign people enjoy the films well.
The 1956 melodrama "Madame Freedom" and the 1936 drama "Sweet Dream" were some of the favorites of overseas fans, the KFA official added.
This image provided by the Korean Film Archive shows a scene from the war movie "Free Frontline" (1955). (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
At the same time, rising interest in Korean movies and culture has also led to an increase in demand for Korean-language lessons across the world.
The total number of state-run King Sejong Institutes reached 213 this year, topping the 200 mark for the first time since its first launch in 2007.
In 2020, South Korea opened 34 more King Sejong Institutes in 30 countries including Laos, Vietnam, Denmark, Russia, France, Costa Rica, Ethiopia and Uganda.
Of the 30, 15 nations, including Jordan, Slovakia, Ukraine and Madagascar, had their first King Sejong Institutes, officially funded by the Seoul government, christened.
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--Seoul stocks jump over 1 pct late Friday morning on vaccine hopes

Bio and tech shares advanced in Seoul , in anticipation that the endorsement would accelerate the U.S. Food and Drug @ @ @ @ @ the vaccine , and hasten the global economic recovery .

SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's benchmark stock index gained over 1 percent late Friday morning, as optimism over new coronavirus vaccinations boosted investor sentiment.
The Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 29.25 points, or 1.07 percent, to 2,775.71 as of 11:20 a.m.
Local stocks traded bullish, as vaccine hopes offset concerns over increasing COVID-19 cases at home and disappointing jobless claims in the United States.
Investor sentiment was boosted following a U.S. government advisory panel's endorsement of widespread use of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine.
Bio and tech shares advanced in Seoul, in anticipation that the endorsement would accelerate the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's emergency authorization for the vaccine, and hasten the global economic recovery.
Market behemoth Samsung Electronics gained 0.82 percent, while No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix traded flat.
Pharmaceutical giant Samsung Biologics moved up 0.24 percent, and Celltrion advanced 1.11 percent.
Internet giant Naver went up 1.22 percent, with its rival Kakao climbing 1.35 percent.
Chemical firm LG Chem slipped 0.24 percent, with rechargeable battery maker Samsung SDI retreating 1.07 percent.
Top automaker Hyundai Motor rose 0.26 percent, and leading steelmaker POSCO surged 4.23 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,087.35 won against the U.S. dollar, up 0.35 won from the previous session's close.
jwc@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--The Korea Interbank Offered Rates (KORIBOR)

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

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


yna--2020-12-11--S. Korea set to send special envoy to Russia: Cheong Wa Dae

The dispatch of the envoy is expected to help the two nations maintain the momentum of progress in their relations @ @ @ @ @ strategic communication for regional peace on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of forging formal @ @ @ @ @ of limited face-to-face diplomatic activities attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic , Kang said .

SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will dispatch a special envoy to Russia next week to commemorate the 30th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and explore ways for the development of their relations, Cheong Wa Dae announced Friday.
Woo Yoon-keun, a former three-term ruling Democratic Party lawmaker, is scheduled to visit Russia on Sunday for a week in his capacity as President Moon Jae-in's special envoy.
Woo, who served as ambassador to Russia from 2017-2019, is scheduled to meet with senior officials of Russia's government and parliament in order to convey the Moon administration's "firm will" to improve Seoul-Moscow ties, Moon's office said.
The two sides plan to discuss how to promote the exchange of high-level visits and consultations, it added. President Vladimir Putin's planned trip here has been delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
"Also (the envoy) will request Russia's constructive role and continued cooperation for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and establishment of permanent peace," Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok said.
This file photo shows Woo Yoon-keun, who will be sent to Russia as President Moon Jae-in's special envoy from Dec. 13-19, 2020. (Yonhap)
The dispatch of the envoy is expected to help the two nations maintain the momentum of progress in their relations and reaffirm a commitment to strategic communication for regional peace on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of forging formal diplomatic ties in the midst of limited face-to-face diplomatic activities attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kang said.
Woo is said to be among the candidates to become Moon's new chief of staff.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--Some 800 military, police personnel to support virus tracing operation in capital region: PM

The government recently decided to expand its preemptive tests of young and middle-aged people for the virus even if they @ @ @ @ @ and have not come in contact with a confirmed patient as they could be a @ @ @ @ @ wave of infections due to their brisk activities .

SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Friday pledged to mobilize hundreds of military and police personnel to support COVID-19 tracing work in the greater Seoul area amid a sharp surge in new cases.
"The government will dispatch some 800 military, police and newly hired probational civil servants to areas of the capital region and fully support epidemiological investigations," Chung said during a government meeting of top officials in charge of dealing with the pandemic.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun (L) presides over a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters held at the provincial government office of South Jeolla Province in Muan, 385 kilometers south of Seoul, on Dec. 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
The meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters was held at the provincial government office of South Jeolla Province in Muan, 385 kilometers south of Seoul.
Chung's comments came as South Korea on Friday reported 689 new virus cases, of which 512 were reported in the greater Seoul area that covers Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province.
The prime minister also said that the government will do all it can to control the spread of the virus, with the understanding that the nation's entire virus response system could break down if efforts in the capital area end in failure.
He also asked the public to visit and be tested at 150 makeshift test centers installed throughout the capital area. "It is aimed at cutting off further transmissions and actively seeking out hidden virus carriers," Chung said.
The government recently decided to expand its preemptive tests of young and middle-aged people for the virus even if they don't have any symptoms and have not come in contact with a confirmed patient as they could be a main cause of the current wave of infections due to their brisk activities.
Chung also expressed concerns about some religious establishments preparing for year-end events and gatherings ahead of Christmas and asked such facilities to strictly follow the state-mandated disease control measures.
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--(2nd LD) S. Korea 'very encouraged' by signs from Biden administration: Kang

`` But we have always been confident about the appreciation on the side of the U.S. administration for the strategic @ @ @ @ @ they share with our country ... and we very much hope to have the very @ @ @ @ @ promote that further , strengthen that with the incoming administration , '' she said .

(ATTN: UPDATES with additional remarks, more details from 13th para; ADDS photo)
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is "very encouraged" by signs coming from the incoming U.S. administration regarding the South Korea-U.S. alliance and cooperation, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Thursday.
Kang also said working with the incumbent U.S. administration of President Donald Trump has been great but challenging.
"We are very encouraged by the signs coming from the new incoming administration, although we are not able to coordinate or collaborate because this is time of the transition, and we want to preserve and respect that space for the incoming administration," Kang said in a webinar hosted by the Washington-based Aspen Institute.
The captured image shows South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha speaking in a webinar hosted by a Washington-based think tank, the Aspen Institute, on Dec. 10, 2020, using an online meeting platform. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Kang's remarks come about six weeks before U.S. President-elect Joe Biden is set to be inaugurated on Jan. 20.
The top South Korean diplomat said cooperation with the U.S. under Trump may have reached a record high, in terms of volume, but that it has been challenging.
"The Trump administration, I think, in terms of the sheer volume of collaboration has been extraordinarily vast and deep. The unconventionalness of the president and his inner circle may have been a challenge because of the unconventional uniqueness," she told the webinar.
"But I think we were still able to closely consult on alliance issues, such as the SMA," she added, referring to the Special Measures Agreement that partly sets South Korea's share of the cost in maintaining 28,500 U.S. troops on the peninsula.
SMA negotiations have been and continue to be deadlocked due to a wide gap over how much of a burden Seoul should shoulder.
South Korea has offered to increase its burden-sharing by up to 13 percent from the US$870 million it paid under last year's agreement, but the U.S. is said to be demanding a 50 percent hike to $1.3 billion a year.
Biden, in an op-ed piece contributed exclusively to Yonhap News Agency, has said he will not seek to "extort" U.S. allies.
Kang noted renewing the SMA will probably be "one of the first issues that we will have to work on with a new administration."
"But we have always been confident about the appreciation on the side of the U.S. administration for the strategic importance of the alliance that they share with our country ... and we very much hope to have the very close dialogue on how to promote that further, strengthen that with the incoming administration," she said.
When asked to give advice to the new U.S. administration on how to approach North Korea, the top South Korean diplomat insisted the North has not closed doors for dialogue.
"They are willing, if we read their statements accurately and I think we have, they are willing to continue the negotiations. but given that this is perhaps their only leverage, they will want the most out of this going forward, which is sanctions relief," Kang said.
She also highlighted the need for the allies to fully understand what they want and what North Korea wants in terms of denuclearization.
"We don't expect North Korea to do everything all at once. But as long as we have the full picture of where they are in terms of the nuclear development, then we can work and synchronize what they want and what we seek in terms of the concrete steps toward denuclearization," she told the virtual seminar.
In this file photo, taken Dec. 6, 2013, then visiting U.S. Vice President Joe Biden speaks in a special lecture at Seoul's Yonsei University. The former vice president won the 2020 presidential election and is set to be inaugurated on Jan. 20. (Yonhap)
Kang also stressed the importance of joint efforts of South Korea and the United States, as well as China, Japan and Russia to fully denuclearize North Korea but said bilateral talks between Washington and Pyongyang may be more effective, at least in the initial stages of the denuclearization process.
"How to bring that about, going back to that multilateral fora could be entertained at some point," she said, referring to the now defunct six-party denuclearization talks.
"But I think given that what North Korea seeks is what only the United States can give, the critical link there is the U.S. and North Korea," the South Korean minister added.
She stressed the need for the new U.S. administration to express "political will" to bilaterally engage with North Korea.
"Whether the new president-elect personally engages or not, I think clearly there has to be the political will given from his level to those who will be taking on this file in the State Department," Kang said. "The clear demonstration of that political will, I think, would be important in bringing this forward."
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--Another soldier at Army boot camp tests positive for COVID-19

The soldier at the Army boot camp was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 before being released from quarantine following a @ @ @ @ @ unit , according to the ministry .
The total number of virus cases reported there @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- An Army solider in the border county of Yeoncheon has tested positive for the new coronavirus after cluster infections were reported at his unit, the defense ministry said Friday.
The soldier at the Army boot camp was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 before being released from quarantine following a series of infections at his unit, according to the ministry. The total number of virus cases reported there rose to 92.
Among the military population, 443 people have been confirmed to have been infected with the virus so far.
Nationwide, South Korea added 689 new virus cases on Friday, raising the total caseload to 40,786. The daily figure is the second-highest mark since the country reported its first coronavirus case in January.
Following the resurgence in virus cases across the country, the ministry earlier announced a decision to dispatch over 300 military officials to public health centers to help with their antivirus work, including contact tracing.
The officers, originally scheduled to launch the work on Friday, will begin the support activities Monday after taking coronavirus tests, the ministry said.
Soldiers close the front gate of an Army boot camp in the northern county of Yeoncheon on Nov. 25, 2020, after dozens of newly enlisted soldiers tested positive for the new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--N. Korea says no confirmed cases of coronavirus as of early Dec.: WHO

North Korea has claimed to be coronavirus-free , but it has been relatively swift with its antivirus campaign by closing @ @ @ @ @ and toughening quarantine measures .

SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has conducted tests on more than 9,000 people, but there has been no reported outbreak of the coronavirus in the country, a World Health Organization report showed Friday.
The North has conducted tests on 9,373 people and claims that no cases have been reported as of Dec. 3, according to the agency's latest weekly situation report on COVID-19.
Nearly half of those tested had influenza like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) or were people who developed fever during their quarantine period, the agency said.
The remaining were health workers deployed at quarantine stations and involved in sample collection and testing.
A total of 33,044 people has been released from quarantine as of Nov. 26, it said.
North Korea has claimed to be coronavirus-free, but it has been relatively swift with its antivirus campaign by closing its border earlier this year and toughening quarantine measures.
An official disinfects a bus in Pyongyang amid the coronavirus pandemic, in this undated photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency on Sept. 4, 2020. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--(LEAD) S. Korea on alert over bird flu as highly pathogenic cases near 10

Since then , a total of 23 cases have been found from wild bird habitats across the country , according @ @ @ @ @ by the ministry .
Authorities are investigating more than 10 suspected cases among wild birds @

(ATTN: ADDS details in paras 6-8)
By Kang Yoon-seung
SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea remained on alert over a further rise in highly pathogenic bird flu cases Friday as the number of highly pathogenic cases in farms approached 10 in less than two months.
The country reported yet another suspected case of highly pathogenic bird flu from Jeongeup, 222 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs. The farm was raising 17,000 ducks.
Authorities were already investigating another suspected case from Jangseong, South Jeolla Province.
So far, South Korea has confirmed a total of eight seriously contagious avian influenza cases from local farms nationwide.
The latest case came from Naju, 355 kilometers southwest of Seoul, late Thursday. It was also the third case from South Jeolla Province.
Quarantine officials prepare to cull ducks at a farm in Naju, 355 kilometers south of Seoul, on Dec. 9, 2020. (Yonhap)
"Bird flu cases traced to poultry farms will put a significant burden on society," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said.
"We need to thoroughly investigate infected farms and take prompt actions to prevent additional cases," Chung added, pointing out the country is at a critical juncture in curbing the nationwide spread of the disease.
The prime minister also ordered authorities to focus their disinfection operations on wild bird habitats surrounding poultry farms.
The country has already completed the culling of more than 4 million poultry from affected farms according to the latest data provided Thursday, covering 2.42 million chickens, 1.01 million quails and 572,000 ducks.
Authorities cull poultry within a 3-km radius of infected farms as a preventive measure.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza is contagious and can cause severe illness and even death in poultry.
The country reported its first highly pathogenic case in 32 months in late October in Cheonan, 92 kilometers south of Seoul, from wild birds.
Since then, a total of 23 cases have been found from wild bird habitats across the country, according to the latest data provided by the ministry. Authorities are investigating more than 10 suspected cases among wild birds.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--(LEAD) S. Korea 'very encouraged' by signs from Biden administration: Kang

(ATTN: UPDATES with additional remarks, more information, background from 3rd para; ADDS photo)
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is "very encouraged" by signs coming from the incoming U.S. administration regarding the South Korea-U.S. alliance and cooperation, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Thursday.
Kang also said working with the incumbent U.S. administration of President Donald Trump has been great but challenging.
"We are very encouraged by the signs coming from the new incoming administration, although we are not able to coordinate or collaborate because this is time of the transition, and we want to preserve and respect that space for the incoming administration," Kang said in a webinar hosted by the Washington-based Aspen Institute.
The captured image shows South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha speaking in a webinar hosted by a Washington-based think tank, the Aspen Institute, on Dec. 10, 2020, using an online meeting platform. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Kang's remarks come about six weeks before U.S. President-elect Joe Biden is set to be inaugurated on Jan. 20.
The top South Korean diplomat said cooperation with the U.S. under Trump may have reached a record high, in terms of volume, but that it has been challenging.
"The Trump administration, I think, in terms of the sheer volume of collaboration has been extraordinarily vast and deep. The unconventionalness of the president and his inner circle may have been a challenge because of the unconventional uniqueness," she told the webinar.
"But I think we were still able to closely consult on alliance issues, such as the SMA," she added, referring to the Special Measures Agreement that partly sets South Korea's share of the cost in maintaining 28,500 U.S. troops on the peninsula.
SMA negotiations have been and continue to be deadlocked due to a wide gap over how much of a burden Seoul should shoulder.
South Korea has offered to increase its burden-sharing by up to 13 percent from the US$870 million it paid under last year's agreement, but the U.S. is said to be demanding a 50 percent hike to $1.3 billion a year.
Biden, in an op-ed piece contributed exclusively to Yonhap News Agency, has said he will not seek to "extort" U.S. allies.
Kang noted renewing the SMA will probably be "one of the first issues that we will have to work on with a new administration."
"But we have always been confident about the appreciation on the side of the U.S. administration for the strategic importance of the alliance that they share with our country ... and we very much hope to have the very close dialogue on how to promote that further, strengthen that with the incoming administration," she said.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--New cases nearing 700 for 3rd day amid woes over bigger pandemic

SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's daily number of new cases neared 700 for the third consecutive day Friday as health authorities have warned of a bigger and longer-than-expected wave of the pandemic during the winter, putting the country's medical system on edge.
The country reported 689 new virus cases, including 673 domestically transmitted ones, raising the total caseload to 40,786, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
Of the 689 new virus cases, 512 were reported in the greater Seoul area that covers Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, west of Seoul.
Friday's daily caseload marks a slight rise from 682 the previous day and is the second-highest mark since January, when the country reported its first confirmed COVID-19 case.
The number of confirmed cases hit a record high of 909 on Feb. 29. Eight additional coronavirus deaths were reported, raising the death toll to 572.
A thermographic camera to detect people infected with COVID-19 is set up at a ski lift station in Kangwon Land High 1 Resort, 227 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in this photo provided by Kangwon Land on Dec. 11, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Health authorities warned the current wave of the pandemic is growing bigger than the previous ones and last longer, warning that a spike in new coronavirus cases is threatening to undermine the country's medical system with the number of seriously ill virus patients rising rapidly amid looming shortages of hospital beds.
Adding to concerns is the rising ratio of untraceable infections, according to health authorities.
The percentage of virus cases with unclear transmission routes stayed in the range of 15 percent to 16 percent out of the total in the first six days of December but rose to 20.5 percent Thursday.
As part of efforts to curb the virus flare-ups, health authorities will expand virus tests in the greater Seoul area, which has emerged as a hotbed of new infections, on Monday for the next three weeks.
About 150 temporary screening centers will be set up in the Seoul metropolitan area, the authorities said.
The number of imported cases reached 16, down from 36 the previous day. They include four from the United States, three from Europe and four from Africa.
The number of COVID-19 patients with serious symptoms across the country amounted to 169, down from 172 on Thursday.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries came to 31,157, up 520 from Thursday.
ksnam@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--S.Korea, China, Japan agree to promote fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines

South Korean Minister Park Neunghoo proposed the establishment of a joint vaccine supply mechanism among the three Northeast Asian countries @ @ @ @ @ need for the three neighbors to share data and technologies for COVID-19 vaccines and medicines @ @ @ @ @ ( END )

SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea, China and Japan agreed Friday to work together in responding to the coronavirus pandemic and promoting fair international distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, the health and welfare ministry said.
The health ministers of the three countries adopted a joint statement after holding their annual talks via video links.
They agreed to enhance cooperation in the fight against the disease, sharing their experiences in development of diagnostic kits, treatments and vaccines.
South Korean Health and Welfare Minister Park Neunghoo speaks during a video-linked meeting with his counterparts of Japan and China on Dec. 11, 2020, in this photo provided by the ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
South Korea introduced its information technology-based tracing systems, as well as testing kits and treatments utilizing artificial intelligence technology, the ministry said.
They also agreed that COVID-19 vaccines should be considered global public goods and expressed support for international efforts to give developing countries affordable and effective access to them, including the World Health Organization's global vaccine project called COVAX Facility.
South Korean Minister Park Neunghoo proposed the establishment of a joint vaccine supply mechanism among the three Northeast Asian countries. He also raised the need for the three neighbors to share data and technologies for COVID-19 vaccines and medicines, the ministry said.
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--(3rd LD) New virus cases nearing 700 for 3rd day, strongest curbs not considered

The country is expected to log around 700-800 cases on Saturday as health authorities and local governments continued to add @ @ @ @ @ new cases at a nursing home in Bucheon , west of Seoul , after 539 @ @ @ @ @ 6:00 p.m. Friday -- already the highest number recorded at that time of the day @ @ @ @ @ .

(ATTN: UPDATES with new tally in paras 9-11; ADDS photo)
SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's daily number of new cases neared 700 for the third consecutive day Friday amid concerns over a bigger and longer-than-expected wave of the pandemic during the winter. But health authorities remained cautious in adopting the toughest virus curbs as they could deal a hard blow to the economy.
The country reported 689 new virus cases, including 673 domestically transmitted ones, raising the total caseload to 40,786, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
Of the 689 new virus cases, 512 were reported in the greater Seoul area that covers Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, west of Seoul.
People wait in line to get tested for COVID-19 in Daegu, southeastern South Korea, on Dec. 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
Friday's daily caseload marks a slight rise from 682 the previous day and is the second-highest mark since January, when the country reported its first confirmed COVID-19 case.
The number of confirmed cases hit a record high of 909 on Feb. 29. Eight additional coronavirus deaths were reported, raising the death toll to 572.
"Virus cases reported in the wider Seoul area account for 76 percent of the total, and there are no signs of a slowdown," Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health official, said in a briefing.
"The Level 2 social distancing scheme implemented since Nov. 24 appears to have had a limited impact on reducing virus cases," he said.
The official urged people to strictly follow the current Level 2.5 social distancing measures, the second-strongest curbs under the five-tier virus restrictions, adding that implementing the highest level of social distancing would severely hurt economic activities.
The country is expected to log around 700-800 cases on Saturday as health authorities and local governments continued to add up numbers, including 60 new cases at a nursing home in Bucheon, west of Seoul, after 539 new cases were confirmed by 6:00 p.m. Friday -- already the highest number recorded at that time of the day over the past seven days.
As of 10 p.m., more than 300 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Seoul, passing the previous daily record of 295 cases set on Dec. 3. The city said it was still counting.
The country announces its official tally of the previous day at 9:30 a.m.
Workers at the Pohang steel industrial complex, 374 kilometers southeast of Seoul, line up in front of a screening center set up at the Pohang Sports Complex to take coronavirus tests on Dec. 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
As part of efforts to curb the virus flare-ups, the authorities will expand virus tests in the greater Seoul area, which has emerged as a hotbed of new infections, on Monday for the next three weeks.
About 150 temporary screening centers will be set up in the Seoul metropolitan area, the authorities said.
The number of drive-thru screening centers will be increased to have more people take virus tests, it said.
The authorities will provide the tests to people for free if they offer their mobile phone numbers.
Health authorities also said they will make 1,000 beds for virus patients available amid looming bed shortages.
Early in the day, Prime Minister Chun Sye-kyun said the government will dispatch some 800 military, police and newly hired civil servants with probationary status to areas of the capital region in a bid to support epidemiological investigations.
Health authorities warned the current wave of the pandemic is growing bigger than the previous ones and last longer, warning that a spike in new coronavirus cases is threatening to undermine the country's medical system with the number of seriously ill virus patients rising rapidly amid looming shortages of hospital beds.
Adding to concerns is the rising ratio of untraceable infections, according to health authorities.
The percentage of virus cases with unclear transmission routes stayed in the range of 15 percent to 16 percent out of the total in the first six days of December but rose to 20.5 percent Thursday.
A thermographic camera to detect people infected with COVID-19 is set up at a ski lift station in Kangwon Land High 1 Resort, 227 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in this photo provided by Kangwon Land on Dec. 11, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Of the 689 new cases announced early in the day, 16 were imported cases, down from 36 the previous day. They include four from the United States, three from Europe and four from Africa.
The number of COVID-19 patients with serious symptoms across the country amounted to 169, down from 172 on Thursday.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries came to 31,157, up 520 from Thursday.
ksnam@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--(5th LD) S. Korea on alert over highly pathogenic bird flu as caseload reaches 10

The country reported this year 's ninth case of avian influenza of H5N8 strain from a duck farm in Jangseong @ @ @ @ @ of Seoul , according to the Ministry of Agriculture , Food and Rural Affairs .
@ @ @ @ @ case from South Jeolla Province .

(ATTN: ADDS details in paras 1-6)
By Kang Yoon-seung
SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea confirmed two more cases of highly pathogenic bird flu in poultry Friday, raising the total caseload of this season to 10.
The country reported this year's ninth case of avian influenza of H5N8 strain from a duck farm in Jangseong, about 250 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. It was also the fourth case from South Jeolla Province.
The farm was raising about 8,000 ducks and has provided ducklings to 12 South Jeolla poultry farms via a hatchery in Hampyeong in the same province, officials said.
The authorities plan to slaughter all 191,000 ducks in the affected farms.
Later in the day, another infection was discovered at a duck farm in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, about 220 kilometers south of Seoul.
The farm was raising 17,000 ducks. The province plans to cull about 84,000 birds in a 3-km radius of the farm, officials said.
The country has been reporting highly contagious avian influenza cases from local farms nationwide, also including the provinces of Gyeonggi, North Chungcheong and North Gyeongsang.
A truck disinfects areas surrounding a duck farm in Jangseong, 252 kilometers south of Seoul, on Dec. 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
"Bird flu cases traced to poultry farms will put a significant burden on society," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said.
"We need to thoroughly investigate infected farms and take prompt actions to prevent additional cases," Chung added, pointing out the country is at a critical juncture in curbing the nationwide spread of the disease.
The prime minister also ordered authorities to focus their disinfection operations on wild bird habitats surrounding poultry farms.
The country has already completed the culling of more than 4.4 million poultry being raised at affected farms, including 2.65 million chickens and 1.01 million quails, according to the ministry.
Authorities cull poultry within a 3-km radius of infected farms as a preventive measure.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza is contagious and can cause severe illness and even death in poultry.
The country reported its first highly pathogenic case in 32 months in late October in Cheonan, 92 kilometers south of Seoul, from wild birds.
Since then, a total of 23 cases have been found from wild bird habitats across the country, according to the ministry. Authorities are investigating two more suspected cases among wild birds.
Officials prepare to cull ducks from a farm located in Jangseong, 252 kilometers south of Seoul, on Dec. 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--(LEAD) Award-winning director Kim Ki-duk dies from COVID-19 in Latvia: reports

He was accused by an actress of sexual and physical abuse in 2017 when the # MeToo movement began to @ @ @ @ @ October , Kim lost a lawsuit he filed against the actress and a local broadcaster @ @ @ @ @ of sexual misconduct against him in 2018 .

(ATTN: ADDS photo, details in paras 3-4, last 3 paras)
SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- Kim Ki-duk, an internationally acclaimed filmmaker, died from COVID-19 complications in Latvia, according to media reports on Friday.
The 59-year-old director died early Friday (local time) in a hospital in the Baltic country, the Russian news agency TASS reported, citing the Latvian online portal Delfi. Kim is said to have suffered from COVID-19 related complications.
The report said Kim arrived in the country on Nov. 20, and had been out of contact since Dec. 5. Kim planned to buy a house in the resort city of Jurmala and acquire permanent residency, it said.
This file photo shows filmmaker Kim Ki-duk. (Yonhap)
Jeon Yang-jun, executive director of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), told Yonhap News Agency that he heard the news of Kim's death from an art critic in Kyrgyzstan.
The arthouse maverick earned international fame in 2004 when he won the Silver Bear award for "Samaritan Girl" at the Berlin International Film Festival. He also received the Golden Lion award for "Pieta" at the Venice Film Festival in 2012.
While his cinematic works captivated global audiences for many years, he has recently kept a low-profile in his native country amid multiple allegations of sexual misconduct.
He was accused by an actress of sexual and physical abuse in 2017 when the #MeToo movement began to sweep the nation. In October, Kim lost a lawsuit he filed against the actress and a local broadcaster, which reported more allegations of sexual misconduct against him in 2018.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was working to verify media reports through the Korean Embassy in Latvia.
This undated file photo shows filmmaker Kim Ki-duk. (Yonhap)
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--Award-winning director Kim Ki-duk dies from COVID-19 in Latvia: reports

The arthouse maverick earned international fame when he won the Silver Bear award for `` Samaritan Girl '' at the @ @ @ @ @ 2004 .
He also received the Golden Lion award for `` Pieta '' at the @ @ @ @ @ .

SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- Kim Ki-duk, an internationally acclaimed filmmaker, died from COVID-19 complications in Latvia, according to media reports on Friday.
The 59-year-old director died early Friday (local time) in a hospital in the Baltic country, the Russian news agency TASS reported, citing the Latvian online portal Delfi. Kim is said to have suffered from COVID-19 related complications.
The report said Kim arrived in the country on Nov. 20, and had been out of contact since Dec. 5.
The arthouse maverick earned international fame when he won the Silver Bear award for "Samaritan Girl" at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2004. He also received the Golden Lion award for "Pieta" at the Venice Film Festival in 2012.
This undated file photo shows filmmaker Kim Ki-duk. (Yonhap)
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--Court rejects appeals by Japanese firm over rulings on forced labor

In order to proceed with a stalled legal process , the court has instituted the legal procedure of making a @ @ @ @ @ legal documents are considered to have been delivered to an unresponsive defendant .

DAEGU, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean court struck down appeals filed by a Japanese firm against a ruling that ordered a freeze of its assets here to compensate victims of wartime forced labor.
According to the Daegu District Court in southeastern Korea on Friday, its Pohang branch rejected Thursday two appeals filed earlier this week by Japan's Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp over the court's decision to seize its assets.
The court dismissed a similar appeal in August, calling the plaintiff's claim "baseless."
In October 2018, South Korea's Supreme Court ordered Nippon Steel to pay four South Koreans 100 million won (US$91,600) each in compensation for their forced labor and unpaid work during World War II. Korea was under Japan's colonization from 1910-45.
Since the firm did not respond to the ruling, the plaintiffs requested an asset seizure, which was approved by the court in Pohang.
The seized assets connected to the three cases pending in the Pohang court are 194,794 shares, worth around 973 million won in PNR, a joint venture set up by Nippon Steel and South Korean steelmaker POSCO, which recycles byproducts from steelmaking.
In order to proceed with a stalled legal process, the court has instituted the legal procedure of making a public notice, under which legal documents are considered to have been delivered to an unresponsive defendant.
Yang Geum-duk (L), a South Korean victim of wartime forced labor in Japan, and other participants chant slogans demanding Japan's apology during a rally in front of the foreign ministry in Tokyo on Jan. 17, 2020. (Yonhap)
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--USFK tightens COVID-19 restrictions in greater Seoul area

`` All USFK-affiliated individuals are reminded to adhere to all USFK core tenets , HPCON measures and ROK government and @ @ @ @ @ , your bubble and others from COVID-19 , '' it said in a release .
@ @ @ @ @ South Korea 's official name , the Republic of Korea .

SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Friday it will strengthen anti-coronavirus restrictions for its personnel in the greater Seoul area following a resurgence in the number of virus cases in the country.
Effective 6 p.m. Saturday, the U.S. military will heighten the Health Protection Condition (HPCON) by one notch to Charlie for Area II that encompasses Seoul, the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and the western city of Incheon, until further notice.
Under the tightened rules, "only mission essential individuals will report for duty with all others conducting telework," while visits to adults-only installations, such as bars, and eat-in dining, are restricted, it said.
Travel within Area II is limited to official and necessary duties only for all USFK-affiliated personnel, until further notice.
"All USFK-affiliated individuals are reminded to adhere to all USFK core tenets, HPCON measures and ROK government and local directives to protect yourself, your bubble and others from COVID-19," it said in a release. ROK is the acronym for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.
The announcement came as South Korea's daily number of new virus cases neared 700 for the third consecutive day. The country added 689 new virus cases Friday, raising the total caseload to 40,786.
Among the USFK-affiliated population, 418 people have tested positive for the virus, most of whom tested positive upon their arrival here from the United States.
This poster captured from U.S. Forces Korea's offical website on Dec. 11, 2020, shows its decision to raise the COVID-19 restriction measures in the greater Seoul area starting the next day. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--(4th LD) S. Korea on alert over bird flu as highly pathogenic cases near 10

The country reported this year 's ninth case of highly pathogenic bird flu from a duck farm in Jangseong , @ @ @ @ @ Seoul , according to the Ministry of Agriculture , Food and Rural Affairs .
It @ @ @ @ @ from South Jeolla Province .

(ATTN: ADDS details in paras 3-5)
By Kang Yoon-seung
SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea remained on alert over a further rise in highly pathogenic bird flu cases Friday as the number of highly pathogenic cases in farms approached 10 in less than two months.
The country reported this year's ninth case of highly pathogenic bird flu from a duck farm in Jangseong, about 250 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. It was also the fourth case from South Jeolla Province.
The farm was raising about 8,000 ducks and has provided ducklings to 12 South Jeolla poultry farms via a hatchery in Hampyeong in the same province, officials said.
The authorities plan to slaughter all 191,000 ducks in the affected farms.
Local authorities are investigating another suspected case of highly pathogenic bird flu from a duck farm in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, about 220 kilometers south of Seoul.
South Korea has been reporting seriously contagious avian influenza cases from local farms nationwide, also including the provinces of Gyeonggi, North Chungcheong, North Gyeongsang and North Jeolla.
A truck disinfects areas surrounding a duck farm in Jangseong, 252 kilometers south of Seoul, on Dec. 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
"Bird flu cases traced to poultry farms will put a significant burden on society," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said.
"We need to thoroughly investigate infected farms and take prompt actions to prevent additional cases," Chung added, pointing out the country is at a critical juncture in curbing the nationwide spread of the disease.
The prime minister also ordered authorities to focus their disinfection operations on wild bird habitats surrounding poultry farms.
The country has already completed the culling of more than 4.4 million poultry being raised at affected farms, including 2.65 million chickens and 1.01 million quails, according to the ministry.
Authorities cull poultry within a 3-km radius of infected farms as a preventive measure.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza is contagious and can cause severe illness and even death in poultry.
The country reported its first highly pathogenic case in 32 months in late October in Cheonan, 92 kilometers south of Seoul, from wild birds.
Since then, a total of 23 cases have been found from wild bird habitats across the country, according to the ministry. Authorities are investigating two more suspected cases among wild birds.
Officials prepare to cull ducks from a farm located in Jangseong, 252 kilometers south of Seoul, on Dec. 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--(2nd LD) New virus cases nearing 700 for 3rd day, strongest curbs not considered

The country is expected to report more than 650 additional cases on Saturday as health authorities and local governments confirmed @ @ @ @ @ of 6:00 p.m. , with 365 cases from the greater Seoul area .
The country @ @ @ @ @ the previous day at 9:30 a.m .

(ATTN: UPDATES with new tally in 9th para)
SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's daily number of new cases neared 700 for the third consecutive day Friday amid concerns over a bigger and longer-than-expected wave of the pandemic during the winter. But health authorities remained cautious in adopting the toughest virus curbs as they could deal a hard blow to the economy.
The country reported 689 new virus cases, including 673 domestically transmitted ones, raising the total caseload to 40,786, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
Of the 689 new virus cases, 512 were reported in the greater Seoul area that covers Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, west of Seoul.
Friday's daily caseload marks a slight rise from 682 the previous day and is the second-highest mark since January, when the country reported its first confirmed COVID-19 case.
The number of confirmed cases hit a record high of 909 on Feb. 29. Eight additional coronavirus deaths were reported, raising the death toll to 572.
"Virus cases reported in the wider Seoul area account for 76 percent of the total, and there are no signs of a slowdown," Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health official, said in a briefing.
"The Level 2 social distancing scheme implemented since Nov. 24 appears to have had a limited impact on reducing virus cases," he said.
The official urged people to strictly follow the current Level 2.5 social distancing measures, the second-strongest curbs under the five-tier virus restrictions, adding that implementing the highest level of social distancing would severely hurt economic activities.
The country is expected to report more than 650 additional cases on Saturday as health authorities and local governments confirmed 539 new cases Friday as of 6:00 p.m., with 365 cases from the greater Seoul area. The country announces its official tally of the previous day at 9:30 a.m.
Workers at the Pohang steel industrial complex, 374 kilometers southeast of Seoul, line up in front of a screening center set up at the Pohang Sports Complex to take coronavirus tests on Dec. 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
As part of efforts to curb the virus flare-ups, the authorities will expand virus tests in the greater Seoul area, which has emerged as a hotbed of new infections, on Monday for the next three weeks.
About 150 temporary screening centers will be set up in the Seoul metropolitan area, the authorities said.
The number of drive-thru screening centers will be increased to have more people take virus tests, it said.
The authorities will provide the tests to people for free if they offer their mobile phone numbers.
Health authorities also said they will make 1,000 beds for virus patients available amid looming bed shortages.
Early in the day, Prime Minister Chun Sye-kyun said the government will dispatch some 800 military, police and newly hired civil servants with probationary status to areas of the capital region in a bid to support epidemiological investigations.
Health authorities warned the current wave of the pandemic is growing bigger than the previous ones and last longer, warning that a spike in new coronavirus cases is threatening to undermine the country's medical system with the number of seriously ill virus patients rising rapidly amid looming shortages of hospital beds.
Adding to concerns is the rising ratio of untraceable infections, according to health authorities.
The percentage of virus cases with unclear transmission routes stayed in the range of 15 percent to 16 percent out of the total in the first six days of December but rose to 20.5 percent Thursday.
A thermographic camera to detect people infected with COVID-19 is set up at a ski lift station in Kangwon Land High 1 Resort, 227 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in this photo provided by Kangwon Land on Dec. 11, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Of the 689 new cases announced early in the day, 16 were imported cases, down from 36 the previous day. They include four from the United States, three from Europe and four from Africa.
The number of COVID-19 patients with serious symptoms across the country amounted to 169, down from 172 on Thursday.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries came to 31,157, up 520 from Thursday.
ksnam@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--(LEAD) Star catcher earns near-unanimous support for KBO's Golden Glove

`` I 've accomplished so much this year , and this Golden Glove is a huge honor , '' Yang @ @ @ @ @ finished in fifth place last year , my teammates asked me to be the new @ @ @ @ @ thank those guys for following my lead all year .
I did n't do anything @ @ @ @ @ a complete team effort . ''

(ATTN: ADDS photos, comments in para 7, voting results at bottom)
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- The consensus pick as the best catcher in South Korean baseball earned near-unanimous support for the final piece of hardware for the season on Friday.
Yang Eui-ji of the NC Dinos won his third straight Golden Glove and his sixth overall by winning 340 out of 342 votes cast by baseball writers, broadcasters and color commentators.
NC Dinos' catcher Yang Eui-ji poses with the Golden Glove trophy at the awards ceremony in Seoul on Dec. 11, 2020, in this photo provided by the Korea Baseball Organization. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Doosan Bears' Park Sei-hyok and KT Wiz's Jang Sung-woo each had a vote to keep Yang from becoming the first unanimous winner in Golden Glove history, which dates back to the inaugural Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season in 1982.
Yang led all backstops with a .328 batting average, 33 home runs and 124 RBIs, a single-season record by a catcher, while playing his usual stellar defense.
Yang punctuated the year by captaining the Dinos to their first Korean Series title last month. He was also voted the series MVP.
The 33-year-old now ranks second all-time among catchers with six Golden Gloves, one behind the retired star Kim Dong-soo.
In this file photo from Nov. 24, 2020, Yang Eui-ji of the NC Dinos (C) celebrates with his teammates after winning the Korean Series title over the Doosan Bears at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. (Yonhap)
"I've accomplished so much this year, and this Golden Glove is a huge honor," Yang said. "After we finished in fifth place last year, my teammates asked me to be the new captain. I want to thank those guys for following my lead all year. I didn't do anything alone. Our championship was a complete team effort."
The awards ceremony was held in Seoul without fans or media on hand. Only a handful of nominees and likely winners were present.
Winners of the Golden Gloves in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) pose with their trophies at the awards ceremony in Seoul on Dec. 11, 2020, in this photo provided by the KBO. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Elsewhere, the regular season MVP Mel Rojas Jr. earned the second most votes, 309, to win one of three outfield Golden Gloves.
Rojas spent the past four seasons with the Wiz but will join the Hanshin Tigers in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) starting next year.
Rojas led the KBO with 47 home runs and 135 RBIs. Rojas finished third with a .349 batting average to come up one category shy of winning the Triple Crown.
Three Golden Gloves were up for grabs for outfielders regardless of position, and Rojas was joined by LG Twins' left fielder Kim Hyun-soo (221 votes) and Kiwoom Heroes' right fielder Lee Jung-hoo (202 votes).
It was Kim's fifth, and first since 2015, and Lee's third straight. Kim knocked in 119 runs to rank third overall, while Lee finished sixth batting average (.333) and tied for fifth in hits (181).
In this file photo from Nov. 10, 2020, Mel Rojas Jr. of the KT Wiz celebrates his solo home run against the Doosan Bears in the bottom of the third inning of Game 2 of the second-round series in the Korea Baseball Organization postseason at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. (Yonhap)
Despite the name's connotation, Golden Gloves have been typically presented to players who put up the best offensive and pitching numbers, instead of the best defensive players. In addition to the nine fielding positions, the KBO also hands out Golden Gloves to designated hitters. League leaders in major offensive and pitching categories all earned automatic nominations.
Yang's Dinos teammate, Park Min-woo, won his second straight Golden Glove at second base with 299 votes. Park ranked fourth in batting average (.345) and eighth in on-base percentage (.402), while leading all second basemen in those categories. It was his sixth straight season with at least a .300 batting average.
Kiwoom Heroes' shortstop Kim Ha-seong gives an acceptance speech after winning a Golden Glove at the awards ceremony in Seoul on Dec. 11, 2020, in this photo provided by the Korea Baseball Organization. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Another easy choice came at shortstop, where Kim Ha-seong of the Heroes earned his third straight Golden Glove. Kim collected 277 votes.
Kim batted .306/.397/.523, with 30 home runs, 109 RBIs and 111 runs scored to lead all shortstops.
Two Wiz players earned their first Golden Gloves: Hwang Jae-gyun at third base and Kang Baek-ho at first base.
The third base was the most hotly contested position, as Hwang beat Heo Kyoung-min of the Doosan Bears by 37 votes.
In this file photo from Oct. 28, 2020, Hwang Jae-gyun of the KT Wiz flips his bat after hitting a solo home run against the Kia Tigers in the top of the first inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
Hwang posted a .312/.370/.512 line, plus 21 home runs and 97 RBIs. It was his fifth straight 20-homer season. Hwang also put up most defensive innings at third base with 1,113 2/3.
Kang, who moved from outfield to first base this year, batted .330/.411/.544 with 23 homoe runs and 89 RBIs in 129 games. Kang ranked inside the top 10 in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, hits and runs scored.
LG Twins' outfielder Kim Hyun-soo gives an acceptance speech after winning a Golden Glove at the awards ceremony in Seoul on Dec. 11, 2020, in this photo provided by the Korea Baseball Organization. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Doosan Bears' right-hander Raul Alcantara won the pitching Golden Glove with 232 votes. He was the league's only 20-game winner this year and also finished third in the regular season MVP voting.
Batting champion Choi Hyoung-woo won the Golden Glove as designated hitter for the Kia Tigers, adding it to the five he'd won as an outfielder. Choi batted .354 for his second career batting title, and also ranked fourth in hits (185), fourth in RBIs (115) and second in on-base plus slugging (1.023).
Choi collected 168 votes to beat the Dinos' Na Sung-bum by 55 votes.
By clubs, the Wiz led everyone with three winners, while the Dinos and the Heroes had two winners each. The Bears, the Twins and the Tigers each produced one winner.
In this file photo from Oct. 28, 2020, Choi Hyoung-woo of the Kia Tigers tosses his bat after hitting a two-run home run against the KT Wiz during the bottom of the first inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--(LEAD) Posted KBO star Kim Ha-seong feeling more confident after dinner with Blue Jays pitcher

Blue Jays ' assistant general manager Joe Sheehan recently said of Kim , `` The performance in the KBO has @ @ @ @ @ just looking at players that have come over , he fits into that infield market @ @ @ @

(ATTN: ADDS comments in paras 11-12, photo)
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korean baseball star Kim Ha-seong, recently posted for major league clubs, said Friday he grew more confident in himself after his much-talked about dinner with a fellow Korean big league veteran.
Prior to the annual Golden Gloves awards ceremony, the shortstop for the Kiwoom Heroes in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) spoke about his recent meeting with the Toronto Blue Jays starter Ryu Hyun-jin.
"He gave me a lot of advice," Kim said in a pre-ceremony interview streamed on Instagram. "He helped me feel more confident about my chances of making it in the majors."
In this file photo from Oct. 7, 2020, Kim Ha-seong of the Kiwoom Heroes celebrates his solo home run against the NC Dinos during the bottom of the fifth inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. (Yonhap)
Kim, a 25-year-old slugging shortstop, was posted for Major League Baseball (MLB) clubs last week. Any interested club can try to work out a deal with Kim within a 30-day negotiating period, which began at 8 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) on Dec. 2 and will end at 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 1.
Ryu disclosed after another awards ceremony earlier this week that he'd recently met with Kim. Without divulging too much, Ryu said it'd be great to be playing with Kim in the majors.
Kim echoed that sentiment Friday.
"It'd be a huge honor to play with Ryu Hyun-jin," Kim said. "I think it would also make my transition (to the majors) easier."
Kiwoom Heroes' shortstop Kim Ha-seong gives an acceptance speech after winning a Golden Glove at the awards ceremony in Seoul on Dec. 11, 2020, in this photo provided by the Korea Baseball Organization. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Their meeting fueled speculation that the Blue Jays were in on Kim and Ryu was trying to recruit the shortstop on the club's behalf, though it turned out that Kim reached out to Ryu first.
Ryu is a well-respected veteran among KBO stars who hope to follow in his footsteps to reach the big leagues. The 33-year-old left-hander is the first player to jump directly from the KBO to the majors via posting.
Kim enjoyed a highly productive 2020 season, batting .306/.397/.523 with a career-high 30 home runs, 109 RBIs, 111 runs scored and 23 steals. He drew more walks (75) than he struck out (68) for the first time in his career. An athletic fielder with a strong arm, Kim can play both shortstop and third base.
Later Friday, Kim picked up his third straight Golden Glove at shortstop, earning 277 out of 342 votes from baseball writers, broadcasters and TV color commentators.
"When I got my first Golden Glove (in 2018), I said I wanted to keep winning it," he said. "I am grateful that I've won my third straight today."
Blue Jays' assistant general manager Joe Sheehan recently said of Kim, "The performance in the KBO has been quite strong. And just looking at players that have come over, he fits into that infield market really well."
In this file photo from Sept. 23, 2020, Kim Ha-seong of the Kiwoom Heroes celebrates his two-run home run against the Kia Tigers during the top of the eighth inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--Hyundai Motor to acquire 80-pct stake of Boston Dynamics from SoftBank

SEOUL , Dec. 11 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korea 's Hyundai Motor Group said Friday its affiliates and its @ @ @ @ @ stake , worth up to 900 billion won ( US $ 828 million ) , @ @ @ @ @ Dynamics Inc. in the latest move to propel its future mobility business .

By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Hyundai Motor Group said Friday its affiliates and its chairman will buy an 80-percent stake, worth up to 900 billion won (US$828 million), in U.S. robotics firm Boston Dynamics Inc. in the latest move to propel its future mobility business.
The board of directors at Hyundai Motor and its two affiliates, Hyundai Mobis and Hyundai Glovis, approved the plan to acquire the controlling stake in Boston Dynamics from Japanese investment firm SoftBank Group, Hyundai Motor said in a regulatory briefing.
The deal is estimated to be worth around 800 billion ($734 million) to 900 billion won.
Hyundai Motor Co. and Hyundai Motor Chairman will take 30 percent and 20 percent of the deal, and two subsidiaries will pay for the remainder, the firm said.
"The stake acquisition is aimed at expanding the robotics business to tap into related industries and create synergy with future businesses," the company said in a statement.
Hyundai Motor said it will finalize the deal within the first half of next year after receiving regulatory approvals in South Korea and the United States.
Hyundai Motor Co.'s wearable robot VEX is shown in this photo provided by the automaker on Sept. 17, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Boston Dynamics was spun off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1992, acquired by Google owner Alphabet in 2013 and then sold to SoftBank in 2017.
The U.S. robot maker is famous for its dog-like robot Spot, which started sales this year for $75,000, but the startup has failed to make a profit.
It is the first M&A deal after Chung Euisun officially took helm of Hyundai Motor Group in October. Chung has pledged to transform the company into a future mobility provider.
In October 2019, Chung said half of the group's business will be related to car manufacturing, followed by urban air mobility with 30 percent and robotics with 20 percent.
The acquisition is expected to give the world's No. 5 automotive group a leg up in designing industrial robots for factory use and logistics.
During last year's Consumer Electronics Show, Hyundai unveiled its concept vehicle with robotic legs that can be extended to drive and used for walking, proposing applications in search and rescue efforts in challenging terrains.
On Thursday, Hyundai said it will invest 60.1 trillion won by 2025 for future mobility to gain a bigger share in the rapidly evolving global automobile markets.
ejkim@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--Court dismisses fine dust-related compensation lawsuit against Seoul, Beijing

The court said it is difficult to conclude that the Korean government has violated laws to protect individual citizens , @ @ @ @ @ mental pain from fine dust that does not meet environmental standards .
The government has @ @ @ @ @ it has made efforts to identify the cause of fine dust pollution and devise countermeasures @ @ @ @ @ claims and proof of damage are not specific .

SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- A Seoul court on Friday ordered the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by local environmental groups and citizens to claim compensation from the governments in Seoul and Beijing over the annual fine dust outbreaks here.
A group of 90 South Koreans angry with the persistent fine dust pollution at home -- including Choi Yeol, chief director of the Korea Green Foundation; former agriculture minister Kim Sung-hoon; and lawyer Ahn Kyeong-jae -- launched litigation against the South Korean and Chinese governments in May 2017, demanding compensation of 3 million won (US$2,750) per plaintiff.
The plaintiffs accused Beijing of failing to fulfill its duty to manage pollutants and Seoul of neglecting its duty to identify the cause of fine dust and protect the people's right to pursue safety and happiness.
But the Seoul Central District Court dismissed the plaintiffs' compensation claim against the South Korean government, while rejecting a similar claim against the Chinese government. Rejection refers to a decision made when a lawsuit or claim is inappropriate or does not meet legal requirements.
The court said it is difficult to conclude that the Korean government has violated laws to protect individual citizens, even if they have suffered mental pain from fine dust that does not meet environmental standards. The government has insisted in court hearings that it has made efforts to identify the cause of fine dust pollution and devise countermeasures and that the plaintiffs' claims and proof of damage are not specific.
The court also said it has rejected the compensation claim against the Chinese government because it doesn't have jurisdiction over the neighboring country.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--Star catcher earns near-unanimous support for KBO's Golden Glove

Despite the name 's connotation , Golden Gloves have been typically presented to players who put up the best offensive @ @ @ @ @ of the best defensive players .
In addition to the nine fielding positions , the @ @ @ @ @ Gloves to designated hitters .
League leaders in major offensive and pitching categories all earned @ @ @

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- The consensus pick as the best catcher in South Korean baseball earned near-unanimous support for the final piece of hardware for the season on Friday.
Yang Eui-ji of the NC Dinos won his third straight Golden Glove and his sixth overall by winning 340 out of 342 votes cast by baseball writers, broadcasters and color commentators.
Doosan Bears' Park Sei-hyok and KT Wiz's Jang Sung-woo each had a vote to keep Yang from becoming the first unanimous winner in Golden Glove history, which dates back to the inaugural Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season in 1982.
In this file photo from Nov. 24, 2020, Yang Eui-ji of the NC Dinos (C) celebrates with his teammates after winning the Korean Series title over the Doosan Bears at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. (Yonhap)
Yang led all backstops with a .328 batting average, 33 home runs and 124 RBIs, a single-season record by a catcher, while playing his usual stellar defense.
Yang punctuated the year by captaining the Dinos to their first Korean Series title last month. He was also voted the series MVP.
The 33-year-old now ranks second all-time among catchers with six Golden Gloves, one behind the retired star Kim Dong-soo.
The awards ceremony was held in Seoul without fans or media on hand. Only a handful of nominees and likely winners were present.
Elsewhere, the regular season MVP Mel Rojas Jr. earned the second most votes, 309, to win one of three outfield Golden Gloves.
Rojas spent the past four seasons with the Wiz but will join the Hanshin Tigers in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) starting next year.
Rojas led the KBO with 47 home runs and 135 RBIs. Rojas finished third with a .349 batting average to come up one category shy of winning the Triple Crown.
Three Golden Gloves were up for grabs for outfielders regardless of position, and Rojas was joined by LG Twins' left fielder Kim Hyun-soo (221 votes) and Kiwoom Heroes' right fielder Lee Jung-hoo (202 votes).
It was Kim's fifth, and first since 2015, and Lee's third straight. Kim knocked in 119 runs to rank third overall, while Lee finished sixth batting average (.333) and tied for fifth in hits (181).
In this file photo from Nov. 10, 2020, Mel Rojas Jr. of the KT Wiz celebrates his solo home run against the Doosan Bears in the bottom of the third inning of Game 2 of the second-round series in the Korea Baseball Organization postseason at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. (Yonhap)
Despite the name's connotation, Golden Gloves have been typically presented to players who put up the best offensive and pitching numbers, instead of the best defensive players. In addition to the nine fielding positions, the KBO also hands out Golden Gloves to designated hitters. League leaders in major offensive and pitching categories all earned automatic nominations.
Yang's Dinos teammate, Park Min-woo, won his second straight Golden Glove at second base with 299 votes. Park ranked fourth in batting average (.345) and eighth in on-base percentage (.402), while leading all second basemen in those categories. It was his sixth straight season with at least a .300 batting average.
Another easy choice came at shortstop, where Kim Ha-seong of the Heroes earned his third straight Golden Glove. Kim collected 277 votes.
Kim batted .306/.397/.523, with 30 home runs, 109 RBIs and 111 runs scored to lead all shortstops.
Two Wiz players earned their first Golden Gloves: Hwang Jae-gyun at third base and Kang Baek-ho at first base.
The third base was the most hotly contested position, as Hwang beat Heo Kyoung-min of the Doosan Bears by 37 votes.
In this file photo from Oct. 28, 2020, Hwang Jae-gyun of the KT Wiz flips his bat after hitting a solo home run against the Kia Tigers in the top of the first inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
Hwang posted a .312/.370/.512 line, plus 21 home runs and 97 RBIs. It was his fifth straight 20-homer season. Hwang also put up most defensive innings at third base with 1,113 2/3.
Kang, who moved from outfield to first base this year, batted .330/.411/.544 with 23 homoe runs and 89 RBIs in 129 games. Kang ranked inside the top 10 in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, hits and runs scored.
Doosan Bears' right-hander Raul Alcantara won the pitching Golden Glove with 232 votes. He was the league's only 20-game winner this year and also finished third in the regular season MVP voting.
Batting champion Choi Hyoung-woo won the Golden Glove as designated hitter for the Kia Tigers, adding it to the five he'd won as an outfielder. Choi batted .354 for his second career batting title, and also ranked fourth in hits (185), fourth in RBIs (115) and second in on-base plus slugging (1.023).
Choi collected 168 votes to beat the Dinos' Na Sung-bum by 55 votes.
In this file photo from Oct. 28, 2020, Choi Hyoung-woo of the Kia Tigers tosses his bat after hitting a two-run home run against the KT Wiz during the bottom of the first inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--(LEAD) S. Korea to sell 176.4 tln won in state bonds next year

Some 30 percent of the total debt sale will be issued with a maturity of two or three years , @ @ @ @ @ with a maturity of five or ten years will make up around 40 percent .
@ @ @ @ @ bonds with a maturity of 20 years and longer .

(ATTN: ADDS more details from 7th para)
SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to sell state bonds worth 176.4 trillion won (US$161.8 billion) next year, the finance ministry said Friday, as the country will increase fiscal spending to cope with the fallout of the new coronavirus outbreak.
The planned debt sale marks a rise of 1.1 percent, or 1.9 trillion won, from this year, when Treasurys worth 174.5 trillion won were sold, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
The government plans to sell a net 113.2 trillion won in state bonds next year, down 2 trillion won on-year, the ministry said. It plans to refinance Treasurys worth 63.2 trillion won in 2021, up 3.9 trillion won from this year.
The government plans to increase fiscal spending next year in a bid to cushion the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic and prop up the slowing economy.
Earlier this month, the National Assembly passed a record 558 trillion-won national budget for next year that includes nearly 4 trillion won allocated for additional coronavirus relief funds and vaccine purchases.
The government plans to issue deficit-covering bonds worth 93.5 trillion won next year to help finance the planned massive fiscal spending.
Without elaborating, the ministry said it plans to sell a larger amount of government bonds in the first half of 2021 than in the second half in a bid to support its fiscal spending plan.
The ministry plans to front-load 72.4 percent of fiscal spending in the January-June period of next year.
Some 30 percent of the total debt sale will be issued with a maturity of two or three years, while the sale of Treasurys with a maturity of five or ten years will make up around 40 percent. The remainder will be government bonds with a maturity of 20 years and longer.
Starting next year, the country will issue Treasurys with a maturity of two years. The sale of such debt will be estimated at around 8-9 percent of the total bond issuance, the ministry added.
The country's expansionary fiscal policy is expected to boost its debt level next year.
The country's government debt is expected to reach 956 trillion won next year, up 150.8 trillion won from this year. The country's debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio, a gauge of a nation's financial health, will reach 47.3 percent in 2021, higher than just below 40 percent before the pandemic.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--(3rd LD) S. Korea on alert over bird flu as highly pathogenic cases near 10

(ATTN: UPDATES paras 8, 12; CHANGES photos)
By Kang Yoon-seung
SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea remained on alert over a further rise in highly pathogenic bird flu cases Friday as the number of highly pathogenic cases in farms approached 10 in less than two months.
The country reported this year's ninth case of highly pathogenic bird flu from a duck farm in Jangseong, about 250 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. It was also the fourth case from South Jeolla Province.
Local authorities are investigating another suspected case of highly pathogenic bird flu from a duck farm in Jeongeup, about 220 kilometers south of Seoul.
South Korea has been reporting seriously contagious avian influenza cases from local farms nationwide, also including the provinces of Gyeonggi, North Chungcheong, North Gyeongsang and North Jeolla.
A truck disinfects areas surrounding a duck farm in Jangseong, 252 kilometers south of Seoul, on Dec. 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
"Bird flu cases traced to poultry farms will put a significant burden on society," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said.
"We need to thoroughly investigate infected farms and take prompt actions to prevent additional cases," Chung added, pointing out the country is at a critical juncture in curbing the nationwide spread of the disease.
The prime minister also ordered authorities to focus their disinfection operations on wild bird habitats surrounding poultry farms.
The country has already completed the culling of more than 4.4 million poultry being raised at affected farms, including 2.65 million chickens and 1.01 million quails, according to the ministry.
Authorities cull poultry within a 3-km radius of infected farms as a preventive measure.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza is contagious and can cause severe illness and even death in poultry.
The country reported its first highly pathogenic case in 32 months in late October in Cheonan, 92 kilometers south of Seoul, from wild birds.
Since then, a total of 23 cases have been found from wild bird habitats across the country, according to the ministry. Authorities are investigating two more suspected cases among wild birds.
Officials prepare to cull ducks from a farm located in Jangseong, 252 kilometers south of Seoul, on Dec. 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-11--Notorious child rapist set for prison release amid mounting concerns of possible criminal relapse

According to the justice ministry , Cho will be registered with an electronic monitoring device and be taken to a @ @ @ @ @ around 6 a.m. Saturday , where he is to be processed as part of the @ @ @ @ @ .

SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- Cho Doo-soon, one of the country's most notorious child rapists in recent memory, was set to be released from prison on Saturday, amid mounting public concerns of potential criminal relapse by the brutal convict, according to officials Friday.
Cho, 69, has been 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. A huge public outcry has erupted over what has been seen as too lenient a punishment for a horrendous sexual crime against a minor.
According to the justice ministry, Cho will be registered with an electronic monitoring device and be taken to a probation office in Ansan at around 6 a.m. Saturday, where he is to be processed as part of the ministry's electronic monitoring program.
Police officers remain on duty on streets in front of a crime prevention guard post in Ansan, 42 kilometers southwest of Seoul, on Dec. 10, 2020, amid the imminent release of child rapist convict Cho Doo-soon. (Yonhap)
While most inmates normally use personal or public transportation upon release, Cho will be escorted by probation officers and travel by government vehicle amid concerns of unexpected incidents, as some on the internet have shared plans to confront Cho in person to personally punish him.
A justice ministry official also said that situations may occur where "the electronic device may be tampered with and the whereabouts of the subject be unknown."
Where Cho remains incarcerated is unknown to the public. He has served time in a correctional facility in Pohang in recent years but has been relocated to another location to participate in a psychotherapy program for sexual violence criminals.
In light of the increasing public attention on Cho's release, the ruling party and the government last month proposed introducing a 10-year maximum post-prison segregation program for criminals convicted of brutal crimes.
Under the plan, courts can sentence convicts who committed violent crimes to up to 10 years in special facilities before they are released from prison if they are deemed by experts of having high risk of criminal relapse.
The Ansan city government and the local police have also been on heightened alert, installing a special guard post in front of the apartment of his wife, where he is expected to stay, to monitor Cho's whereabouts around the clock.
The local police have installed 15 new CCTV cameras, and the city government has raised the brightness level of 30 street lamps in the neighborhood.
Officials of the city government of Ansan, 42 kilometers southwest of Seoul, monitor various alleyways through CCTV footage at the Ansan City Traffic Information Center on Dec. 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)


Yonhap News Summary

During a virtual joint committee session of the Status of Forces Agreement ( SOFA ) , Seoul and Washington agreed @ @ @ @ @ sites , though they failed to bridge differences on who and how to shoulder environmental @ @ @ @ @ said .

The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Friday.
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(2nd LD) U.S. returns 12 military sites to S. Korea, including some at Yongsan Garrison
SEOUL -- The United States on Friday returned 12 American military sites to South Korea, including some in central Seoul, amid persistent concerns that an additional delay would further dampen regional development efforts.
During a virtual joint committee session of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), Seoul and Washington agreed on the return of the sites, though they failed to bridge differences on who and how to shoulder environmental cleanup costs, Seoul officials said.
-----------------
(2nd LD) S. Korea on alert over bird flu as highly pathogenic cases near 10
SEOUL -- South Korea remained on alert over a further rise in highly pathogenic bird flu cases Friday as the number of highly pathogenic cases in farms approached 10 in less than two months.
The country reported yet another suspected case of highly pathogenic bird flu from Jeongeup, 222 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs. The farm was raising 17,000 ducks.
-----------------
(LEAD) Half of S. Koreans lose jobs or suffer lower income amid pandemic
SEOUL -- Almost half of South Koreans either lost their jobs or saw their income fall due to the new coronavirus outbreak, a report showed Friday, in a sign that the job market remains sluggish amid the pandemic.
The report by Statistics Korea showed that 49.7 percent of respondents said the pandemic affected their income level or job posts, with 26.7 percent of them saying that their income shrank, though they kept working.
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(LEAD) Moon vows more, better public rental homes amid housing market instability
SEOUL -- President Moon Jae-in said Friday that the government will supply "enough" public rental homes, with the goal of providing 2.4 million homes by 2025 as a public outcry has been mounting over soaring home prices and rental costs.
He made the remarks during an on-site inspection of a major public rental housing complex south of Seoul.
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Posted KBO star Kim Ha-seong feeling more confident after dinner with Blue Jays pitcher
SEOUL -- South Korean baseball star Kim Ha-seong, recently posted for major league clubs, said Friday he grew more confident in himself after his much-talked about dinner with a fellow Korean big league veteran.
Prior to the annual Golden Gloves awards ceremony, the shortstop for the Kiwoom Heroes in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) spoke about his recent meeting with the Toronto Blue Jays starter Ryu Hyun-jin.
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Dismantlement of Yongbyon complex should not be underrated: U.S. expert
SEOUL -- The dismantling of North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear complex should not be underestimated in the denuclearization process, an American nuclear expert said Friday.
Siegfried Hecker, known for his 2010 visit to the Yongbyon complex, made the remarks during a video conference with Unification Minister Lee In-young and Moon Chung-in, special foreign policy adviser to President Moon Jae-in, also stressing the need for a "flexible approach" in dealing with the North, including sanctions relief.
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Cram schools in capital area call for end to 'discriminative' no-assembly order
SEJONG -- An advocacy group for private educational institutions, or "hagwon," on Friday urged the government to retract the no-assembly order imposed on its members in the greater Seoul area as part of anti-COVID-19 measures.
On Tuesday, the government ordered hagwons in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province to close for three weeks in a bid to prevent the spread of the coronavirus infections among young students.
(END)