yna--2020-06-19--(3rd LD) At least 9 passengers test positive for virus after flying in from Bangladesh

`` It is likely that the air passengers ( from Bangladesh ) may have been infected in the country of @ @ @ @ @ Korea ) without any symptoms or with light symptoms , instead of contracting the virus @ @ @ @ @ entry process , '' Jeong Eun-kyeong , director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control @ @ @ @ @ , said in a media briefing .

(ATTN: UPDATES with new figures in headline and paras 1-4, 8)
SEOUL, June 19 (Yonhap) -- At least seven Bangladeshi nationals and two South Koreans have tested positive for the coronavirus after entering South Korea on the same flight from the South Asian country, authorities said Friday.
All of the confirmed cases, including three Bangladeshi students enrolled in a Jeju university, used Korean Air flight KE9656, which landed at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, at 5:32 a.m. Thursday after departing from Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.
They then traveled to their homes or other residences around the country before taking COVID-19 tests at screening centers in Jeju, Incheon, Paju, Namyangju and North Jeolla Province, authorities said, noting epidemic research has been launched for the airplane and all of its passengers.
The three students are part of a group of 18 Bangladeshis enrolled in Cheju Halla University who flew into Jeju International Airport on Thursday afternoon via the Incheon airport and Seoul's Gimpo airport to return to their campus on the southern resort island.
All of the 18 students took COVID-19 tests on landing at the Jeju airport and three of them tested positive, Jeju's provincial government said, noting that none of them showed symptoms of the virus at that time.
Another student's test was inconclusive, as it was difficult to judge his test result because it is located between positive and negative reference values, saying an additional test is due within several days. The remaining 14 students tested negative.
The Bangladeshi students are known to have used four different flights to travel from the Gimpo airport to Jeju after taking taxis from the Incheon airport to the Seoul airport. The three infected students arrived at the Jeju airport via T'Way flight TW713 at 12:52 p.m. and Jeju Air's flight 7C117 at 1:44 p.m.
In addition, four Bangladeshi migrant workers tested positive for the coronavirus in Incheon; Paju, just north of Seoul; and Namwon, North Jeolla Province, respectively, after arriving there via the same Korean Air flight Thursday. But four other Bangladeshis who traveled with the Paju worker tested negative.
According to authorities, a 13-year-old Korean boy, who boarded the same Korean Air flight to return home from Bangladesh, tested positive for the virus at a community health center near his home in Namyangju, a Gyeonggi city east of Seoul. The boy has reportedly attended school in Bangladesh since last August. Coronavirus tests are planned for his family members who were ordered to self-isolate at their home.
They also said a Korean man in his 40s was declared infected with the coronavirus Friday, while self-isolating at his home in Gwangju, southeast of Seoul, after returning here the previous day from Bangladesh aboard KE9656. But his wife and two daughters tested negative.
Earlier this week, two foreigners were found infected with the coronavirus after arriving in Yangju, north of Seoul, from Pakistan and the Philippines, respectively.
Under the compulsory quarantine measures, all entrants from overseas -- both Koreans and foreigners -- are obliged to self-isolate at their residences or government-designated facilities for 14 days.
On Friday, South Korea reported 49 new cases, including 17 imported ones, raising the total caseload to 12,306, according to government data. The daily number of imported cases marked the highest level since April 12, when 24 from abroad tested positive. Recently, the number of foreign migrant workers entering South Korea has spiked due to rising labor demand in fishing and farming communities.
This file photo, provided by the South Korean Embassy in Bangladesh, shows South Korean nationals and other passengers in a chartered airplane bound for Seoul on May 12, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Quarantine authorities are concerned about a fresh nationwide spread of the virus from the latest arrivals from Bangladesh, as the Korean Air plane had 284 seats, though the actual number of its passengers is not yet known.
They fear more confirmed cases may emerge among other Korean Air passengers, as well as among people who came into contact with the infected passengers during their movements in local communities or on public transport.
Local authorities are also looking into possible routes of virus transmission among the passengers, as they may have been infected in Bangladesh or during the boarding process at Dhaka's airport.
"It is likely that the air passengers (from Bangladesh) may have been infected in the country of departure and entered (South Korea) without any symptoms or with light symptoms, instead of contracting the virus during flight or in the entry process," Jeong Eun-kyeong, director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), said in a media briefing.
The KCDC said the coronavirus pandemic has been rapidly spreading in Southeast Asia, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Bangladesh, for instance, has recently reported a surge in COVID-19 patients, with its cumulative number of confirmed cases tallied at 94,481 as of Thursday, compared with 83,293 in China, 41,216 in Singapore, 40,400 in Indonesia and 26,781 in the Philippines. The number of daily new infections in Bangladesh exceeded 3,000 for three days in a row this week.
"There could be an explosive increase in coronavirus cases (in Bangladesh), as coronavirus tests are reportedly conducted for some seriously ailing patients in the country. Some entry restrictions appear needed in this situation. Otherwise, it is necessary to consider requiring a COVID-19 negative certificate from people who have an unavoidable reason to enter (South Korea)," said a university professor in Seoul.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-19--(LEAD) SsangYong partners with Chinese firm for exports

Mahindra & Mahindra announced in April that it is reevaluating its initial investment plan amid the coronavirus pandemic that has @ @ @ @ @ .
It stated that it can help SsangYong find a new investor that can meet @ @ @ @ @ The Indian company said that if a new investor is found , this will naturally @ @ @ @ @ down or to the selling of its shares to the investor .

(ATTN: ADDS ongoing effort to find new investor in last 5 paras)
SEOUL, June 19 (Yonhap) -- SsangYong Motor Co. said Friday it has signed an initial agreement with Chinese carmaker Songuo Motors Co. to export its Tivoli sport utility vehicle.
Under the basic agreement, SsangYong Motor will deliver the Tivoli SUV in the form of knockdown units to Songuo Motors' plants in China to be assembled into complete vehicles for exports to the Middle East and Africa from late this year, the company said in a statement.
Songuo Motors plans to develop its own vehicle based on the Tivoli platform through technological partnership with SsangYong Motor and produce 60,000 units of the model a year at its plant in the Shandong Province, it said.
This file photo provided by SsangYong Motor shows the Tivoli SUV. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)
SsangYong Motor aims to launch an all-electric SUV in the domestic market next year to strengthen its SUV-focused lineup.
From January to May, its sales fell 32 percent to 39,206 units from 58,030 in the same period a year ago.
The carmaker's lineup consists of the flagship G4 Rexton, as well as the Tivoli, Korando and Rexton Sports.
In 2011, Indian carmaker Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. acquired a 70 percent stake in SsangYong Motor for 523 billion won (US$437.93 million). Mahindra currently owns a 74.65 percent stake in the SUV-focused carmaker.
Mahindra & Mahindra announced in April that it is reevaluating its initial investment plan amid the coronavirus pandemic that has affected the whole automobile industry. It stated that it can help SsangYong find a new investor that can meet the company's needs. The Indian company said that if a new investor is found, this will naturally lead to its stakes going down or to the selling of its shares to the investor.
Related to the efforts to find a company able to inject fresh funds, market watchers said that Geely Auto of China has shown interest, although nothing has been confirmed.
The Chinese carmaker owned by Geely Holdings Inc. already owns Swedish carmaker Volvo, but that deal did not permit technology transfers.
"If Geely invests in SsangYong, it may be due to its interest in the South Korean company's SUV-making expertise," a source claimed.
He said that besides finding a new investor, SsangYong needs to reorganize its business structure to make it more profitable and aggressively slash costs.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-19--(LEAD) Unification ministry reiterates vow to crack down on anti-Pyongyang leaflets

Last week , the unification ministry filed a criminal complaint against the two defector groups with regard to the leafleting @ @ @ @ @ been stationed to border areas to block any such activity and prevent a possible clash @ @ @ @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with defector group's decision to cancel plan to send bottles containing rice)
SEOUL, June 19 (Yonhap) -- The unification ministry reaffirmed its vow Friday to stop North Korean defectors from sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets and other materials to the communist state, amid a spike in cross-border tensions caused by the North's shocking demolition of a joint liaison office.
The government has sought to stop the leafleting on the grounds that it could further aggravate inter-Korean tensions and undermine the safety of residents near the border.
North Korea has lashed out at South Korea for failing to prevent leafleting. It recently blew up a liaison office in its border town of Kaesong, threatening more retaliatory steps going forward.
"In close cooperation with the police and local authorities, the government will beef up its crackdown, including the response on the ground," Cho Hey-sil, the ministry's deputy spokesperson, told a regular press briefing.
"We will push ahead to strictly prevent the act of sending leaflets and other materials into North Korea," she said.
Keunsaem, a civic group led by North Korean defectors, said that it has temporarily suspended a plan to float plastic bottles containing rice into the North in the face of heightened cross-border tensions.
Another defector group, Fighters for Free North Korea, however, plans to send about 1 million leaflets across the border next Thursday to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Korean War.
Last week, the unification ministry filed a criminal complaint against the two defector groups with regard to the leafleting issue. Police officers have been stationed to border areas to block any such activity and prevent a possible clash between activists and residents.
Defector groups and other activists have occasionally sent plastic bottles of rice or leaflets via giant balloons sharply criticizing the North Korean regime and its leader.
Defector activists put rice into PET bottles at a park in Seoul on June 18, 2020. They plan to drift the bottles into North Korea via waters off the western island of Ganghwa, despite the government's crackdown on their anti-Pyongyang activities, including the flying of balloons containing anti-Kim Jong-un leaflets into the North. (Yonhap)
A policeman mans a makeshift checkpoint in the border town of Paju, north of Seoul, on June 16, 2020, to prevent groups of North Korean defectors from sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets again into North Korea. (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-19--Air Force calls for total preparedness amid tensions with N. Korea

South Korea 's armed forces have been placed on alert as inter-Korean tensions have reached high levels after North Korea @ @ @ @ @ projects and launch military action against what it called an enemy , citing the South @ @ @ @ @ from launching leaflets criticizing its leader .

SEOUL, June 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Air Force chief on Friday called for a heightened state of preparedness by all units amid concerns over possible military action by North Korea.
In a senior commanders' meeting held in Seoul, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Won In-choul stressed that the security situation facing the country is serious. He made it clear that if a provocation occurs, all Air Force units must respond swiftly and decisively.
"There must be no letup in terms of maintaining unwavering readiness," the four-star general told his subordinate officers.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Won In-choul (top, L) and other senior officers salute the Korean flag ahead of the senior commanders' meeting held in Seoul on June 19, 2020, in this photo provided by the Air Force. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
South Korea's armed forces have been placed on alert as inter-Korean tensions have reached high levels after North Korea threatened to thwart all joint projects and launch military action against what it called an enemy, citing the South's failure to stop defectors from launching leaflets criticizing its leader.
On Tuesday, the North blew up the inter-Korean liaison office in the border town of Kaesong, a symbol of reconciliation and an achievement of the Panmunjom Declaration by President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in 2018.
Won and other top commanders also touched on ways to ensure that the novel coronavirus does not spread among the Air Force's ranks.
The chief of staff and his staff took part in the gathering with front-line unit commanders via teleconference.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-19--Gov't extends special travel watch until mid-July over coronavirus fears

The re-issuance of the special travel watch will be valid until July 19 , unless a further extension is made @ @ @ @ @ a release .
The government has extended the travel watch twice since it was first @ @ @ @

SEOUL, June 19 (Yonhap) -- The foreign ministry said Friday it has extended for another month the special travel warning advising citizens against overseas trips amid continuing coronavirus fears.
The re-issuance of the special travel watch will be valid until July 19, unless a further extension is made, the ministry said in a release. The government has extended the travel watch twice since it was first announced in March.
The special travel warning applies to all countries except those that are already under higher alerts that call for a withdrawal of citizens or that are subject to a travel ban.
It also calls for people who are staying outside of Korea to take extra safety precautions.
The extension was decided on because the COVID-19 virus is still spreading despite global efforts to stem the highly infectious disease, with a significant rise in caseloads being reported in many countries despite lockdowns and border closures, the ministry said.
The special advisory is separate from the general travel alert system that comes in a four-level scale. Seoul has issued a blue travel alert, meaning to take caution, for all countries not previously affected by travel warnings due to the global spread of the novel virus.
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-19--Defector group cancels plan to send bottles containing rice to N.K. amid heightened tensions

Activist groups have insisted that sending leaflets and rice into the North is part of its right to freedom of @ @ @ @ @ North Korea said that it will go ahead with a plan to send leaflets into @ @ @ @ @

SEOUL, June 19 (Yonhap) -- A North Korean defector group said Friday that it has temporarily suspended a plan to float plastic bottles containing rice into North Korea amid heightened cross-border tensions.
Keunsaem had pushed to send plastic bottles containing rice from the western border island of Gangwha on Sunday, but the plan was put on hold temporarily in the face of the North's repeated retaliatory threats over such activity, according to a notice posted on its website.
North Korea has ratcheted up tensions over the sending of anti-Pyongyang leaflets and other materials by defectors.
The North blew up a joint liaison office in its border town of Kaesong earlier this week and threatened to take more retaliatory steps. Earlier the North's state media warned that the next step could go "far beyond imagination."
South Korea has called for a halt to leafleting, saying that it could further aggravate inter-Korean tensions and undermine the safety of residents near the border. Last week, the unification ministry filed a criminal complaint against two activist groups -- Fighters for Free North Korea and Keunsaem -- over the leafleting issue.
Activist groups have insisted that sending leaflets and rice into the North is part of its right to freedom of expression. Fighters for Free North Korea said that it will go ahead with a plan to send leaflets into the North next week.
Members of conservative groups in South Korea launch large plastic balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang leaflets into the air in their bid to send them into North Korea, a campaign that is strongly opposed by the North, in the border town of Paju on March 28, 2016. (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-06-19--(2nd LD) At least 8 passengers test positive for virus after flying in from Bangladesh

(ATTN: UPDATES with new figures in headline and paras 1, 2, 10, 13; ADDS more details in paras 17-18)
SEOUL, June 19 (Yonhap) -- At least six Bangladeshi nationals and two South Koreans have tested positive for the coronavirus after entering South Korea on the same flight from the South Asian country, authorities said Friday.
All of the eight patients, including three Bangladeshi students enrolled in a Jeju university, used Korean Air flight KE9656, which landed at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, at 5:32 a.m. Thursday after departing from Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.
They then traveled to their homes or other residences around the country before taking COVID-19 tests at testing centers in Jeju, Incheon, Paju, Namyangju and North Jeolla Province, authorities said, noting epidemic research has been launched for the airplane and all of its passengers.
The three students are part of a group of 18 Bangladeshis enrolled in Cheju Halla University, who flew into Jeju International Airport on Thursday afternoon via the Incheon airport and Seoul's Gimpo International Airport to return to their campus on the southern resort island.
All of the 18 students took COVID-19 tests on landing at the Jeju airport and three of them tested positive, Jeju's provincial government said, noting that none of them showed symptoms of the virus at that time.
Another student's test was inconclusive, as it was difficult to judge his test result because it is located between positive and negative reference values, saying an additional test is due within several days. The remaining 14 students tested negative.
The Bangladeshi students are known to have used four different flights to travel from the Gimpo airport to Jeju after taking taxis from the Incheon airport to the Seoul airport. The three infected students arrived at the Jeju airport via T'Way flight TW713 at 12:52 p.m. and Jeju Air's flight 7C117 at 1:44 p.m.
In addition, three Bangladeshi migrant workers tested positive for the coronavirus in Incheon, Paju, just north of Seoul, and Namwon, North Jeolla Province, respectively, after arriving there via the same Korean Air flight Thursday. But four other Bangladeshis who traveled with the Paju worker tested negative.
According to authorities, a 13-year-old Korean boy, who boarded the same Korean Air flight to return home from Bangladesh, tested positive for the virus at a community health center near his home in Namyangju, a Gyeonggi city east of Seoul. The boy has reportedly attended school in Bangladesh since last August. Coronavirus tests are planned for his family members who were ordered to self-isolate at their home.
They also said a Korean man in his 40s was declared infected with the coronavirus Friday, while self-isolating at his home in Gwangju, southeast of Seoul, after returning here the previous day from Bangladesh aboard KE9656. But his wife and two daughters tested negative.
Earlier this week, two foreigners were found infected with the coronavirus after arriving in Yangju, north of Seoul, from Pakistan and the Philippines, respectively.
Under the compulsory quarantine measures, all entrants from overseas -- both Koreans and foreigners -- are obliged to self-isolate at their residences or government-designated facilities for 14 days.
On Friday, South Korea reported 49 new cases, including 17 imported ones, raising the total caseload to 12,306, according to government data. The daily number of imported cases marked the highest level since April 12, when 24 from abroad tested positive. Recently, the number of foreign migrant workers entering South Korea has spiked due to rising labor demand in fishing and farming communities.
This file photo, provided by the South Korean Embassy in Bangladesh, shows South Korean nationals and other passengers in a chartered airplane bound for Seoul on May 12, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Quarantine authorities are concerned about a fresh nationwide spread of the virus from the latest arrivals from Bangladesh, as the Korean Air plane had 284 seats, though the actual number of its passengers is not yet known.
They fear more confirmed cases may emerge among other Korean Air passengers, as well as among people who came into contact with the infected passengers during their movements in local communities or on public transport.
Local authorities are also looking into possible routes of virus transmission among the passengers, as they may have been infected in Bangladesh or during the boarding process at Dhaka's airport.
"It is likely that the air passengers (from Bangladesh) may have been infected in the country of departure and entered (South Korea) without any symptoms or with light symptoms, instead of contracting the virus during flight or in the entry process," Jeong Eun-kyeong, director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), said in a media briefing.
The KCDC said the coronavirus pandemic has been rapidly spreading in Southeast Asia, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Bangladesh, for instance, has recently reported a surge in COVID-19 patients, with its cumulative number of confirmed cases tallied at 94,481 as of Thursday, compared with 83,293 in China, 41,216 in Singapore, 40,400 in Indonesia and 26,781 in the Philippines. The number of daily new infections in Bangladesh exceeded 3,000 for three days in a row this week.
"There could be an explosive increase in coronavirus cases (in Bangladesh), as coronavirus tests are reportedly conducted for some seriously ailing patients in the country. Some entry restrictions appear needed in this situation. Otherwise, it is necessary to consider requiring a COVID-19 negative certificate from people who have an unavoidable reason to enter (South Korea)," said a university professor in Seoul.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


Yonhap News Summary

Keen attention is being paid to who will become Seoul 's new point man on Pyongyang .
It remains unclear @ @ @ @ @ public his choice , with Vice Unification Minister Suh Ho expected to serve as acting @ @ @ @ @ .

The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Friday.
-----------------
Outgoing minister hopes his departure will pave way for 'pause' in inter-Korean tensions
SEOUL -- Outgoing Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul voiced hope on Friday that his departure will pave the way for a "pause" in the recent escalation of inter-Korean tensions caused by North Korea's shocking demolition of an inter-Korean liaison office and bellicose rhetoric.
In his farewell speech, Kim also stressed that "hatred can't be defeated by hatred" in his appeal for the two Koreas to stop the downward spiral of their relations and return to a reconciliatory mode.
-----------------
(2nd LD) Moon accepts unification minister's resignation: Cheong Wa Dae
SEOUL -- President Moon Jae-in accepted Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul's resignation Friday, Cheong Wa Dae announced, two days after he offered to step down to take responsibility for strained relations between the two Koreas highlighted by the North's demolition of a joint liaison office.
Keen attention is being paid to who will become Seoul's new point man on Pyongyang. It remains unclear how soon Moon will make public his choice, with Vice Unification Minister Suh Ho expected to serve as acting minister for the time being.
-----------------
(3rd LD) S. Korea on cusp of erasing gains in virus fight, new cases still on higher plateau
SEOUL -- South Korea's virus fight is dragging on, with a steady rise in new virus cases and untraceable infections, along with a spike in imported cases. Health authorities warned that another possible wave of infections and "hidden" virus spreaders across the country may strain the country's virus fight.
The country added 49 new cases on Friday, including 32 local infections, raising the total caseload to 12,306, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
-----------------
Unification ministry reiterates vow to crack down on anti-Pyongyang leaflets
SEOUL -- The unification ministry reaffirmed its vow Friday to stop North Korean defectors from sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets and other materials to the communist state, amid a spike in cross-border tensions caused by the North's shocking demolition of a joint liaison office.
Keunsaem, an anti-Pyongyang civic group run by defectors, plans to float plastic bottles containing rice into the North from the western island of Ganghwa on Sunday.
-----------------
(LEAD) At least 7 passengers test positive for virus after flying in from Bangladesh
SEOUL -- At least six Bangladeshi nationals and one South Korean have tested positive for the coronavirus after entering South Korea on the same flight from the South Asian country, authorities said Friday.
All of the seven patients, including three Bangladeshi students enrolled in a Jeju university, used Korean Air flight KE9656, which landed at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, at 5:32 a.m. Thursday after departing from Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.
-----------------
Seoul stocks close higher amid slight decline in virus tally
SEOUL -- South Korean stocks pared earlier losses to close a tad higher Friday, with investors weighing cautious optimism over the new coronavirus tally that is still high yet on a decline. The Korean won fell against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 7.84 points, or 0.37 percent, to close at 2,141.32. Trading volume was high at about 1.1 billion shares worth some 12.1 trillion won (US$10 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 432 to 423.
(END)


yna--2020-06-19--Culture minister pledges gov't support in meeting with K-pop executives

`` We will not shy away from providing policy support to K-pop to promote and create 'hallyu ' and for @ @ @ @ @ into the leading exemplary cultural industry of South Korea , '' Park said .

SEOUL, June 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's culture minister on Friday pledged support toward K-pop companies, suggesting the provision of subsidies and tax incentives to better facilitate the spread of Korean pop culture overseas, according to officials Friday.
In a roundtable meeting with executives of leading K-pop companies held in Seoul, Culture Minister Park Yang-woo suggested ways to support the industry, including government subsidies, tax incentives, and the loosening of regulations related to export of entertainment products.
According to the ministry, Park also promised to provide aid in administrative issues, such as matters related to the mandatory military service of K-pop artists.
"We will not shy away from providing policy support to K-pop to promote and create 'hallyu' and for the sector to further develop into the leading exemplary cultural industry of South Korea," Park said.
Hallyu, or the Korean wave, refers to the popularity of K-pop, K-dramas and other South Korean popular culture at large.
South Korean Culture Minister Park Yang-woo (4th from R) and top executives from leading K-pop companies pose for photos ahead of a roundtable meeting on the state of K-pop at CKL Venture Complex in central Seoul on June 19, 2020. (Yonhap)
The meeting was attended by senior executives from leading K-pop agencies, including SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, Big Hit Entertainment, FNC Entertainment and Starship Entertainment.
Mentioning recent paid online concerts by SM and Big Hit, Park praised the industry's efforts to creatively cope with the new coronavirus pandemic.
"It is a crucial task for the K-pop industry to come up with means of coping with today's trend of social distancing," said Park.
He added, "Coming up with high-quality digital-based content unseen in other countries while adopting state of the art technology will be key to the success of hallyu in the future."
On Sunday, K-pop act BTS held a paid-online streaming concert, "Bang Bang Con: The Live," drawing some 756,000 viewers from across 107 countries or regions. The event marked the world's biggest paid online music event in terms of viewership.
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-19--Biotech company SillaJen put under review for possible delisting

The KRX 's listing review came as its chief executive and others of SillaJen , listed in 2016 , have @ @ @ @ @ embezzlement and breach of trust .

By Chung Joo-won
SEOUL, June 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's bourse operator said Friday it will review whether to delist biotech company SillaJen Inc. depending on its proposal to clear hurdles for its listing.
The decision will be decided over a month from now, according to the Korea Exchange (KRX).
The KRX's listing review came as its chief executive and others of SillaJen, listed in 2016, have been indicted over charges of embezzlement and breach of trust.
SillaJen CEO Moon Eun-sang resigned last week, in a bid to help the company avoid a potential delisting.
SillaJen has also come under fire after some of its executives sold stocks ahead of its regulatory filing in August 2019 that its key product Pexa-Vec failed clinical tests.
Since its market debut on Dec. 6, 2016, SillaJen has rallied to 152,300 won on Nov. 21, 2017, from 9,050 won on Feb. 20, 2017.
Trading of SillaJen stocks has been suspended on the tech-laden KOSDAQ since May 4. SillaJen finished at 12,100 won on the day, lower than its IPO price of 15,000 won per share.
jwc@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-19--Preferred shares of Samsung Heavy nose-dive on profit-taking

Preference shares usually pay higher dividends than common stocks .
Holders of such shares have the right to receive dividends @ @ @ @ @ have no right to vote at shareholders ' meetings .

By Nam Kwang-sik
SEOUL, June 19 (Yonhap) -- Preferred shares of Samsung Heavy Industries Co. tumbled on Friday, snapping a winning streak of 13 consecutive sessions, as retail investors sought to cash in part of gains.
Preferred shares of Samsung Heavy fell by 20.43 percent to close at 592,000 won (US$488.50) on the Seoul bourse.
Its common shares also fell 1.38 percent to 6,440 won.
Trading of preference shares in Samsung Heavy resumed Friday after being suspended again on the Seoul bourse on Thursday after a fourteenfold rise over 13 sessions.
Trading of Samsung Heavy's preferred stocks was also suspended on June 9 and June 12 due to their abnormal rise.
Samsung Heavy's preferred stocks closed at 744,000 won on Wednesday, up from 54,500 won on June 1.
Over the same period, common shares in Samsung Heavy advanced 30 percent to 6,470 won from 4,980 won.
Preference shares usually pay higher dividends than common stocks. Holders of such shares have the right to receive dividends ahead of ordinary shareholders but have no right to vote at shareholders' meetings.
ksnam@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-19--CGV introduces electronic visitor registration to combat COVID-19

`` In the case of a coronavirus outbreak at theaters , it has been difficult to track down visitors who @ @ @ @ @ at the box office , whereas contact with those who made online reservations is mostly @ @ @ @ @ system has been introduced to make up for the loophole , '' said a CGV @ @

SEOUL, June 19 (Yonhap) -- CGV, South Korea's largest multiplex chain, said Friday it will introduce an electronic visitor registration system based on quick response (QR) code verification technology at all of its theaters nationwide to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.
CGV's announcement came after South Korea last week mandated QR code-based registration of visitors at bars, clubs and other entertainment facilities across the country, stepping up measures against COVID-19. Those facilities are required to use smartphone QR code-based entry logs for all visitors to keep records of their personal details.
Under the CGV system, anyone who visits a CGV theater to buy movie tickets is required to complete a personal authentication process by scanning a QR code at the ticket counter using a smartphone app and entering simple information on the screen.
Information on the visitor's name, address and arrival time will be stored in the server for four weeks before being deleted automatically, CGV officials said. This information is not visible to movie theater officials and is only provided to relevant authorities in case of emergency, they added.
Customers making reservations online are not required to undergo QR code authentication, because their basic member information is already entered into the database, they explained.
"In the case of a coronavirus outbreak at theaters, it has been difficult to track down visitors who paid cash to buy tickets at the box office, whereas contact with those who made online reservations is mostly possible. The QR verification system has been introduced to make up for the loophole," said a CGV official.
This photo provided by CGV shows the process of the multiplex chain's QR code technology-based electronic visitor registration system. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-19--Outgoing minister hopes his departure will pave way for 'pause' in inter-Korean tensions

His resignation came as tensions between the two Koreas escalated due to the North 's blowing up of the inter-Korean @ @ @ @ @ town of Kaesong this week and its threat to redeploy troops to border areas in @ @ @ @ @ from the South .

By Yi Wonju
SEOUL, June 19 (Yonhap) -- Outgoing Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul voiced hope on Friday that his departure will pave the way for a "pause" in the recent escalation of inter-Korean tensions caused by North Korea's shocking demolition of an inter-Korean liaison office and bellicose rhetoric.
In his farewell speech, Kim also stressed that "hatred can't be defeated by hatred" in his appeal for the two Koreas to stop the downward spiral of their relations and return to a reconciliatory mode.
Earlier in the day, President Moon Jae-in accepted the resignation that Kim tendered on Wednesday to take responsibility over deteriorating cross-border relations.
"There are many scars to heal in the relations between the two Koreas. In this situation, adding a new scar would make the effort to heal them more difficult," Kim, who had led the ministry since April last year, said.
"We should stop here. I strongly hope that my departure will create an opportunity for a brief pause," he added.
Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul delivers his farewell speech at the unification ministry in Seoul after his resignation was accepted by the presidential office on June 19, 2020. (Yonhap)
His resignation came as tensions between the two Koreas escalated due to the North's blowing up of the inter-Korean liaison office in its border town of Kaesong this week and its threat to redeploy troops to border areas in anger over anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent from the South.
In his speech, he also said that he would take "all the criticism and reprobation with me."
"I hope my resignation brings a new positive mood to the relations and provide us with the opportunity to reflect back on the status and role of the unification ministry," he said.
Vice Unification Minister Suh Ho is expected to serve as acting minister for the time being.
Lee In-young, a four-term lawmaker who once served as the ruling Democratic Party's floor leader, and Im Jong-seok, former chief of staff to Moon, are among those floated in local media as possible candidates for the next minister.
Speculation has risen that Moon may be pushing for a shake-up of his diplomatic and national security team to replace some key figures such as National Security Office Chief Chung Eui-yong and National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-19--(LEAD) Seoul stocks close higher amid slight decline in virus tally

`` The three visible factors that may affect the market are the possible resurgence in the COVID-19 toll , the @ @ @ @ @ risks between the two Koreas , '' KB Securities analyst Yoon Jeong-sun said .

(ATTN: ADDS bond yields at bottom, photo)
SEOUL, June 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks pared earlier losses to close a tad higher Friday, with investors weighing cautious optimism over the new coronavirus tally that is still high yet on a decline. The Korean won fell against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 7.84 points, or 0.37 percent, to close at 2,141.32. Trading volume was high at about 1.1 billion shares worth some 12.1 trillion won (US$10 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 432 to 423.
The index started off weak but later pared losses as retail investors sought to bag bargains.
Foreigners sold a net 70 billion won, extending their selling streak to a third session, while retail investors purchased a net 155 billion won. Institutions offloaded a net 30 billion won.
Electronic signboards at a Hana Bank trading room in Seoul show the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 7.84 points, or 0.37 percent, to close at 2,141.32 on June 19, 2020, while the Korean won fell against the U.S. dollar. (Yonhap)
The country added 49 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, showing a slight slowdown from a three-week high of 59 a day earlier. However, health officials warned of another possible wave of infections, noting that "hidden" virus spreaders across the country may strain the virus fight.
In addition to the virus scare, the lingering North Korean risks also added to investors' wariness.
Military sources said North Korea may have redeployed soldiers to some guard posts inside the Demilitarized Zone, which had remained empty under a non-aggression military agreement signed between the divided Koreas in 2018.
Earlier this week, Pyongyang blew up a jointly built liaison office in its border town of Kaesong, leading to the exchange of hostile statements between Seoul and Pyongyang.
"The three visible factors that may affect the market are the possible resurgence in the COVID-19 toll, the U.S.-China dispute and the geopolitical risks between the two Koreas," KB Securities analyst Yoon Jeong-sun said.
All these factors, however, seem to have been already projected in the index, she added.
Large caps closed mixed.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics gained 1.15 percent to 52,900 won, while No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix lost 0.93 percent to 85,400 won.
Leading pharmaceutical firm Samsung BioLogics shed 1.11 percent to 801,000 won, but Celltrion climbed 1.39 percent to 291,500 won.
Top automaker Hyundai Motor stayed flat at 100,000 won, with its smaller affiliate Kia Motors retreating 1.05 percent to 33,050 won.
The local currency closed at 1,209.60 won per dollar, down 1.60 won from the previous session's close.
Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, closed lower. The yield on three-year Treasurys added 0.2 basis point to 0.844 percent, and the return on the benchmark five-year government bond gained 2.0 basis points to 1.125 percent.
jwc@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-19--S. Korean Bond Yields on Jun. 19, 2020

S. Korean Bond Yields on Jun. 19, 2020

(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--2020-06-19--(2nd LD) Moon accepts unification minister's resignation: Cheong Wa Dae

Among possible candidates reported by media are Lee In-young , a four-term lawmaker who once served as the ruling Democratic @ @ @ @ @ and his two party colleagues : Sul Hoon and Rep. Hong Ihk-pyo , elected five @ @ @ @ @ .
Avid advocates of an improvement in inter-Korean ties , they have engaged in various @ @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES with speculation on possible replacement of other top security officials, other details; ADDS photos)
By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, June 19 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in accepted Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul's resignation Friday, Cheong Wa Dae announced, two days after he offered to step down to take responsibility for strained relations between the two Koreas highlighted by the North's demolition of a joint liaison office.
Keen attention is being paid to who will become Seoul's new point man on Pyongyang. It remains unclear how soon Moon will make public his choice, with Vice Unification Minister Suh Ho expected to serve as acting minister for the time being.
Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul arrives at his office in Seoul on June 19, 2020. (Yonhap)
Kim, a scholar known for his expertise on North Korea issues, is the second unification minister under the Moon administration.
Inter-Korean tensions are running high 14 months after his inauguration, as the North has virtually declared the 2018 bilateral comprehensive military agreement null and void ostensibly in protest at the South's failure to stop activists here from launching propaganda leaflets across the border.
Kim's predecessor was Cho Myoung-gyon, a longtime government official.
This time, Moon is widely expected to pick a politician.
Among possible candidates reported by media are Lee In-young, a four-term lawmaker who once served as the ruling Democratic Party's floor leader, and his two party colleagues: Sul Hoon and Rep. Hong Ihk-pyo, elected five and three times, respectively. Avid advocates of an improvement in inter-Korean ties, they have engaged in various relevant activities.
Some observers say Moon may ask Im Jong-seok, his former Cheong Wa Dae chief of staff, to assume the post and salvage the Korea peace process.
Im quit his Cheong Wa Dae job last year and publicly said he would stay away from politics and government to focus on a civilian-led campaign for the reunification of the Koreas.
Speculation is also rampant that Moon may be considering a broader shake-up of his diplomatic and national security team, especially amid a call to replace Chung Eui-yong, director of national security at Cheong Wa Dae, and National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon.
This file photo shows Chung Eui-yong (R), director of national security at Cheong Wa Dae, talking with National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon. (Yonhap)
If that is the case, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo could be affected.
An informed source, however, said Moon is likely to choose his new unification minister first and take some more time to decide whether to replace other top security officials.
The president would not want to create a "collective vacuum" in the veteran leadership of the team at a time when inter-Korean relations and Seoul-Washington policy coordination are at a critical juncture.
Chung has played a pivotal role in consultations with the U.S. and Suh is known to have close personal connections with key North Korean officials.
The duo are symbolic figures in Moon's dovish approach toward Pyongyang, which coupled with a push for close cooperation with Washington.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-19--Seoul stocks close higher amid slight decline in virus tally

SEOUL, June 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks pared earlier losses to close a tad higher Friday, with investors weighing cautious optimism over the new coronavirus tally that is still high yet on a decline. The Korean won fell against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 7.84 points, or 0.37 percent, to close at 2,141.32. Trading volume was high at about 1.1 billion shares worth some 12.1 trillion won (US$10 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 432 to 423.
The index started off weak but later pared losses as retail investors sought to bag bargains.
Foreigners sold a net 70 billion won, extending their selling streak to a third session, while retail investors purchased a net 155 billion won. Institutions offloaded a net 30 billion won.
The country added 49 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, showing a slight slowdown from a three-week high of 59 a day earlier. However, health officials warned of another possible wave of infections, noting that "hidden" virus spreaders across the country may strain the virus fight.
In addition to the virus scare, the lingering North Korean risks also added to investors' wariness.
Military sources said North Korea may have redeployed soldiers to some guard posts inside the Demilitarized Zone, which had remained empty under a non-aggression military agreement signed between the divided Koreas in 2018.
Earlier this week, Pyongyang blew up a jointly built liaison office in its border town of Kaesong, leading to the exchange of hostile statements between Seoul and Pyongyang.
"The three visible factors that may affect the market are the possible resurgence in the COVID-19 toll, the U.S.-China dispute and the geopolitical risks between the two Koreas," KB Securities analyst Yoon Jeong-sun said.
All these factors, however, seem to have been already projected in the index, she added.
Large caps closed mixed.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics gained 1.15 percent to 52,900 won, while No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix lost 0.93 percent to 85,400 won.
Leading pharmaceutical firm Samsung BioLogics shed 1.11 percent to 801,000 won, but Celltrion climbed 1.39 percent to 291,500 won.
Top automaker Hyundai Motor stayed flat at 100,000 won, with its smaller affiliate Kia Motors retreating 1.05 percent to 33,050 won.
The local currency closed at 1,209.60 won per dollar, down 1.60 won from the previous session's close.
jwc@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-19--KOSPI 200 Closing Price List-5

KOSPI 200 Closing Price List-5

KEPCO E & C 15,600 DN 100 GS 37,900 UP 400 CJ CGV 22,050 DN 350 LIG Nex1 33,550 DN @ @ @ @ @ 10 HYUNDAIHOMESHOP 68,400 UP 600 Fila Holdings 37,000 DN 150 HYUNDAIGLOVIS 107,000 DN 500 LF @ @ @ @ @ 0 SK Innovation 126,000 0 AMOREPACIFIC 162,000 UP 1,000 POONGSAN 21,650 DN 650 KBFinancialGroup 36,000 @ @ @ @ @ UP 650 Hansae 11,450 DN 100 LG HAUSYS 60,400 DN 700 BNK Financial Group 5,240 @ @ @ @ @ DN 500 KOLON IND 32,500 UP 400 HanmiPharm 260,000 DN 5,500 NCsoft 857,000 UP 25,000 @ @ @ @ @ TIRE & TEC HNOLOGY261 00 DN450 KOLMAR KOREA 42,600 UP 150 HANJINKAL 85,400 DN 600 @ @ @ @ @ 78,600 DN 700 COSMAX 87,300 UP 1,100 MANDO 23,900 DN 250 SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS 801,000 DN @ @ @ @ @ H.S.ENTERPRISE 12,450 DN 450 Netmarble 97,200 0 HYUNDAI HEAVY INDUST RIES HOLDI NG S262000 UP6000 @ @ @ @ @ Retail 140,000 UP 500 SKCHEM 97,400 DN 600 HDC-OP 20,550 UP 250 WooriFinancialGroup 9,310 UP @ @ @ @

KEPCO E&C 15,600 DN 100
GS 37,900 UP 400
CJ CGV 22,050 DN 350
LIG Nex1 33,550 DN 2,000
HANWHA LIFE 1,465 DN 10
HYUNDAIHOMESHOP 68,400 UP 600
Fila Holdings 37,000 DN 150
HYUNDAIGLOVIS 107,000 DN 500
LF 13,350 DN 200
FOOSUNG 8,280 0
SK Innovation 126,000 0
AMOREPACIFIC 162,000 UP 1,000
POONGSAN 21,650 DN 650
KBFinancialGroup 36,000 UP 750
KEPCO KPS 30,800 UP 650
Hansae 11,450 DN 100
LG HAUSYS 60,400 DN 700
BNK Financial Group 5,240 DN 180
Youngone Corp 28,700 DN 500
KOLON IND 32,500 UP 400
HanmiPharm 260,000 DN 5,500
NCsoft 857,000 UP 25,000
emart 113,500 UP 500
지HANKOOK TIRE & TEC HNOLOGY261 00 DN450
KOLMAR KOREA 42,600 UP 150
HANJINKAL 85,400 DN 600
DoubleUGames 75,800 DN 500
CUCKOO 78,600 DN 700
COSMAX 87,300 UP 1,100
MANDO 23,900 DN 250
SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS 801,000 DN 9,000
INNOCEAN 47,900 DN 100
H.S.ENTERPRISE 12,450 DN 450
Netmarble 97,200 0
HYUNDAI HEAVY INDUST RIES HOLDI NG S262000 UP6000
ORION 134,500 UP 500
BGF Retail 140,000 UP 500
SKCHEM 97,400 DN 600
HDC-OP 20,550 UP 250
WooriFinancialGroup 9,310 UP 90
(END)


yna--2020-06-19--KOSPI 200 Closing Price List-4

KOSPI 200 Closing Price List-4

IBK 8,640 DN 170 NamhaeChem 7,210 DN 10 SamsungSecu 28,600 UP 450 DHICO 4,835 DN 50 LG Display 11,750 UP @ @ @ @ @ 200 CheilWorldwide 16,300 DN 300 KT 23,650 UP 150 Kangwonland 22,600 DN 150 PanOcean 3,855 @ @ @ @ @ 2,000 SHINSEGAE INTERNATIO NAL173000 DN2000 LOTTE TOUR 13,500 DN 100 LGCHEM 512,000 UP 21,000 Kakao @ @ @ @ @ UP 100 SAMSUNG LIFE 47,100 UP 300 SamsungEng 12,550 UP 400 DSME 25,600 DN 50 @ @ @ @ @ 3,615 UP 50 Donga ST 92,600 DN 2,700 BGF 4,150 0 POSCO INTERNATIONAL 14,700 DN @ @ @ @ @ 6,000 SAMSUNG C & T 120,000 DN 1,500 DongwonF & B 191,500 DN 2,500 KT @ @ @ @ @ DONGSUH 16,100 DN 200 LGH & H 1,287,000 UP 13,000 LGELECTRONICS 68,800 UP 1,000 Celltrion @ @ @ @ @ DN 50 HALLA HOLDINGS 28,800 DN 300 DAEWOONG PHARM 141,000 DN 5,500 HYUNDAIDEPTST 59,200 UP @ @ @ @ @ Doosan Bobcat 28,200 UP 800 HANAFINANCIALGR 27,850 DN 200 LOTTE Himart 33,400 UP 2,050 ( @ @

IBK 8,640 DN 170
NamhaeChem 7,210 DN 10
SamsungSecu 28,600 UP 450
DHICO 4,835 DN 50
LG Display 11,750 UP 50
SAMSUNG CARD 27,750 UP 200
CheilWorldwide 16,300 DN 300
KT 23,650 UP 150
Kangwonland 22,600 DN 150
PanOcean 3,855 UP 95
NAVER 249,500 UP 2,000
SHINSEGAE INTERNATIO NAL173000 DN2000
LOTTE TOUR 13,500 DN 100
LGCHEM 512,000 UP 21,000
Kakao 263,500 0
LG Uplus 12,300 UP 100
SAMSUNG LIFE 47,100 UP 300
SamsungEng 12,550 UP 400
DSME 25,600 DN 50
DSINFRA 7,160 DN 170
DWEC 3,615 UP 50
Donga ST 92,600 DN 2,700
BGF 4,150 0
POSCO INTERNATIONAL 14,700 DN 200
CJ CheilJedang 332,000 DN 6,000
SAMSUNG C&T 120,000 DN 1,500
DongwonF&B 191,500 DN 2,500
KT&G 80,600 DN 1,100
DONGSUH 16,100 DN 200
LGH&H 1,287,000 UP 13,000
LGELECTRONICS 68,800 UP 1,000
Celltrion 291,500 UP 4,000
Huchems 17,250 DN 50
HALLA HOLDINGS 28,800 DN 300
DAEWOONG PHARM 141,000 DN 5,500
HYUNDAIDEPTST 59,200 UP 600
KIH 49,050 DN 700
Doosan Bobcat 28,200 UP 800
HANAFINANCIALGR 27,850 DN 200
LOTTE Himart 33,400 UP 2,050
(MORE)


yna--2020-06-19--KOSPI 200 Closing Price List-3

KOSPI 200 Closing Price List-3

SamsungElecMech 130,500 UP 1,500 Hanssem 88,800 DN 100 TAEYOUNG E & C 15,350 DN 200 KSOE 93,700 UP 400 HANWHA @ @ @ @ @ 587,000 UP 16,000 OCI 38,900 UP 650 LS ELECTRIC 43,300 DN 850 KorZinc 355,000 0 @ @ @ @ @ 41,800 DN 650 IS DONGSEO 30,400 UP 200 S-Oil 67,900 UP 200 LG Innotek 166,500 @ @ @ @ @ 183,500 UP 12,500 HMM 4,655 DN 15 HYUNDAI WIA 35,650 DN 550 HyundaiMipoDock 34,900 UP @ @ @ @ @ Mobis 185,500 DN 2,500 HANWHA AEROSPACE 26,650 DN 2,550 HDC HOLDINGS 9,000 DN 50 S-1 @ @ @ @ @ UP 3,000 DWS 21,500 DN 400 UNID 41,750 DN 800 SKTelecom 206,000 UP 500 S @ @ @ @ @ 550 HyundaiElev 68,000 DN 5,000 AEKYUNG INDUSTRIAL 23,050 DN 250 Hanon Systems 9,410 DN 210 @ @ @ @ @ 4,580 DN 20 GKL 13,300 DN 50 Handsome 35,300 UP 500 KEPCO 20,300 UP 50 @ @ @ @ @ COWAY 73,300 DN 3,200 LOTTE SHOPPING 81,700 0 KG DONGBU STL 13,600 DN 500 ( @ @

SamsungElecMech 130,500 UP 1,500
Hanssem 88,800 DN 100
TAEYOUNG E&C 15,350 DN 200
KSOE 93,700 UP 400
HANWHA SOLUTIONS 18,550 UP 200
Ottogi 587,000 UP 16,000
OCI 38,900 UP 650
LS ELECTRIC 43,300 DN 850
KorZinc 355,000 0
SamsungHvyInd 6,440 DN 90
SYC 41,800 DN 650
IS DONGSEO 30,400 UP 200
S-Oil 67,900 UP 200
LG Innotek 166,500 DN 500
LOTTE CHEMICAL Corp 183,500 UP 12,500
HMM 4,655 DN 15
HYUNDAI WIA 35,650 DN 550
HyundaiMipoDock 34,900 UP 700
KumhoPetrochem 78,200 UP 3,600
Mobis 185,500 DN 2,500
HANWHA AEROSPACE 26,650 DN 2,550
HDC HOLDINGS 9,000 DN 50
S-1 87,700 DN 100
Hanchem 124,500 UP 3,000
DWS 21,500 DN 400
UNID 41,750 DN 800
SKTelecom 206,000 UP 500
S&T MOTIV 40,250 DN 550
HyundaiElev 68,000 DN 5,000
AEKYUNG INDUSTRIAL 23,050 DN 250
Hanon Systems 9,410 DN 210
SK 293,000 DN 15,500
DAEKYO 4,580 DN 20
GKL 13,300 DN 50
Handsome 35,300 UP 500
KEPCO 20,300 UP 50
Asiana Airlines 3,990 UP 60
COWAY 73,300 DN 3,200
LOTTE SHOPPING 81,700 0
KG DONGBU STL 13,600 DN 500
(MORE)


yna--2020-06-20--(URGENT) 21 more people released after full recovery from coronavirus, total cured patients at 10,85

(URGENT) 21 more people released after full recovery from coronavirus, total cured patients at 10,856: KCDC


yna--2020-06-20--(URGENT) S. Korea reports no additional virus deaths, death toll now at 280: KCDC


yna--2020-06-20--(URGENT) S. Korea's new daily virus cases surge to 67, total now at 12,373: KCDC


yna--2020-06-20--Coronavirus cuts church attendance, giving in S. Korea: poll

The average decrease was 28.7 percent .
Of the respondents who said they have experienced a decline in offerings , @ @ @ @ @ has dropped by 20-40 percent , while 23.8 percent put the rate of decrease at @ @ @ @ @ In addition , 17.3 percent said they experienced a 40-60 percent decrease and 5.8 percent @ @ @ @ @ percent decrease .

SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- Church attendance and giving in South Korea have been sharply reduced due to the coronavirus pandemic, a survey showed on Saturday.
In the survey of 1,135 member pastors of the General Assembly of Presbyterian Church in Korea, 68.8 percent said church donations have decreased due to COVID-19, while 30.1 percent said there has been no change and 1 percent said it has increased.
The average decrease was 28.7 percent. Of the respondents who said they have experienced a decline in offerings, 53 percent said the amount has dropped by 20-40 percent, while 23.8 percent put the rate of decrease at less than 20 percent. In addition, 17.3 percent said they experienced a 40-60 percent decrease and 5.8 percent suffered a more than 60 percent decrease.
The survey also showed 73.2 percent of metropolitan churches and 87.5 percent of churches with more than 500 adult members said the amount has decreased.
During the period between March and early April, when infections spiked, attendance at in-person services dropped to an estimated 42.4 percent of the pre-pandemic level, the survey suggested. The figure grew to 61.8 percent on May 24 when the outbreak showed signs of subsiding.
Regarding the possibility of change in the number of congregations after the end of the virus crisis, 49.2 percent said it would decrease and 40.8 percent expected there would be no change, while 5.3 percent anticipated an increase.
During the period when infections were surging, 40.6 percent of the pastors said they conducted in-person services, 19.3 percent offered virtual worship, 21.3 percent let churchgoers choose between the two forms and 13.5 percent let them worship on their own at home.
The survey was conducted between May 28 and June 1 by pollster Ji&Com and was commissioned by the General Assembly of Presbyterian Church in Korea.
Wearing face masks, worshipers at Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul line up to attend a weekend service on June 14, 2020. (Yonhap)
(END)


Saturday's weather forecast

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


yna--2020-06-20--One in 10 youths have experienced unwanted sexual inducement online: poll

Asked about relationships with sex offenders , 76.9 percent said they were strangers met online for the first time .
@ @ @ @ @ teenagers -- 54 percent -- said they did n't inform anyone of their damage , @ @ @ @ @ let others know .

SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- One out of 10 teenagers in South Korea has experienced a form of sexual inducement online, such as being asked to provide a video of their body, over the past three years, a poll showed Saturday, indicating many youths are vulnerable to sexual exploitation.
In the survey of 6,423 middle and high school students nationwide, conducted by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family between May and November last year, 11.1 percent said they had experienced sexual inducement against their will in cyberspace from August 2016 to July last year.
As for unwanted inducements requested online, 9.3 percent cited conversation about sexual matters, followed by conversation about sexual information (3.3 percent), photos and videos of their body (2.4 percent) and a mix of video chatting and sexual acts (1.6 percent), the poll found.
It also found 2.7 percent of the polled teenagers were asked to meet with offenders offline or actually had a face-to-face meeting.
The largest percentage of the respondents, at 28.1 percent, said they experienced such sexual exploitation through instant messaging services, such as KakaoTalk and Facebook Messenger. Another 27.8 percent pointed the finger at social networking services, including Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, trailed by internet games (14.3 percent) and random chatting (13.7 percent).
Asked about relationships with sex offenders, 76.9 percent said they were strangers met online for the first time. More than half of the teenagers -- 54 percent -- said they didn't inform anyone of their damage, while 46 percent said they let others know.
South Korea has recently been shocked by a string of sexual exploitation cases centered on Telegram group chatrooms. Victims, including underage girls, were blackmailed into providing sexual materials, such as photos and videos, for distribution and sale to paid members of the chatrooms, prompting the government and lawmakers to toughen legal punishments for child sex offenders.
Meanwhile, nearly half of youths in crisis confided in the poll that they have experienced "conditional meetings," which refers to offering sexual contacts in exchange for money and other favors.
In the poll of 166 youths who had visited support centers for young sexual trafficking victims or are now held in juvenile corrections facilities, 47.6 percent said they experienced conditional sexual meetings.
As for the reasons for taking part in conditional meetings, 26.9 percent cited financial need, followed by coercion (16.7 percent), absence of places to live (15.4 percent) and recommendations from friends (10.3 percent).
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-20--(EDITORIAL from Korea Times on June 20)

(EDITORIAL from Korea Times on June 20)

It is also true that Seoul can not get out of the ongoing crisis only by having new faces in @ @ @ @ @ old saying goes , leaders do not usually change military commanders during a war .
@ @ @ @ @ may try to retain his security and diplomatic policymakers in a bid to push for @ @ @ @ @ with the North consistently and coherently .

Security lineup reshuffle
: At stake is how to break out of crisis
President Moon Jae-in's top priority is to defuse tensions raised by North Korea. Most of all, Moon should spare no efforts to prevent the North from making further provocations against the South. To that end, he needs to reshuffle his security and diplomatic lineup.
Many politicians of both ruling and opposition camps have raised the need for changes to the current lineup, following the North's demolition of the inter-Korean liaison office in the border town of Gaeseong on Tuesday. Voices for replacing security chiefs and top diplomats are gaining strength especially after Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul offered to resign over his failure to stop Pyongyang from escalating tensions with verbal attacks and military threats.
One may argue that it is not the time to change officials in charge of security and diplomacy because they should not be blamed for the deteriorating situation on the peninsula. Of course, the Kim Jong-un regime must take all the responsibility for creating hostility and confrontation between the two Koreas.
It can be said that President Moon and his security and diplomacy team have done their best to improve ties with the North and settle peace on the peninsula. In this sense, it may be wrong to change the lineup, especially when the government is required to focus on dealing with the recalcitrant North.
It is also true that Seoul cannot get out of the ongoing crisis only by having new faces in the lineup. As an old saying goes, leaders do not usually change military commanders during a war. For this reason, Moon may try to retain his security and diplomatic policymakers in a bid to push for his policy of active engagement with the North consistently and coherently.
But Moon needs to pay heed to criticism that top security and diplomatic officials have been too optimistic about inter-Korean cooperation and exchanges and the North's move toward denuclearization. In other words, they have been naive and out of touch with the harsh reality.
In this context, President Moon had better install new security and diplomatic chiefs after accepting the unification minister's resignation. Of course, this is not to say that the presidential office should replace doves with hawks to make a tit-for-tat response to the North's provocations.
We have to admit that the President and his team have failed to detect the North's policy shift from dialogue to confrontation properly. In fact, Pyongyang has made it clear that it would stop nuclear negotiations with the U.S. and take its own path toward military buildup and economic self-reliance after the second summit between Kim Jong-un and President Donald Trump ended in failure in February 2019.
At the same time, the Moon government has not properly responded to a series of short-range ballistic missile launches by the North last year and early this year. Thus, some policymakers need to take responsibility for this matter. Taken overall, it would be better to replace the national security chief, the intelligence head and the foreign minister to work out a new strategy to better cope with the worsening situation.
(END)


yna--2020-06-20--Top headlines in major S. Korean newspapers

Korean-language dailies -- N.K .
tensions stir debate over reshuffle of Moon 's security lineup ( Kyunghyang Shinmun ) -- Top nuclear envoys of S. Korea , U.S. hold talks amid N.K .
tensions ( Kookmin Daily ) -- S. Korea , U.S. constantly in talks about resuming large-scale military exercises , bringing strategic assets : Pentagon official ( Donga llbo ) -- U.S. does not rule out resuming large-scale military exercises , bringing strategic assets to deter N.K .
aggression ( Segye Times ) -- Pentagon official says U.S. in talks with S. Korea about resuming large-scale military exercises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) -- Moon accepts Kim 's resignation ; U.S. flies B-52 bombers over sea near Japan ( JoongAng Ilbo ) -- Central , provincial gov'ts , residents make dire efforts to stop anti-Pyongyang leaflets ( Hankyoreh ) -- Quarantine process hard to keep up with speed of virus transmissions in blind spots ( Hankook Ilbo ) -- China 's Geely Auto to undertake due diligence on Ssangyong Motor for potential takeover ( Maeil Business Newspaper ) -- Gov't to ban excessive packaging at large grocery stores , supermarket chains from July ( Korea @ @ @

SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- The following are the top headlines in major South Korean newspapers on June 20.
Korean-language dailies
-- N.K. tensions stir debate over reshuffle of Moon's security lineup (Kyunghyang Shinmun)
-- Top nuclear envoys of S. Korea, U.S. hold talks amid N.K. tensions (Kookmin Daily)
-- S. Korea, U.S. constantly in talks about resuming large-scale military exercises, bringing strategic assets: Pentagon official (Donga llbo)
-- U.S. does not rule out resuming large-scale military exercises, bringing strategic assets to deter N.K. aggression (Segye Times)
-- Pentagon official says U.S. in talks with S. Korea about resuming large-scale military exercises, deploying strategic assets (Chosun Ilbo)
-- Moon accepts Kim's resignation; U.S. flies B-52 bombers over sea near Japan (JoongAng Ilbo)
-- Central, provincial gov'ts, residents make dire efforts to stop anti-Pyongyang leaflets (Hankyoreh)
-- Quarantine process hard to keep up with speed of virus transmissions in blind spots (Hankook Ilbo)
-- China's Geely Auto to undertake due diligence on Ssangyong Motor for potential takeover (Maeil Business Newspaper)
-- Gov't to ban excessive packaging at large grocery stores, supermarket chains from July (Korea Economic Daily)
English-language dailies
-- Gov't to loan 5 tln won to key industries' small partner firms (Korea Times)
(END)


yna--2020-06-20--Tech firms support virus fight with mobile QR-code apps

Personal data collected from the QR codes will be encrypted and will only be used to identify the person when @ @ @ @ @ an epidemiological investigation , Naver said .
The data will be destroyed after four weeks @

By Kim Han-joo
SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- Major South Korean tech firms are supporting the country's virus fight with their own smartphone applications for QR code-based registration, a scheme meant to stem further spread of the new coronavirus and trace potential cases, industry sources said Saturday.
Starting on June 10, the country has enforced QR code-based entry logs at facilities with high risks of infections in the greater Seoul area and selected cities in its latest efforts to track and contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
Visitors to around 80,000 facilities -- including bars, nightclubs and karaoke rooms -- have to get an one-time QR code on their smartphones and submit it to the venues.
This image, provided by Naver Corp. on June 10, 2020, shows the company's QR code-based entry log on its mobile application. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE ) (Yonhap)
Facilities that do not implement the QR code system or falsify their list of visitors will be subject to fines or possible shutdowns, health authorities said.
Naver Corp., the operator of the country's No. 1 internet portal, was the first to join the government's move by providing QR code readers on its smartphone application.
Personal data collected from the QR codes will be encrypted and will only be used to identify the person when there is a need for an epidemiological investigation, Naver said. The data will be destroyed after four weeks.
Kakao Corp., the operator of the country's top mobile messenger KakaoTalk, also said it will begin providing the QR code service on its messenger app by the end of this month.
The move comes as cluster infections traced to nightclubs and bars in the nightlife district of Itaewon in Seoul swelled in and around the capital city in late May. As of Thursday, a total of 277 COVID-19 cases have been linked to Itaewon.
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-20--N. Korea getting ready to send anti-Seoul leaflets to S. Korea

The KCNA added that the publishing institutions are printing out the leaflets , saying they will be `` indiscriminately slapped @ @ @ @ @ who have played on the hope and expectations of all the compatriots placed on the @ @ @ @ @ over the past two years . ''

SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- North Korea is printing anti-Seoul leaflets in large numbers and preparing to send them across the border to South Korea, the country's official news agency said Saturday.
"The enraged people across the country are actively pushing forward with the preparations for launching a large-scale distribution of leaflets to pour the leaflets of punishment upon those in South Korea who are bereft of even elementary morality," said the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The KCNA added that the publishing institutions are printing out the leaflets, saying they will be "indiscriminately slapped on the south Korean authorities who have played on the hope and expectations of all the compatriots placed on the inter-Korean agreement with wicked puns over the past two years."
It added that the leaflets will be launched "as soon as the areas close to the boundary between the north and the south are opened and their entry into the areas is approved according to relevant procedures."
It also released several photos of North Korean workers printing leaflets criticizing the South, including one against President Moon Jae-in.
This image captured from the website of the Korean Central News Agency on June 20, 2020, shows North Korean workers handling anti-Seoul propaganda leaflets at a printing institution.(For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
Sending its own propaganda leaflets to South Korea was one of the retaliatory measures that North Korea has vowed to take in response to anti-Pyongyang leaflets that defectors in the South fly via large balloons into the North.
The North has also pledged to deal with the South as an enemy, cut off cross-border communication lines, redeploy troops to border regions and take other military action. The communist regime even blew up a joint inter-Korean liaison office earlier this week.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-20--Trump told Kim in Singapore he was open to lifting U.N. sanctions: Bolton memoir

In his book , `` The Room Where It Happened , '' which is due to be published next week @ @ @ @ @ told Trump as they were leaving the meeting that he was glad the two had @ @ @ @ @ action for action '' approach in exchanging North Korea 's denuclearization for U.S. concessions , @ @ @ @ @ , a former CIA analyst who currently works for the Center for Strategic and International @ @ @ @

By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, June 19 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump told North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during their June 2018 summit in Singapore that he was open to lifting United Nations sanctions on the regime and would think about it, Trump's former national security adviser, John Bolton, was quoted as writing in his upcoming memoir.
In his book, "The Room Where It Happened," which is due to be published next week, Bolton writes that Kim told Trump as they were leaving the meeting that he was glad the two had agreed to follow the "action for action" approach in exchanging North Korea's denuclearization for U.S. concessions, according to Sue Mi Terry, a former CIA analyst who currently works for the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.
Kim asked if lifting U.N. sanctions would be next, and Trump responded that "he was open to it and wanted to think about it," Terry wrote on her Twitter account Thursday. "So Kim left with optimistic expectations."
This AP photo shows a copy of "The Room Where It Happened," by former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton, against the backdrop of the White House. (Yonhap)
On South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises, Trump repeatedly complained about how expensive and provocative they are, and how he viewed them as a waste of money, Bolton continues in his book, Terry said.
"So when Kim said he wanted the U.S. to reduce or eliminate exercises, Trump said he would override the generals and do so," she tweeted.
"Neither Kelly, Pompeo, nor Bolton -- who were sitting right there! -- were consulted and of course not Mattis (who wasn't there)," she added, quoting the memoir. "No consultations with S Korea either. Trump just gave in to Kim without consulting or notifying anyone."
John Kelly was Trump's chief of staff at the time; Secretary of State Mike Pompeo continues to serve; James Mattis was then defense secretary.
Bolton also notes that later on, Trump was "off riffing that he didn't understand why we had fought the Korean War and why we still had so many troops on the Peninsula, not to mention those war games."
Before the summit, there was no detailed preparation or formal agenda. Trump was prepared to sign a "substantive free Communique."
"Bolton confirms that Trump was desperate to have the summit with Kim at any price because it would be 'great theater,' 'an exercise in publicity,'" Terry wrote.
Asked by Kim how he assessed him, Trump said he loved the question and told Kim that he saw him "as really smart, quite secretive, a very good person, totally sincere, with a great personality."
U.S. President Donald Trump (R) poses with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the Capella Hotel in Singapore on June 12, 2018, while having a one-on-one summit there, in this photo captured from the Twitter account of White House social media director Dan Scavino. (Yonhap)
Ahead of the second summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, in February 2019, Bolton writes that he had three prep sessions with Trump, according to Terry.
"Key points Trump took away were: 'I got leverage,' 'I don't need to be rushed,' 'I could walk away,'" she tweeted. "Bolton convinced him that 'if we walk away, it's okay,' because Bolton wanted to sabotage the talks."
Trump saw three possible outcomes from the Hanoi summit: a big deal, a small deal, or "I walk."
"He rejected a small deal (not dramatic and he didn't want to give up sanctions). A big deal wasn't going to happen because KJU did not make a strategic decision to give up nukes. So ... That left the walk-out option. Trump was prepared for it. His philosophy: 'ditch the girl before she ditches you,'" Terry wrote.
Trump debated between a small deal and walking away.
He decided "walking away" was more dramatic and would give him leverage in other negotiations, Terry quoted Bolton as writing.
"Bolton confirms a deal was close in Hanoi but Kim had nothing to offer except Yongbyun," she wrote, referring to North Korea's main nuclear complex. "Trump pleaded with Kim to add something to his offer, but Kim refused. So Trump walked, knowing it would make him look good."
The third Trump-Kim meeting -- in the Demilitarized Zone on the inter-Korean border -- was entirely Trump's idea, according to Terry's account of the book.
"Why did Trump want the DMZ summit? There was no substantive agenda. It was all about the press coverage. Bolton says this shows Trump 'couldn't tell the difference between his personal interests and the country's interests,'" she wrote.
"Trump lied when he said Kim had asked for the 3rd summit and claimed that 'Kim wanted to meet him very badly.' Bolton writes: 'All of this was nonsense. There was no doubt who wanted to meet badly, and that was the one doing the talking,'" she added.
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-20--Warmbier's mother urges continued pressure on N. Korean regime

`` Every little thing I can do , I want to do .
And every little thing you can do @ @ @ @ @ like much , but it adds up and it adds pressure and anytime we can @ @ @ @ @ nuclear , because they love us talking about the nuclear because that makes them feel @ @ @ @ @ how -- I 'm going to say it -- how shitty they are , is @ @ @ @ @ embarrasses them and they are just the worst , this regime , '' she said @

By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, June 19 (Yonhap) -- Cindy Warmbier, the mother of an American college student who died after being held in North Korea, renewed her resolve on Friday to increase pressure on the Pyongyang regime.
On the third anniversary of her son Otto's death, Warmbier spoke from her Cincinnati, Ohio, home about the legacy of her "hero" and the guilt she still feels over letting him travel to North Korea in 2016.
But her message to the world was clear: North Korea must be held accountable for its brutalities.
"Keep the pressure on. Do everything you can. Let's expose as much illegal activity as we can. Reach out to me, anybody that knows an asset I can go after," the mother of three said during a virtual seminar hosted by the nongovernmental Committee for Human Rights in North Korea.
"Every little thing I can do, I want to do. And every little thing you can do, it may not seem like much, but it adds up and it adds pressure and anytime we can talk about -- not the nuclear, because they love us talking about the nuclear because that makes them feel powerful -- but talking about how -- I'm going to say it -- how shitty they are, is going to help because that embarrasses them and they are just the worst, this regime," she said.
This screenshot shows Cindy Warmbier speaking from her Cincinnati, Ohio, home during a virtual seminar hosted by the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, on June 19, 2020. (Yonhap)
Otto, then 22, was on a group tour in Pyongyang in January 2016 when he was detained by authorities for allegedly stealing a propaganda poster from his hotel.
He was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment with hard labor, but later fell into a coma and never regained consciousness until his release in June 2017. Six days after he was flown home, Otto died.
Recalling her own upbringing as a Jew, Cindy Warmbier said she knew her background could affect the way people treated her.
"They would maybe say something bad or look down on me," she said. "I didn't expect that as an American, that would happen to Otto."
"There are people that hate Americans," she added. "This regime hates us. So how can we act like they're our friggin' friend? They hate us. They enjoyed killing Otto. They kept him for over a year in a vegetative state because they were scared to send him home. And the only reason they did was because Trump, really, Trump, as much as he's done that I'm mad at, I don't know that anyone else could have gotten Otto home."
Cindy and her husband, Fred, have lobbied hard to win support for their cause to raise awareness of North Korea's human rights abuses and bring the regime to justice.
On Thursday, a bipartisan resolution led by Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) to commemorate Otto unanimously passed the Senate.
The resolution condemns the North Korean government, holding it responsible for the "unjustified arrest, mistreatment, and death" of Otto Warmbier.
It also calls on the U.S. government to continue to condemn North Korea's human rights violations at the United Nations and fully enforce sanctions on Pyongyang until it agrees to negotiations on "permanently and verifiably limiting North Korea's weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs."
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-20--S. Korean nuclear envoy departs U.S. amid tensions with N.K.

Met by reporters at the airport , he refused to answer any questions on what he discussed with his American @ @ @ @ @ State Stephen Biegun , or what they agreed to do going forward .

By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, June 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top nuclear envoy departed Washington on Friday after meeting with U.S. officials amid North Korea's threats to launch military action on Seoul.
Lee Do-hoon, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, boarded a flight home at Dulles International Airport at the end of an unannounced three-day visit to the U.S. capital.
Met by reporters at the airport, he refused to answer any questions on what he discussed with his American counterpart, Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, or what they agreed to do going forward.
Lee's trip came at a time of heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula amid North Korea's near-daily threats to punish the South for its failure to stop defectors and activists from sending anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets into the North by balloon.
Earlier this week the North blew up an inter-Korean liaison office in its border city of Kaesong and threatened to redeploy troops to border areas.
The U.S. State Department has expressed its disappointment at North Korea's recent actions to sever ties with the South and urged the communist country to refrain from "further counterproductive actions."
This file photo shows Lee Do-hoon (L), special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, and his U.S. counterpart, Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun. (Yonhap)
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-20--Pompeo pays tribute to Warmbier on 3rd death anniversary

`` Susan , Nick and I have gotten to know the Warmbiers these past few years -- we are continually @ @ @ @ @ patriotism and dedication to justice in light of the most unthinkable loss , '' Pompeo @ @ @ @ @ wife and son .
`` We must never forget Otto . ''

WASHINGTON, June 19 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo paid tribute to Otto Warmbier on Friday, marking the third anniversary of the death of the American college student who was detained in North Korea.
"Today marks 3 years since Otto Warmbier passed away," Pompeo wrote on his personal Twitter account.
"Susan, Nick and I have gotten to know the Warmbiers these past few years -- we are continually amazed by their resolve, patriotism and dedication to justice in light of the most unthinkable loss," Pompeo said, referring to his wife and son. "We must never forget Otto."
Warmbier was detained in Pyongyang in January 2016 for allegedly stealing a political poster from a hotel. He was found in a comatose state when U.S. officials went to secure his release in June 2017.
The University of Virginia student died six days after he was flown back to the U.S.
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


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(END)


yna--2020-06-19--Mahindra in process of selling SsangYong Motor: sources

Mahindra said early this year it will inject 230 billion won into SsangYong for the next three years after obtaining @ @ @ @ @ But its board voted against the investment plan in April , as the COVID-19 pandemic @ @ @ @ @ in global markets .

SEOUL, June 19 (Yonhap) -- Indian carmaker Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. is in the process of selling its South Korean unit SsangYong Motor Co. by picking a lead manager for a potential exit from the loss-making affiliate, industry sources said Friday.
In 2011, Mahindra acquired a 70 percent stake in SsangYong Motor for 523 billion won (US$438 million). Mahindra currently owns a 74.65 percent stake in the SUV-focused carmaker.
Mahindra and SsangYong didn't confirm whether they have named an unidentified adviser for the stake sale.
The SsangYong Motor stake held by Mahindra is valued at about 330 billion won based on Friday's closing price of 2,970 won.
This photo, taken on April 5, 2020, shows SsangYong Motor's plant in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
Mahindra hinted at the possibility of giving up control of SsangYong Motor last week, as its Managing Director Pawan Goenka said that SsangYong needs a new investor and that Mahindra is working with the company for that purpose.
Mahindra's Deputy Managing Director Anish Shah reportedly said the Indian company will not remain the biggest shareholder if an investor purchases a controlling stake in SsangYong.
SsangYong Motor has struggled with declining sales due to a lack of new models and Mahindra's recent decision not to inject fresh capital into the Korean unit. Its lineup consists of the flagship G4 Rexton, as well as the Tivoli, Korando and Rexton Sports sport utility vehicles.
Mahindra said early this year it will inject 230 billion won into SsangYong for the next three years after obtaining approval from its board. But its board voted against the investment plan in April, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect vehicle sales in global markets.
Instead of the proposed 230 billion won, Mahindra said it would consider a "special one-time infusion" of up to 40 billion won over the next three months to help SsangYong continue operations.
The one-time cash injection falls far short of the 500 billion won Goenka had said is needed to turn SsangYong around by 2022.
SsangYong continued to report net losses in the past 13 quarters through the first quarter of this year.
In the first quarter, its net losses deepened to 193.54 billion won from 26 billion won a year earlier. Its sales from January to May fell 32 percent to 39,206 vehicles from 58,030 a year ago.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-19--U.S. bombers spotted near Korean Peninsula amid heightened tensions

On Wednesday , an aviation tracker said that an aircraft used by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un flew from Pyongyang @ @ @ @ @ the country , sparking speculation that he could have gone to the east coast for @ @ @ @ @ the launching of a new ballistic missile submarine .
( END )

SEOUL, June 19 (Yonhap) -- Two U.S. strategic bombers have been spotted near the Korean Peninsula, a flight tracker said Friday, amid heightened tensions after North Korea threatened South Korea over the sending of anti-Pyongyang leaflets.
The two B-52Hs were seen flying over northern Japan on Friday, according to Aircraft Spots. It did not provide other details such as exactly when the bombers were spotted.
This marked the second time that the heavy bombers have flown near the Korean Peninsula this week. Two B-52Hs participated in a joint drill on Wednesday with Japan over the East Sea, according to the U.S. Pacific Air Forces.
The United States sent the bombers amid heightened tensions after North Korea repeatedly threatened a series of retaliatory steps against South Korea over its failure to prevent activists from sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets into the communist state.
North Korea blew up a liaison office in its border town of Kaesong on Tuesday. It also threatened to send troops to border regions and reestablish guard posts removed from the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas.
On Wednesday, an aviation tracker said that an aircraft used by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un flew from Pyongyang to the eastern part of the country, sparking speculation that he could have gone to the east coast for provocative events, such as the launching of a new ballistic missile submarine.
(END)


yna--2020-06-20--Defector group says will push ahead with plan to send anti-N.K. leaflets

`` We are preparing to send them around June 25 depending on the wind , '' he told Yonhap News @ @ @ @ @ will not be able to send them if there is no wind .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ if the wind conditions are right . ''

SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- A North Korean defector group said Saturday it will push ahead with its plan to fly anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border next week despite heightening tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Park Sang-hak, chief of Fighters for a Free North Korea, said the group has completed preparations to send a million leaflets to the North around Thursday in line with the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War.
"We are preparing to send them around June 25 depending on the wind," he told Yonhap News Agency, adding that they will not be able to send them if there is no wind. "We can send them even tonight if the wind conditions are right."
Kuensaem, another defector group ran by Park's younger brother, Park Jeong-oh, earlier said it will temporarily put off its plan to float plastic bottles containing rice into North Korea in the face of the North's retaliation threats against such activity.
The rice-sending campaign was originally slated for Sunday.
The Seoul government has vowed to crack down on civic groups sending such leaflets and other materials amid a spike in cross-border tensions.
On Saturday, the North's state media said Pyongyang is preparing to send its own anti-Seoul leaflets across the border.
The leaflets will be sent "as soon as the areas close to the boundary between the North and the South are opened and their entry into the areas is approved according to relevant procedures," the Korean Central News Agency said.
Earlier this week, North Korea blew up an inter-Korean liaison office in its border town of Kaesong, and said it will send troops to disarmed border regions and abolish a tension-reduction deal signed between the two sides.
Members of Fighters for a Free North Korea, an organization of defectors from North Korea, send balloons carrying anti-North leaflets across the border from the South Korean border city of Paju, in this file photo dated April 2, 2016. On June 4, 2020, South Korea called for a halt to a civic campaign to send anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets into North Korea, hours after the North threatened to scrap a military tension-reduction agreement and exchange projects unless Seoul stops the campaign. (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-06-20--S. Korean nuclear envoy returns home after U.S. visit

Lee underwent a coronavirus test upon arrival at the airport .
Though he was exempted from self-isolation , the envoy @ @ @ @ @ the next two weeks as a precautionary measure .

SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top nuclear envoy returned home Saturday after meeting with U.S. officials amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula with the North threatening to launch military action against the South.
Lee Do-hoon, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, arrived at Incheon International Airport after an unannounced three-day visit to Washington.
Met by reporters at the airport, the envoy refused to comment on what he discussed with his American counterpart, Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun.
"We are continuing communications," he briefly said, when asked whether there were consultations with neighboring countries on North Korea.
Lee's trip came at a time of heightened tensions on the peninsula amid North Korea's near-daily threats to punish the South for its failure to stop defectors and activists from sending anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets into the North.
Earlier this week, the North blew up an inter-Korean liaison office in its border city of Kaesong and threatened to redeploy troops to border areas.
Lee underwent a coronavirus test upon arrival at the airport. Though he was exempted from self-isolation, the envoy will work from home for the next two weeks as a precautionary measure.
South Korea requires all entrants from overseas -- both Koreans and foreigners -- to self-isolate at their residences or government-designated facilities for 14 days as part of efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19.
Lee Do-hoon, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, arrives at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on June 20, 2020, after a three-day visit to Washington. (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-06-20--(4th LD) S. Korea's new virus cases surge to 67 as imported cases spike

The girl was among a crowd of other students who took a group graduation photo at her school earlier this @ @ @ @ @ way for everyone in the same sixth grade as her and all teachers from the @ @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES with cases reported in Seoul hospital in paras 15-16)
SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported the biggest rise in daily new coronavirus cases in nearly a month Saturday, driven by a fresh spike in imported cases amid fears looming over a second wave of infections.
The country added 67 new COVID-19 cases, the largest since the 79 tallied on May 28 and a jump from Friday's 49, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). The total caseload came to 12,373.
Of the new cases, 31 came from overseas and the 36 others were locally transmitted.
The spike in imported cases is the biggest since the country reported 40 such cases on April 5. South Korea saw a marked drop in imported cases to as few as a single digit for the past several weeks, compared with a range of 30-40 between late March and early April.
The surge in imported cases deepens worries about another possible wave of infections and puts further strains on health authorities despite the months of all-out efforts to stem the virus. South Korea reported its first case on Jan. 20.
A total of 1,427 cases have come from abroad, the KCDC said.
Of the new imported cases, all but three came from Asia excluding China, including 16 from Pakistan and seven from Bangladesh. The three others came from North America.
On Friday, authorities said seven Bangladeshi nationals and two South Koreans tested positive for the virus after entering South Korea on the same flight from Dhaka.
Including the imported cases, Seoul reported 14 new cases, raising the total caseload to 1,202, with the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and Incheon logging 17 and five, respectively.
This file photo shows passengers and quarantine workers at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on May 3, 2020. (Yonhap)
Health authorities emphasized that infections can occur anytime and anywhere as long as three conditions are met: close contact, enclosed space and dense gatherings. They called on citizens to take heed of social distancing guidelines.
"The multiple and endless spread of COVID-19 infections is continuing without a pause. We now have to think that there is no completely safe zone away from the virus," KCDC Deputy Director Kwon Joon-wook told a press briefing.
The unabating spread of the virus in the capital is worrisome as schools have reopened and people have increasingly been opting for social gatherings and group activities.
A 12-year-old girl and her grandmother living in the eastern Seongdong Ward have tested positive for the virus, according to the ward office.
The girl was among a crowd of other students who took a group graduation photo at her school earlier this week. Testing is under way for everyone in the same sixth grade as her and all teachers from the elementary school.
In the southwestern ward of Guro, a hospital shut down after two of its hospitalized patients were confirmed to be infected with the virus.
Testing is under way for some 180 other hospitalized patients and medical staff, as the two confirmed patients could have contracted the virus from the hospital.
The latest figures by the Seoul metropolitan government show that the daily average of infected patients for this month came to 17.9 as of Friday, a significant rise from 5.2 tallied in April and 7.4 in May.
A series of sporadic cluster infections, from a door-to-door sales firm to a table tennis facility in southwestern Seoul, is continuing with no signs of a letup. At least 38 cases, including four new ones, were found in a nursing facility for the elderly in a northern ward of Dodong.
The central city of Daejeon, where a new community spread has emerged, added five more cases, putting the total caseload at 72.
South Korea has seen an increase in the number of infections in Daejeon, some 160 kilometers south of Seoul in recent days, stoking fears that such a case of community spread outside of the greater Seoul areas could mean that a possible second wave of infection is coming.
Most of the Daejeon cases, found in a church and a door-to-door sales company, have so far turned out to be untraceable, making it harder for the authorities to take appropriate steps to contain the virus.
The spike in new daily cases is likely to prompt the government to rethink the current social distancing practices, which it eased in early May after the virus curve flattened from its peak of more than 900 new daily cases in late February.
On Saturday, Deputy Director Kwon said the government was not considering a rollback of the quarantine policy to intense social distancing for now, adding that it is keeping close tabs on the outbreak to preemptively respond with necessary measures.
There were no additional deaths reported as of Saturday, keeping the total death toll at 280, with a fatality rate of 2.26 percent.
The total number of people released from quarantine after full recoveries stood at 10,856, up 21 from the previous day.
Parents and children line up to get tested for the coronavirus at an elementary school in Incheon, west of Seoul, on June 17, 2020. (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-20--U.S. flies surveillance aircraft over peninsula amid heightened tensions

The leaflets will be sent `` as soon as the areas close to the boundary between the North and the @ @ @ @ @ entry into the areas is approved according to relevant procedures , '' the Korean Central @ @ @ @

SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- A U.S. spy plane flew over South Korea on Saturday, an aviation tracker said, the latest in a series of flights apparently aimed at monitoring North Korea amid Pyongyang's threat to take military action against the South.
The U.S. Air Force E-8C Joint Stars took off from Japan's Kadena Air Base on Friday evening and flew over South Korea until early the next day, "No callsign" tweeted.
Earlier, other U.S. spy planes, including the RC-135W Rivet Joint and the Navy's EP-3E, were also spotted flying over South Korea.
The flights took place as tensions on the peninsula have escalated after North Korea threatened to send troops to disarmed border regions and abolish an inter-Korean tension-reduction deal in anger over anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent across the border by activists here.
On Saturday, the North's state media said Pyongyang is preparing to send its own anti-Seoul leaflets across the border.
The leaflets will be sent "as soon as the areas close to the boundary between the North and the South are opened and their entry into the areas is approved according to relevant procedures," the Korean Central News Agency said.
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)