yna--2020-05-21--S. Korea to introduce disposable cup deposits in 2022

Under a set of bills approved during the final session of the parliament 's 20th term Wednesday , businesses will @ @ @ @ @ prices and refund the amount when customers return used disposable cups .

SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is set to introduce deposits for disposable cups at coffee shops and fast food outlets, starting 2022, in its latest efforts to cut carbon emissions.
Under a set of bills approved during the final session of the parliament's 20th term Wednesday, businesses will factor in the deposits in prices and refund the amount when customers return used disposable cups.
It usually takes from six months to two years for passed bills to go into effect.
This file photo, from Feb. 6, 2020, shows disposable cups at a coffee shop in the southwestern city of Naju. The government has temporarily allowed businesses to use disposable cups during the new coronavirus outbreak to minimize infection risks. (Yonhap)
The environment ministry said it plans to set the deposit amount based on manufacturing costs and policy needs.
The ministry expects the policy to help reduce carbon emissions by 66 percent by boosting recycling and cutting costs related to waste incineration.
It estimated the economic benefits coming from the plan would total 44.5 billion won (US$36.2 million) annually.
The ministry also plans to minimize inconvenience by allowing consumers to return the cups anywhere through talks with relevant industries.
Also among the approved bills were policies that would allow the government to run waste management facilities, mandate waste facilities in some residential areas and designate March 3 as National Park Day.
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-21--Seoul stocks open higher on hopes of economic recovery

Hopes of a quick economic recovery sparked the stock market rally with virus-related restrictions removed or at least partially eased @ @ @ @ @ the world 's largest economy as of Wednesday .

SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks opened higher Thursday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street apparently backed by hopes of an economic recovery.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) advanced 13.15 points, or 0.66 percent, to 2,002.79 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 369.04 points, or 1.52 percent, to close at 24,575.90 on Wednesday (U.S. time).
Hopes of a quick economic recovery sparked the stock market rally with virus-related restrictions removed or at least partially eased in all 50 states of the world's largest economy as of Wednesday.
Most large caps were in positive terrain.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics added 0.40 percent, with No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix gaining 0.12 percent.
Top pharmaceutical company Samsung BioLogics lost 0.50 percent, but leading automaker Hyundai Motor rose 0.10 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,227.75 won against the U.S. dollar, up 2.55 won from the previous session's close.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-21--Samsung dominates U.S.' 5G smartphone market in Q1: report

`` Samsung is off to an early lead , soaring well ahead of its main Android rivals , such as @ @ @ @ @ and TCL .
Early 5G adopters are willing to pay extra for the fastest possible @ @ @ @ @ is driving solid revenue growth for Samsung and its operator partners in North America , @ @ @ @ @ an associate director at Strategy Analytics .

SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. dominated the 5G smartphone market in the United States in the first quarter of the year, a report showed Thursday.
Samsung's Galaxy S20 series, which was unveiled in February, made up 94 percent of the U.S. 5G smartphone market in the January-March period, according to market tracker Strategy Analytics, with the S20 Plus being the best-selling model.
The mid-tier S20 Plus accounted for 40 percent, followed by the high-end S20 Ultra with 30 percent and the entry-level S20 with 24 percent, according to the report.
"Samsung is off to an early lead, soaring well ahead of its main Android rivals, such as Motorola, LG, OnePlus and TCL. Early 5G adopters are willing to pay extra for the fastest possible mobile experience, and this is driving solid revenue growth for Samsung and its operator partners in North America," said Juha Winter, an associate director at Strategy Analytics.
This file photo taken Feb. 20, 2020, shows Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy S20 smartphones displayed at a store in Seoul. (Yonhap)
The U.S. 5G smartphone shipments reached 3.4 million units in the first quarter of the year, accounting for 12 percent of all smartphones shipped in the country, according to Strategy Analytics.
Although Samsung is dominating the 5G market at the moment, Strategy Analytics said the competition is likely to heat up further when Apple Inc. releases its next 5G iPhone later in the year.
"Samsung and others must rapidly expand their 5G presence during the upcoming summer period and grab as many 5G customers as they can, before the iPhone juggernaut lands in Q3 or Q4 2020," it said.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-21--(2nd LD) Korea's exports sink 20 pct in first 20 days of May over pandemic

The International Monetary Fund ( IMF ) has predicted that South Korea 's economy will shrink 1.2 percent this year @ @ @ @ @ expected to have its worst year since the Great Depression of the 1930s .

(ATTN: ADDS details in last 5 paras)
SEJONG, May 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's exports sank 20.3 percent on year in the first 20 days of May amid the shock from the coronavirus pandemic, customs data showed Thursday.
The nation's outbound shipments stood at US$20.3 billion in the May 1-20 period, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service.
The daily average exports during the 20-day period also slipped 20.3 percent on-year.
The data came amid growing concerns that the coronavirus pandemic is denting exports by Asia's fourth-largest economy.
The new coronavirus has disrupted trade and halted production around the globe, with a rising number of countries fully shutting their borders.
By segment, exports of memory chips, a key item, rose 13.4 percent, but those of automobiles plunged 58.6 percent over the 20-day period from a year earlier.
By country, shipments to China fell 1.7 percent on-year, while shipments to the United States sank 27.9 percent.
Imports dipped 16.9 percent on year to $23 billion in the May 1-20 period, according to the data.
The nation's exports tumbled 24.3 percent on-year to $36.9 billion in April. The country also suffered a trade deficit of $950 million in April, snapping its 98 straight months of having more exports than imports.
So far this year, South Korea's exports fell 9.5 percent on year to $18.72 billion, the data showed.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has predicted that South Korea's economy will shrink 1.2 percent this year as the global economy is expected to have its worst year since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
The world economy is expected to contract 3 percent this year, the IMF said.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-21--(LEAD) Korea's exports sink 20 pct in first 20 days of May over pandemic

SEJONG , May 21 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korea 's exports sank 20.3 percent on year in the first @ @ @ @ @ the shock from the coronavirus pandemic , customs data showed Thursday .

(ATTN: UPDATES with details; AMENDS headline)
SEJONG, May 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's exports sank 20.3 percent on year in the first 20 days of May amid the shock from the coronavirus pandemic, customs data showed Thursday.
The nation's outbound shipments stood at US$20.3 billion in the May 1-20 period, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service.
The daily average exports during the 20-day period also slipped 20.3 percent on-year.
The data came amid growing concerns that the coronavirus pandemic is denting exports by Asia's fourth-largest economy.
The new coronavirus has disrupted trade and halted production around the globe, with a rising number of countries fully shutting their borders.
By segment, exports of memory chips, a key item, rose 13.4 percent, but those of automobiles plunged 58.6 percent over the 20-day period from a year earlier.
By country, shipments to China fell 3.6 percent on-year, while shipments to the United States sank 24.1 percent.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


Thursday's weather forecast

SEOUL , May 21 ( Yonhap ) -- The following is the weather forecast for South Korea 's 12 major @ @ @ @ @ .

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


KOSPI 2,003.20 UP 13.56 points (open)


KOSDAQ 714.33 UP 5.57 points (open)


yna--2020-05-21--Dollar opens at 1,226.9 won DN from 1,230.3 won


yna--2020-05-21--Korea's exports dip 20 pct in first 20 days of May

The country 's outbound shipments plunged 20.3 percent in the May 1-20 period from the same period last year , @ @ @ @ @ the Korea Customs Service .

SEJONG, May 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's exports fell sharply from a year earlier in the first 20 days of May amid the economic fallout from the new coronavirus, customs data showed Thursday.
The country's outbound shipments plunged 20.3 percent in the May 1-20 period from the same period last year, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-21--Operating income of top 50 companies dips 61 pct in 2019

The 50 largest companies by revenue chalked up 87.7 trillion won ( US $ 71.4 billion ) in combined operating @ @ @ @ @ 61 percent from a year earlier , according to the data from the Sustainable Growth @ @

SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top 50 firms saw their operating income tumble more than 60 percent in 2019 from a year earlier due to weaker sales, data showed Thursday.
The 50 largest companies by revenue chalked up 87.7 trillion won (US$71.4 billion) in combined operating income last year, down 61 percent from a year earlier, according to the data from the Sustainable Growth Institute.
The nosedive came as Samsung Electronics Co. and SK hynix Inc., which contribute considerably to their total earnings, took a big hit from falling semiconductor prices.
Total sales of the leading companies stood at 830.8 trillion won last year, down 4.3 percent from the previous year and marking the first decline in three years.
Of the total, 30 corporations suffered setbacks with sales of construction companies sinking nearly 20 percent from a year earlier.
Chip behemoth SK hynix posted the biggest decline with its revenue slumping 37.2 percent on-year to 25.3 trillion won.
In contrast, builder HDC Hyundai Development Co. saw its sales surge about 51 percent to 4.2 trillion won, newly making the top 50 list. Other new entrants included Hotel Shilla and LG Household & Health Care Ltd.
But three companies -- Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co., SK Gas Co. and Doosan Heavy & Construction Co. -- were excluded from the list last year.
Top-cap Samsung Electronics, No. 1 automaker Hyundai Motor Co., electronics giant LG Electronics Inc. and five other companies have remained on the list since 1984.
The institute expected those top companies to embark on restructuring and cost-cutting efforts due to sinking earnings and the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
(END)


yna--2020-05-21--(EDITORIAL from Korea JoongAng Daily on May 21)

Thanks to its overwhelming victory in the general elections , the DP can wield unprecedented power now .
For instance @ @ @ @ @ number of bills , including disputed budget bills , on its own after bypassing the @ @ @ @ @ which bans a majority party from railroading through bills .
However , the current situation @ @ @ @ @ partisan interests .
If Park chooses to lead the Assembly in a lopsided way to @ @ @ @ @ the Moon Jae-in administration , it will benefit no one .

Toward a productive legislature
Rep. Park Byeong-seug, a six-term lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party (DP), has been nearly elected National Assembly speaker. After running for the head of the legislature three times in the past, he finally grabbed a chance to take the helm of the 21st National Assembly from June after winning an internal race for the post on Wednesday. Park promised to create a "working Assembly instead of a fighting one" in order to regain lost public trust.
Needless to say, the 20th National Assembly was the worst ever due to unceasing battles between the ruling and opposition parties. Voters in the April 15 parliamentary elections gave a landslide victory to the DP in an ardent prayer for a productive legislature. We hope that Park's pledges to transform the combative Assembly into a constructive -- and effective -- venue for the interest of the people are sincere.
Thanks to its overwhelming victory in the general elections, the DP can wield unprecedented power now. For instance, it can pass a number of bills, including disputed budget bills, on its own after bypassing the National Assembly Advancement Act, which bans a majority party from railroading through bills. However, the current situation calls for harmonious leadership transcending partisan interests. If Park chooses to lead the Assembly in a lopsided way to help the ruling party and the Moon Jae-in administration, it will benefit no one.
In his acceptance speech two year ago, Rep. Moon Hee-sang vowed to cooperate with the opposition down the road. But the latter half of the 20th Assembly was stained with sharp confrontation and division because of the Blue House's persistent pressure on the legislature. As the presidential office often flexed its muscles, the role of the legislature noticeably diminished even to the extent that a former National Assembly speaker now serves as prime minister under President Moon.
The 21st National Assembly starts with unprecedented national division. If Park desires to see cooperation and communication with the opposition, he must uphold the principle of the separation of powers. As the Moon administration approaches the end of its term, the speaker must respect the role of the legislative branch.
As Park, a former JoongAng Ilbo reporter and a moderate, is relatively free from the deep-rooted factionalism in the DP, he can demonstrate flexibility. We hope he turns the Assembly into a place where common sense works. We also expect him to help the legislature put the brakes on the administration's overbearing governance.
(END)


yna--2020-05-21--60 S. Koreans return home from Africa on chartered flight used for troop rotation

After completing the mission to airlift the 12th batch for the 300-strong Hanbit Unit to South Sudan , the Asiana @ @ @ @ @ Ababa to pick up and bring home South Koreans who had been stranded across Africa @ @ @ @ @

SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- Sixty South Koreans who had been stranded in Africa returned home Thursday on a chartered plane used to transport the country's rotational peacekeeping troops to South Sudan earlier this week, officials said.
After completing the mission to airlift the 12th batch for the 300-strong Hanbit Unit to South Sudan, the Asiana Airline plane headed to Addis Ababa to pick up and bring home South Koreans who had been stranded across Africa amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Of the 60 people aboard, 36 were in Ghana, 13 in Kenya, 10 in Ethiopia and one in Sudan.
The rotational troops had originally been scheduled for deployment in March, but their dispatch was delayed as South Sudan asked South Korea and other foreign countries not to send fresh troops over coronavirus concerns.
This week's dispatch was possible as South Sudan exempted the arriving South Korean troops from the country's entry restrictions. A second batch of rotational troops is scheduled to head to the African nation on June 1.
In this photo, provided by the foreign ministry, South Koreans living in Africa board an Asiana Airlines plane at an international airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for return home. They were set to arrive in South Korea on May 21, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-21--(LEAD) S. Korea to resume classes for younger students as planned: vice minister

Of the 21,191 students who did n't go to school , 115 were placed under self-isolation by health authorities , @ @ @ @ @ attend following self-monitoring results and 737 could not enter school premises after showing symptoms .
@ @ @ @ @ who chose to study at home .

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details in paras 10-11)
SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to resume in-person classes for younger students as scheduled, the vice education minister said Thursday, amid lingering woes over possible new coronavirus transmissions at schools here.
The government plans to push ahead with another round of school reopening scheduled for Wednesday, Vice Education Minister Park Baeg-beom reaffirmed in a press briefing at the government complex in Sejong.
Under the plan, students in Grade 2 of high schools, Grade 3 of middle schools, Grades 1 and 2 of elementary schools and kindergartens are set to return to class next week, following high school seniors, who returned to school on Wednesday.
Seniors at a high school in the southeastern city of Daegu prepare for class on their first day of school on May 20, 2020. (Yonhap)
Park's remarks come after partial closures at some high schools raised fears that it may not yet be safe for younger students to return to school, while cluster infections traced to nightspots are being reported across the country.
On Wednesday, 66 schools in Incheon, just west of Seoul, ordered students to return home earlier than scheduled after two seniors in the area tested positive following a visit to a karaoke facility.
In Anseong, south of Seoul, education authorities suspended the reopening of nine high schools in a precautionary measure, as a probe to identify a local patient's itinerary was under way.
A school official conducts fever checks for students at a high school in Seoul on May 20, 2020. (Yonhap)
In a briefing on the results of Wednesday's first round of school reopening, Park said that 95.2 percent of the country's 442,141 seniors had attended school. Some 2,277 of 2,363 schools across the country were open as of Wednesday at 4 p.m.
Of the 21,191 students who didn't go to school, 115 were placed under self-isolation by health authorities, 2,099 were advised not to attend following self-monitoring results and 737 could not enter school premises after showing symptoms. There were also 1,198 students who chose to study at home.
The vice minister said that of the 1,257 students who were checked for the virus, one student in the southeastern city of Daegu tested positive.
Vice Education Minister Park Baeg-beom speaks at a press briefing at the government complex in Sejong on May 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
The country's emergency services said that 262 students were sent to COVID-19 screening stations from school on Thursday after showing symptoms like fever and sore throat.
Of these, on-site health workers carried out tests on 229 as a precautionary move, with those suffering milder discomfort sent home to rest. The actual number of students tested was up sharply from 127 checked the day before, it said.
The country's new school year, which usually starts in March, had been postponed by 79 days after schools across the country were closed to prevent infections among students.
The government announced the reopening of schools as new daily infections were slowing. Students, who have been taking online classes since April, are set to resume in-person classes by June 8 in phases.
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-21--S. Korea extends special travel advisory until mid-June

A special advisory is issued by the government in the event of an urgent and short-term danger to travelers , @ @ @ @ @ than a travel restraint but is not so dangerous as to require a withdrawal recommendation @ @ @ @ @ for up to 90 days .

SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Thursday extended its "special travel advisory" by another month, urging citizens to refrain from going abroad as the coronavirus pandemic is still affecting many parts of the world, the foreign ministry said.
The government first issued the special advisory on March 23 on all countries and territories over the spread of the virus outbreak. The advisory urges South Koreans to cancel or postpone overseas trips and also calls for citizens staying and traveling abroad to take extra caution for their safety.
The special advisory was extended last month and will now be maintained up till June 19, with the advisory to be lifted automatically the following day, the foreign ministry said in a release.
The ministry said its decision is based on the fact that the global spread of the virus is continuing and many countries are still applying entry restrictions on foreigners. It also noted that commercial airlines around the world have suspended flight operations.
A special advisory is issued by the government in the event of an urgent and short-term danger to travelers, when the situation requires more than a travel restraint but is not so dangerous as to require a withdrawal recommendation. It can be maintained for up to 90 days.
(END)


yna--2020-05-21--Japanese man arrested for violating self-isolation rules

Seodaemun Police Station in Seoul said Thursday that they 've detained the 23-year-old man for allegedly going outside while under @ @ @ @ @ the first foreign national to be arrested for breaking the quarantine rules currently being enforced @ @ @ @

SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- A Japanese man has been arrested on charges of violating self-isolation rules during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Seodaemun Police Station in Seoul said Thursday that they've detained the 23-year-old man for allegedly going outside while under two-week self-isolation. He is the first foreign national to be arrested for breaking the quarantine rules currently being enforced in the country.
The man arrived in South Korea on April 2 and tested negative for COVID-19. He was ordered into two-week isolation, but police said he went outside on eight different days during that period.
Police said they caught the man outside his residence by studying surveillance camera footage and his credit card transaction records.
South Korea has come down hard on those who have breached self-isolation rules due to concerns that violations could cause community infections.
This file photo from April 27, 2020, shows the location-tracking wristband for violators of self-isolation rules. (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-05-21--Ex-major leaguer Kang Jung-ho formally applies for return to KBO

That rule was instituted in 2018 , and the league 's disciplinary committee will decide if the rule will be @ @ @ @ @ 2016 DUI arrest , which happened when he was n't a KBO player .
If @ @ @ @ @ Kang for only the first two DUI cases , committed while playing in South Korea @ @ @ @ @ be 90 games or more , along with a fine and community service hours .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- Former Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Kang Jung-ho has taken a formal step toward a return to the South Korean baseball league.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said Thursday that Kang has applied for reinstatement from the "voluntarily retired" list. He was placed there when his former KBO club, Nexen (currently Kiwoom) Heroes, posted him for interested big league clubs after the 2014 season. Kang signed with the Pirates in January 2015.
In this Getty Images file photo from May 11, 2019, Kang Jung-ho of the Pittsburgh Pirates (L) reacts after striking out against the St. Louis Cardinals in the top of the eighth inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. (Yonhap)
Since Kang wasn't a free agent at the time, the Heroes still hold their reserve right to Kang. The Heroes must agree to take Kang off the list, but Kang has yet to contact the Heroes about a potential return. Kang, 33, first expressed an interest in returning on April 21.
Kang's big league career is essentially over, following a drunk driving accident and subsequent on-field struggles over the past three years.
Because of Kang's checkered past, the KBO will soon convene a disciplinary meeting to discuss the exact timing of his return.
Kang received a suspended jail term in 2017 for driving into a guardrail in Seoul while under the influence and then fleeing the scene in December 2016. It was his third drunk driving arrest.
Under KBO rules, a player who has been caught driving under the influence as least three times is subject to a suspension of at least three years.
That rule was instituted in 2018, and the league's disciplinary committee will decide if the rule will be applied retroactively on Kang's 2016 DUI arrest, which happened when he wasn't a KBO player. If the KBO decides to penalize Kang for only the first two DUI cases, committed while playing in South Korea, then the ban could be 90 games or more, along with a fine and community service hours.
Kang carved out an All-Star career with the Heroes and set the single-season record for most home runs by a shortstop with 40 in his final KBO season in 2014.
Kang finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2015, thanks to a .287/.355/.461 line, 15 home runs and 58 RBIs in 126 games.
In this file photo from Oct. 31, 2014, Kang Jung-ho of the Nexen Heroes hits a single against the LG Twins in a Korea Baseball Organization postseason game at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul. (Yonhap)
In 2016, Kang slugged at a .513 clip while setting career highs with 21 dingers and 62 RBIs in 103 games.
But Kang got himself into trouble that offseason. Unable to secure a work permit, Kang missed the entire 2017 season and only got into the final series of the regular season in 2018.
After his four-year deal ran out, the Pirates gave him a second chance by handing him a new one-year deal for the 2019 season.
The move appeared to pay off early, as Kang led the majors with seven home runs in spring training. But in the regular season, Kang stumbled to a .169/.222./.395 line in 65 games with 10 home runs and 24 RBIs. He struck out 60 times in 172 at-bats. The Pirates released him on Aug. 4.
Kang briefly worked out with the Milwaukee Brewers' Triple-A team, but no new deal came out of it.
If the KBO slaps Kang with the three-year ban, he'll be 36 by the time he becomes eligible and will have played very little baseball from 2017 to 2022.
Kang, who was drafted out of high school as a catcher, was mostly a shortstop with the Heroes, before going on to play third base with the Pirates.
The Heroes are set at shortstop, with a potential future big leaguer Kim Ha-seong entrenched there. Kim is expected to be posted this winter and could leave for the majors in 2021.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-21--First deputy commander of S. Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command dies at age 97

`` Gen. Lew ... helped build the foundation to what CFC has become today .
He also served as the @ @ @ @ @ of Staff and the ROK Ambassador to the United States , cementing the ROK-U.S. alliance @ @ @ @ @ and security in Northeast Asia .
General Lew will be truly missed , '' CFC @ @ @ @ @ .

SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- Lew Byong-hion, the first deputy commander of the Combined Forces Command (CFC) of South Korea and the United States, died Thursday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. He was 97.
Born in 1924, Lew was commissioned as an Army second lieutenant in 1948 and took various positions in the military.
During his service as the leader of the Fifth Corps, he successfully led the operation of detecting underground tunnels dug by North Korea, which led to the discovery of the 2nd Tunnel in the border town of Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, in 1975, according to the JCS.
He became the first CFC deputy commander in November 1978 and served as the country's 16th JCS chairman between December 1979 and May 1981, according to the military.
"Gen. Lew ... helped build the foundation to what CFC has become today. He also served as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the ROK Ambassador to the United States, cementing the ROK-U.S. alliance as the linchpin of safety and security in Northeast Asia. General Lew will be truly missed," CFC Commander Gen. Robert Abrams said.
CFC was established on Nov. 7, 1978, as the warfighting headquarters on a mission to deter outside aggression against South Korea.
For that role, the CFC has operational control over more than 600,000 active-duty military personnel of all services, of both countries.
"On behalf of Combined Forces Command, I offer our heartfelt condolences and sympathy to General Lew's family and friends following his death today," Abrams said.
This photo provided by the Joint Chiefs of Staff on May 21, 2020, shows Lew Byong-hion, the first deputy commander of the Combined Forces Command (CFC) of South Korea and the United States. He died earlier in the day at age 97. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-21--Moon to push ahead with inter-Korean projects despite U.S.-N.K. stalemate: former top aide

`` If there is no progress between the United States and North Korea this year , President Moon will try @ @ @ @ @ things done , while sufficiently communicating with the U.S. , even though there are negative @ @ @ @ @ , Moon 's first chief of staff who served until January 2019 .

SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in will forge ahead with inter-Korean cooperative projects to revive the Korean peace process amid the stalemate in nuclear talks between North Korea and the United States, his former top aide said Thursday.
In an interview with a local magazine, Im Jong-seok, a former chief of staff, also called for a summit between Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to break through the current impasse in relations.
"If there is no progress between the United States and North Korea this year, President Moon will try to push ahead to get things done, while sufficiently communicating with the U.S., even though there are negative views," said Im, Moon's first chief of staff who served until January 2019.
Moon has suggested inter-Korean cooperation to deal with the coronavirus outbreak as well as the resumption of a joint tour program and work to reconnect inter-Korean railways.
In a news conference on May 10 marking his third year in office, Moon said, "Now, South and North Korea should find and do what they can," not just waiting for progress in Washington-Pyongyang dialogue.
This file photo shows President Moon Jae-in (R) and former chief of staff Im Jong-seok at Cheong Wa Dae on Jan. 8. 2019. (Yonhap)
The proposed inter-Korean projects "can receive international consent and the U.S. won't object," Im said. He added Seoul needs to leverage its relations with China and Russia in pushing for the projects with the North.
Im urged the U.S. to be flexible on sanctions on North Korea to enable the proposed reconnection of railways and roads and forestry cooperation.
He also called for an inter-Korean summit, recalling the two leaders' agreement "to meet anytime when necessary."
"We can't just wait for Chairman Kim Jong-un's return visit," he said, referring to Kim's promise to visit South Korea in return for Moon's visit to Pyongyang in September 2018.
"If we discuss various situations and understand what difficulties the other party has, it will lead to better results." he said.
Moon and Kim held their third summit in Pyongyang from Sept. 18-20, 2018, and reached a set of agreements to reduce military tensions and improve relations.
Im also said Stephen Biegun, the U.S. point man on North Korea, "put pressure" on Seoul just before the landmark summit.
"That summer, Stephen Biegun, the newly appointed U.S. special representative for North Korea, put pressure on us. We were told to hold on until he figured out the job and gave the okay," he said.
At that time, Seoul was actively communicating with Pyongyang and Washington to produce tangible agreements in the summit.
"It was difficult for us to accept. The president pushed ahead with the inter-Korean agreements on the establishment of a liaison office and military issues, and stamped his seal before Biegun came in. Biegun arrived in South Korea two days later," he recalled.
Im judged Kim as a man of "honest and confident character."
"After the first summit (between Moon and Kim in April 2018), I felt reassured and hopeful," he recalled. "I could find in him a firm commitment to solve problems with the president," he recalled.
He also praised U.S. President Donald Trump's resolve and drive.
"We should appreciate President Trump's efforts to get things done despite tremendous opposition from within," he said.
(END)


yna--2020-05-21--Jeju Air to raise 170 bln won via stock sale amid virus woes

Shareholders of the budget carrier will be given the rights to buy stocks to be sold in July at 14,000 @ @ @ @ @ new shares will be listed on Aug. 4 , the company said in a regulatory @ @

SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- Jeju Air Co., South Korea's biggest low-cost carrier, said Thursday it will raise 170 billion won (US$138 million) by selling stocks as part of self-help measures amid the new coronavirus impact on the airline sector.
The rights issue is one of the options that Jeju Air has reviewed to raise operating capital needed to ride out the COVID-19 crisis.
Shareholders of the budget carrier will be given the rights to buy stocks to be sold in July at 14,000 won per share. The new shares will be listed on Aug. 4, the company said in a regulatory filing.
Shares in Jeju Air closed at 19,600 won on the Seoul bourse on Thursday, up 2.08 percent from the previous session's close.
This file photo, provided by Jeju Air, shows a Jeju Air plane taking off at an airport in South Korea. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
In February, Jeju Air implemented an emergency management scheme to stay afloat, as the COVID-19 pandemic has brought most international flights to a halt amid growing fears over the virus.
Jeju Air already had all of its executives return at least 30 percent of their wages and all of its employees take paid leave from February
"The company is also considering selling airplane engines purchased for replacement and leasing them back to secure operating capital," a company spokesman said by phone.
Jeju Air swung to a net loss of 101.4 billion won (US$83 million) in the January-March quarter from a net profit of 42.1 billion won a year ago.
The budget carrier recently delayed its acquisition of smaller local rival Eastar Jet Co. from the originally scheduled April 29, as two foreign regulators are still reviewing their merger.
Vietnam and Thailand have yet to approve the combination of the two carriers.
Jeju Air signed a deal to acquire a controlling 51.17 percent stake in Eastar Jet from its parent Eastar Holdings Inc. for 54.5 billion won in March as part of its expansion strategy.
Once the two Southeast Asian countries approve the deal, South Korea's two state lenders -- the Korea Development Bank and the Korea Export-Import Bank of Korea -- are expected to inject 170 billion won into Jeju Air to help it continue operations amid virus woes.
AK Holdings, the holding firm of South Korean retail conglomerate Aekyung Group, holds a 59.93 percent stake in Jeju Air.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-21--S. Korea to resume classes for younger students as planned: vice minister

SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to resume in-person classes for younger students as scheduled, the vice education minister said Thursday, amid lingering woes over possible new coronavirus transmissions at schools here.
The government plans to push ahead with another round of school reopening scheduled for Wednesday, Vice Education Minister Park Baeg-beom reaffirmed in a press briefing at the government complex in Sejong.
Under the plan, students in Grade 2 of high schools, Grade 3 of middle schools, Grades 1 and 2 of elementary schools and kindergartens are set to return to class next week, following high school seniors, who returned to school on Wednesday.
Seniors at a high school in the southeastern city of Daegu prepare for class on their first day of school on May 20, 2020. (Yonhap)
Park's remarks come after partial closures at some high schools raised fears that it may not yet be safe for younger students to return to school, while cluster infections traced to nightspots are being reported across the country.
On Wednesday, 66 schools in Incheon, just west of Seoul, ordered students to return home earlier than scheduled after two seniors in the area tested positive following a visit to a karaoke facility.
In Anseong, south of Seoul, education authorities suspended the reopening of nine high schools in a precautionary measure, as a probe to identify a local patient's itinerary was under way.
A school official conducts fever checks for students at a high school in Seoul on May 20, 2020. (Yonhap)
In a briefing on the results of Wednesday's first round of school reopening, Park said that 95.2 percent of the country's 442,141 seniors had attended school. Some 2,277 of 2,363 schools across the country were open as of Wednesday at 4 p.m.
Of the 21,191 students who didn't go to school, 115 were placed under self-isolation by health authorities, 2,099 were advised not to attend following self-monitoring results and 737 could not enter school premises after showing symptoms. There were also 1,198 students who chose to study at home.
The vice minister said that of the 1,257 students who were checked for the virus, one student in the southeastern city of Daegu tested positive.
Vice Education Minister Park Baeg-beom speaks at a press briefing at the government complex in Sejong on May 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
The country's new school year, which usually starts in March, had been postponed by 79 days after schools across the country were closed to prevent infections among students.
The government announced the reopening of schools as new daily infections were slowing. Students, who have been taking online classes since April, are set to resume in-person classes by June 8 in phases.
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-21--(LEAD) S. Korea, U.S. exchange ideas on economic initiative against China: source

During Wednesday 's teleconference organized by the Asia-Pacific Media Hub of the U.S. State Department , Krach said that the @ @ @ @ @ , companies and civil societies that will operate under the same set of `` democratic @ @ @ @ @ apparent reference to operating principles that China could balk at .

(ATTN: ADDS more info in 2nd para)
By Song Sang-ho
SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States exchanged broad ideas about a U.S. initiative to diversify global supply chains away from China last year, but the discussions remained conceptual, a diplomatic source said Thursday.
The remarks came a day after Keith Krach, undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment, said in response to a question from Yonhap News Agency that he and South Korean officials talked about the Economic Prosperity Network (EPN) initiative during the allies' Senior Economic Dialogue (SED) in Seoul in November.
Krach has been spearheading the U.S. effort to promote the EPN, seen as a scheme to break China's global dominance, in the midst of an intensifying rivalry between Washington and Beijing over regional primacy in various fields, including security and technology.
"The expression, EPN, itself has surfaced only recently, but its concept and broad ideas related to economic security were discussed at the SED in November," the source told Yonhap on condition of anonymity.
"But there wasn't an agreement or anything from the discussions. The ideas appeared to remain sketchy, and we are just watching the developments at this point," he added.
During Wednesday's teleconference organized by the Asia-Pacific Media Hub of the U.S. State Department, Krach said that the EPN consists of like-minded countries, companies and civil societies that will operate under the same set of "democratic values" -- in an apparent reference to operating principles that China could balk at.
Washington's push for the EPN appears to have picked up pace as the COVID-19 pandemic has offered a chastening reminder for the United States that has relied heavily on China-based supply chains for the production of such crucial items as face masks and ventilators.
The initiative has also put many countries, particularly U.S. allies and other partner countries, in a tricky diplomatic position amid concerns that it could lead to a challenging strategic choice between the two major powers.
Keith Krach, U.S. under secretary of state for economic growth, energy security and the environment, arrives at the foreign ministry in Seoul on Nov. 6, 2019, to pay a courtesy call on South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha. (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


Yonhap News Summary

SEOUL -- Just because sanctions imposed on North Korea following its deadly sinking of a South Korean naval ship in @ @ @ @ @ effect does not mean that Seoul is considering the possibility of lifting them , Unification @ @ @ @ @ .

The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Thursday.
----------------
(2nd LD) Moon: Gov't, firms in same boat against virus crisis
SEOUL -- President Moon Jae-in emphasized Thursday that the government and corporate sector are "in the same boat" amid the COVID-19 crisis, calling for joint efforts to safeguard jobs and the industrial ecosystem.
"The government and firms are passing through a dark tunnel aboard the same boat," he said, wrapping up a meeting with a group of business leaders, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok.
----------------
(LEAD) Seoul stocks extend winning streak to 5th session
SEOUL -- South Korean stocks closed higher Thursday to extend their winning streak to a fifth session, the longest period of this year, on growing hope over the resumption of global business activities. The local currency fell against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 8.67 points, or 0.44 percent, to close at 1,998.31. Trading volume was moderate at some 588 million shares, worth about 8.5 trillion won (US$6.92 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 463 to 363.
----------------
Incheon orders shutdown of 'coin noraebang,' gov't considers following suit to stem virus spread
SEOUL -- The city of Incheon has ordered the two-week closure of coin-operated karaoke rooms in a bid to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, the central government said Thursday.
During a regular briefing, Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health official, said the city implemented the two-week ban on such karaoke rooms, called "coin noraebang" in Korean, until June 3, as a series of infections was traced to a visitor to such an establishment.
----------------
Unification minister refutes speculation over possible lifting of 2010 sanctions on N. Korea
SEOUL -- Just because sanctions imposed on North Korea following its deadly sinking of a South Korean naval ship in 2010 have mostly lost their effect does not mean that Seoul is considering the possibility of lifting them, Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said Thursday.
On Wednesday, Yoh Sang-key, the ministry's spokesperson, told reporters that much of the sanctions have mostly lost their intended effect and pose no obstacle in expanding "room" in inter-Korean relations, as previous governments have made various "exceptions" in implementation.
----------------
S. Korea, U.S. exchange ideas on economic initiative against China: source
SEOUL -- South Korea and the United States exchanged broad ideas about a U.S. initiative to diversify global supply chains away from China last year, but the discussions remained conceptual, a diplomatic source said Thursday.
The remarks came a day after Keith Krach, undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment, said that he and South Korean officials talked about the Economic Prosperity Network (EPN) initiative during the allies' Senior Economic Dialogue (SED) in Seoul in November.
----------------
N. Korea's official paper denies leaders can magically contract space
SEOUL -- North Korea's official newspaper denied its leaders can magically contract space, a long tradition used to idolize founder Kim Il-sung and late leader Kim Jong-il, in the latest sign of a change in the regime's myth-making efforts.
The Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the North's ruling party, carried an article on Wednesday denying its leaders can practice "chukjibeop," a hypothetical method of folding space and traveling far distances in a short period of time that has been used by the North to deify its leaders.
(END)


yna--2020-05-21--Incheon orders shutdown of 'coin noraebang,' gov't considers following suit to stem virus spread

Two high school seniors were confirmed Wednesday morning to have contracted the virus at the noraebang visited by a patient @ @ @ @ @ nightlife district of Itaewon in Seoul .
All three were at the establishment at the @ @ @

SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- The city of Incheon has ordered the two-week closure of coin-operated karaoke rooms in a bid to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, the central government said Thursday.
During a regular briefing, Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health official, said the city implemented the two-week ban on such karaoke rooms, called "coin noraebang" in Korean, until June 3, as a series of infections was traced to a visitor to such an establishment.
Coin noraebang are a type of karaoke rooms where people pay per song using coins.
"People aged less than 19 cannot gather in noraebang in Incheon, with 2,362 in total, and congregating in coin noraebang, with 108 in total, is banned for all citizens," he said.
The government said it was also considering implementing the same administrative order nationwide, as more infections are found to have been related to such businesses.
A singing room is closed in Incheon, South Korea, on May 19, 2020. (Yonhap)
Two high school seniors were confirmed Wednesday morning to have contracted the virus at the noraebang visited by a patient who had gone to the nightlife district of Itaewon in Seoul. All three were at the establishment at the same time.
As a result, students in 66 schools in the city were abruptly sent back home to prevent potential infections.
The environment of PC rooms and noraebang is "very prone to virus infections because they are very cramped and poorly ventilated, and a lot of droplets are being produced," Deputy Director Kwon Jun-wook of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said during the briefing.
With a steady rise in infections connected to the Itaewon outbreak, some cities, including Seoul and Incheon, have already ordered restrictions on businesses. But noraebang were not among those affected.
"There are two options. We can take an extreme measure of banning businesses (of noraebang) all together, or let them run under strict quarantine measures," Yoon said of a potential expansion of the order nationwide.
Son Young-rae, another health official, said the relevant government agencies are hammering out classification guidelines on businesses with high infectious risks and discussing whether to make entry logs mandatory.
A singing room remains empty in Incheon, west of Seoul, on May 19. (Yonhap)
The 12 new cases confirmed Wednesday raised the total caseload to 11,122, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
Of them, 10 were local infections. The number of virus cases linked to the Itaewon cluster reached 206 as of noon, with 10 new patients added over the past 24 hours.
Incheon reported 40 cases tied to Itaewon clubs as of noon, trailing the 101 cases in Seoul and 45 in Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital.
Meanwhile, the government warned people not to let their guard down in the fight against the virus.
"There were no secondary infections reported in hospitals, call centers and indoor sports complexes that thoroughly kept quarantine measures, even though a relatively large number of people were initially exposed (to the virus)," Yoon said. "But in places (with lax quarantine), there were additional infections."
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-21--(2nd LD) Moon: Gov't, firms in same boat against virus crisis

`` I am confident that South Korea will be reborn as a power player in the digital economy era by @ @ @ @ @ by the ( new ) coronavirus '' on the basis of concerted efforts by the @ @ @ @ @ people , Moon added .

(ATTN: RECASTS lead paras with closing remarks; CHANGES headline)
By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in emphasized Thursday that the government and corporate sector are "in the same boat" amid the COVID-19 crisis, calling for joint efforts to safeguard jobs and the industrial ecosystem.
"The government and firms are passing through a dark tunnel aboard the same boat," he said, wrapping up a meeting with a group of business leaders, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok.
The president added that the ongoing troubles stemming from the pandemic offer a chance for "grand compromise," also involving labor circles and the civilian community, to share pain.
He pledged continued support for companies here to resolve the liquidity problem during the session held at the Korea International Trade Association in southern Seoul, Kang said at a press briefing.
Participants included the CEOs of 17 major firms in such industries as aviation, shipbuilding, automobiles and machinery, as well as representatives from business lobby groups.
President Moon Jae-in speaks at a meeting with business leaders at the Korea International Trade Association in southern Seoul on May 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
It marked Moon's third formal group meeting with business figures since the outbreak of the new coronavirus.
Moon took note of the government's decision to provide emergency relief funds to firms that plan to maintain most of their employment at least for the coming six months.
Should the government and businesses work together, South Korea will be able become a leader in economic recovery as it has been in quarantine measures, he was quoted as adding.
Speaking at the outset of the meeting, open to pool reporters, he recalled South Korea's experience of turning serious crises into opportunities.
"Both industries and jobs are in crisis situations, but we have opened a new future, overcoming such a crisis," he said.
Confronted with the financial meltdown in the late 1990s, the government fostered the information technology industry, and it promoted the green growth sector in response to the 2008 global financial crisis, he noted.
A meeting between President Moon Jae-in and a group of business leaders is underway at the Korea International Trade Association in southern Seoul on May 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
"I am confident that South Korea will be reborn as a power player in the digital economy era by overcoming the industrial crisis caused by the (new) coronavirus" on the basis of concerted efforts by the government, companies and the people, Moon added.
He said it is important to protect jobs and the entire industrial ecosystem with a can-do spirit.
The president reaffirmed a swift push for the Korean version of the New Deal, which has a focus on the fields of digital and green projects.
He said the government is stepping up efforts to support skilled manpower in new industries, including artificial intelligence, big data, blockchain, drones, bio-health, smart ships and future vehicles.
The government will help them participate in joint research programs with global universities, research institutes and entrepreneurs, he added.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-21--Shared kitchen, shared lodging businesses for locals to be legalized

In a similar decision , the government will also amend the Tourism Promotion Act to allow shared lodging services to @ @ @ @ @ urban areas for a maximum 180 days a year .
The service provider should reside @ @ @ @ @ abide by sanitation and safety rules .

SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will seek law revisions to allow the operation of sharing economy ventures, such as shared kitchens and shared lodgings for locals, in a bid to expand horizons for the emerging business model, the prime minister's office said Thursday.
During a policy coordination meeting presided over by Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, the government made the decision to lift regulations on the two sharing economy fronts, according to the minister's office.
Under its "sandbox" policy, aimed at temporarily lifting regulations to test-run cutting-edge technologies or ventures, South Korea has conditionally allowed the operation of the shared kitchen business model since mid-2019.
In order to officially legalize it, the country will seek revision of the Food Sanitation Act, fully allowing multiple business owners to use the same kitchen to run their restaurant businesses, the Prime Minister's Secretariat said.
Under the current law, only one business license is issued by the government per kitchen-equipped business space for sanitation reasons.
The law revision will be complete before the end of this year and the government will come up with a set of separate sanitation requirements for businesses using shared kitchens.
In a similar decision, the government will also amend the Tourism Promotion Act to allow shared lodging services to be used by locals in urban areas for a maximum 180 days a year. The service provider should reside in the same house and abide by sanitation and safety rules.
So far, the shared accommodation service, best represented by the American firm Airbnb, had been exclusively allowed for use by foreign tourists in South Korea.
Under the decision, a new mobile platform for shared lodgings, tentatively named Wehome, will start operations in July, allowing local city dwellers to offer their home spaces for sharing with local tourists.
With the latest decisions, South Korea will lower the bar for entrepreneurs with new business ideas related to the sharing economy, the prime minister said while presiding over the meeting.
"This is expected to facilitate further collaboration between companies and institutions by allowing the sharing of production facilities, research equipment and public data," Chung noted.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun presides over a government policy meeting in Seoul on May 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-21--(LEAD) Seoul stocks extend winning streak to 5th session

`` U.S. tech firms led the overall market gain as they are actively penetrating deeper into the online segment , @ @ @ @ @ .
This has also given a positive impact on the local market , '' said @ @ @ @ @ at Kiwoom Securities Co .

(ATTN: ADDS bond yields at bottom; CHANGES photo)
SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks closed higher Thursday to extend their winning streak to a fifth session, the longest period of this year, on growing hope over the resumption of global business activities. The local currency fell against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 8.67 points, or 0.44 percent, to close at 1,998.31. Trading volume was moderate at some 588 million shares, worth about 8.5 trillion won (US$6.92 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 463 to 363.
The index also touched the psychologically significant 2,000-point threshold for the first time in more than two months.
Seoul shares got off to a strong start as major economies eased virus-related restrictions.
Currency dealers work in the dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul on May 21, 2020. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 8.67 points, or 0.44 percent, to close at 1,998.31. (Yonhap)
The buying rally was also attributable to investors' hope over a new vaccine for COVID-19, though no clear timeline has been provided yet.
"U.S. tech firms led the overall market gain as they are actively penetrating deeper into the online segment, bracing for the post-pandemic era. This has also given a positive impact on the local market," said Seo Sang-young, a researcher at Kiwoom Securities Co.
Foreigners became net buyers for the third consecutive session, purchasing more shares than they sold at 77 billion won. Individuals also scooped up a net 290 billion won, while institutions dumped 390 billion won.
Top chemical firm LG Chem shot up 4.14 percent to 377,500 won, and No. 1 oil refiner SK Innovation moved up 2.9 percent to 106,500 won.
Pharmaceutical companies also closed bullish, with Samsung BioLogics rising 1.5 percent to 609,000 won and Hanmi Pharmaceutical increasing 1.02 percent to 246,500 won.
Top portal operator Naver added 1.35 percent to reach 225,000 won, and the leading mobile messenger operator Kakao gained 2.59 percent to 237,500 won.
Leading tech giant Samsung Electronics, on the other hand, edged down 0.1 percent to 49,950 won, and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix moved down 0.83 percent to 83,400 won.
The local currency closed at 1,230.90 won per dollar, down 0.60 won from the previous session's close.
Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, closed higher. The yield on three-year Treasurys shed 1.2 basis points to 0.856 percent, and the return on the benchmark five-year government bond slipped 1.4 basis points to 1.097 percent.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-21--S. Korean Bond Yields on May. 21, 2020

S. Korean Bond Yields on May. 21, 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--2020-05-21--Daewoo Shipbuilding bags 411 bln-won deal for floating storage facility

Daewoo Shipbuilding also said the Central America-based company will provide compensation for the costs related to the construction of the @ @ @ @ @ investment decision is not made .

By Nam Kwang-sik
SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., a major shipbuilder in South Korea, said Thursday that it has clinched a 411 billion-won (US$340 million) deal to build a floating storage facility.
Under the deal with a company based in Central America, Daewoo Shipbuilding will deliver a liquefied natural gas floating storage regasification unit (LNG-FSRU) by June 2023, the shipbuilder said in a regulatory filing.
Daewoo Shipbuilding did not reveal the name of the buyer.
This photo, provided by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., shows a liquefied natural gas floating storage regasification unit built by the company. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap).
"The deal will be effective after the company in Central America makes a final investment decision," the company said.
Daewoo Shipbuilding also said the Central America-based company will provide compensation for the costs related to the construction of the vessel, if the final investment decision is not made.
So far this year, Daewoo Shipbuilding has secured $720 million worth of deals, achieving 10 percent of its annual order target of $7.2 billion for the year.
Shares of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering closed at 17,450 won on Thursday, up 0.58 percent from the previous session.
ksnam@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-21--(4th LD) Steady rise in club-linked cases still worrisome amid infection slowdown

Cases tied to clubs in Itaewon have not evolved into explosive infections but have continued to increase steadily .
The @ @ @ @ @ to the Itaewon cluster reached 206 as of noon , with 10 new patients added @ @ @ @ @ .

(ATTN: ADDS more details throughout)
SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases slowed Thursday, but health authorities are still fretting over further community spread tied to entertainment facilities and a hospital.
The 12 new cases detected Wednesday raised the total caseload to 11,122, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Of them, 10 were local infections.
The country reported 32 COVID-19 cases Wednesday, marking the largest uptick in nine days, as it reeled from a steady rise in nightclub-related cases in Itaewon, a popular nightlife area in the capital.
Wearing masks, high school seniors take a mock test to assess their scholastic capability at Yeouido High School in Seoul on May 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
South Korea has successfully flattened the virus curve with massive and swift testing, but sporadic cluster infections continue to complicate public health authorities' quarantine efforts.
Cases tied to clubs in Itaewon have not evolved into explosive infections but have continued to increase steadily. The number of virus cases linked to the Itaewon cluster reached 206 as of noon, with 10 new patients added over the past 24 hours.
Itaewon emerged as a hotbed for infections after a 29-year-old man tested positive for COVID-19 on May 6 following visits to clubs in the district in early May.
The country continued to report secondary and tertiary transmissions linked to the Itaewon outbreak.
To stem further community spread, the city government in Incheon, west of Seoul, ordered some 2,400 karaoke facilities in the city not to host customers for two weeks, virtually suspending businesses at such places.
Incheon reported 40 cases tied to Itaewon clubs as of noon, trailing 101 cases in Seoul and 45 in Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital.
The government said it is considering implementing the same administrative order nationwide as more infections tied to karaoke facilities have been reported.
"The Itaewon outbreak has not led to massive virus spread, but related infections have been reported consistently. That's why health authorities cannot loosen their guard against community spread," Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health official, said in a briefing.
This photo, taken May 21, 2020, shows health workers at an outdoor coronavirus testing center of Samsung Medical Center in southern Seoul. (Yonhap)
Health authorities are also on alert over looming infections at a hospital in southern Seoul.
Since four nurses working at Samsung Medical Center, one of the country's five major general hospitals, were confirmed to be infected, health authorities have conducted tests on 1,418 people.
No additional infections traced to the hospital were reported, but health authorities are conducting an epidemiological survey on two virus patients who came in contact with one of the infected nurses.
The KCDC said more related cases are likely to spring up, as transmission routes are still unknown.
It said Wednesday the nurses may have been infected at shared spaces, such as changing rooms, in the hospital or through patients undergoing surgery.
The agency said it has yet to find a link between their cases and those tied to nightclubs.
Health authorities remain on alert over further community spread, as more schools are set to reopen after high school seniors began to return to schools Wednesday.
Incheon, west of Seoul, and Anseong, south of the capital, ordered third graders at 75 high schools to return home on Wednesday. Two high school students tested positive for COVID-19 in Incheon in cases related to the Itaewon cluster.
Quarantine officials disinfect seats at Mapo Art Center in western Seoul on May 21, 2020, as it prepares to resume the operation on May 26 after a 107-day hiatus over the new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
Earlier in the day, a high school in the southeastern city of Daegu, once the epicenter of the virus outbreak here, was closed as a third grader who used a school dormitory was infected.
Seoul's southwestern Yangcheon Ward is considering delaying the reopening of at least three elementary schools set for May 27 due to a church-related case in the district.
The country, meanwhile, added two imported cases and reported one additional death, raising the total death toll to 264. The fatality rate was 2.37 percent.
The total number of people released from quarantine after full recoveries stood at 10,135, up 69 from the previous day.
Since Jan. 3, the country, with a population of more than 50 million, has carried out 788,684 tests, including 12,251 the previous day.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-21--Daegu high school closed after student tests positive for virus

In accordance with its quarantine manual , the school isolated 17 students residing in the dorm and the remaining 94 @ @ @ @ @ A total of 18 students who had direct contact with the infected student will take @ @ @ @ @ facilities will be closed for two days for disinfection , while classes will be shifted @ @ @

SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- A high school in Daegu, a southeastern city at the center of South Korea's first wave of the coronavirus epidemic, shut down Thursday just one day after its reopening, after one of its students tested positive for the virus, officials said.
According to the Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education, a Daegu Agricultural Meister High School senior residing in its dormitory has been confirmed to be infected with COVID-19, prompting authorities to close the school and force all other students to return home or be quarantined.
South Korean schools reopened Wednesday nationwide after five coronavirus-related postponements, and high school seniors were the first group to attend offline classes. The other primary and secondary students will return in stages to school by June 8.
A teacher checks students' temperature at a high school in Seoul on May 21, 2020, the second day of school reopening. (Yonhap)
The Daegu agricultural high school, located in the city's Suseong Ward, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, also resumed classes for its seniors the previous day.
The infected student, who lives in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, entered the school's dorm Tuesday afternoon before taking a coronavirus test the following day. The school was notified of the student's positive result prior to the beginning of Wednesday's first class.
In accordance with its quarantine manual, the school isolated 17 students residing in the dorm and the remaining 94 seniors were sent home. A total of 18 students who had direct contact with the infected student will take the coronavirus test. School facilities will be closed for two days for disinfection, while classes will be shifted back online.
School closures were also reported in other parts of the nation on the very first day of reopening.
In Incheon, west of Seoul, all senior students at 66 high schools were told to go home after two students were confirmed Wednesday morning to have contracted the virus.
About 60 students in North Gyeongsang Province, nearly 30 students in Gyeonggi Province and five in North Chungcheong Province were sent home or taken to hospitals after exhibiting symptoms of the virus, such as fever and sore throat, on the same day.
Meanwhile, at least three elementary schools in Yangcheon Ward, western Seoul, are reportedly considering postponing their plan to resume physical classes for their first and second graders next Wednesday, after one official from a church in the same ward has tested positive for the virus.
School officials fear that some of their students and their parents might have had contact with the infected church official over the weekend.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-21--Moon hails legislation on probing past state violence against civilians

`` Only the truth can ease the pain and make moves toward forgiveness and reconciliation , '' he said .
@ @ @ @ @ for decades , we need to be able to face up to painful history for @ @ @ @ @ true harmony and unity . ''

SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in on Thursday welcomed the passage of a bill on seeking facts related to inhuman acts committed by authorities against civilians decades ago, saying the legislation is expected to provide a chance for future-oriented reconciliation.
The previous day, the National Assembly approved the revision bill to help reveal the truth behind such tragic incidents as the Brothers Home case in the 1970s and the 1980s and massacres of civilians during the 1950-53 Korean War.
The law calls for the revival of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that was disbanded in 2010.
Moon expressed hope for "effective investigation" to get to the bottom of "hidden truth" and further strengthen South Korea's stature as a "human rights nation."
Personally, the president said, he's touched by the possibility of uncovering who is responsible for the operation of the Brothers Home, a de-facto internment camp in Busan, 300 kilometers south of Seoul, in the 1970 and 1980s.
Victims of past state violence and civic activists cheer in front of the National Assembly in Seoul on May 20, 2020, following the passage of a bill on investigating related incidents. (Yonhap)
Ostensibly a state welfare facility, the camp was created at presidential directives meant to clean up the streets, targeting gum sellers, shoe shiners, drunks and the homeless. Thousands of people including kids were forcefully rounded up and held there.
The case was first known to the public in 1987, when Moon was working as a human rights lawyer in the port city.
He took part in joint fact-finding work, which ended up in failure. "I feel sorry and regret for that," Moon wrote on his social media account.
"Only the truth can ease the pain and make moves toward forgiveness and reconciliation," he said. "As we have experienced for decades, we need to be able to face up to painful history for justice and a future of true harmony and unity."
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-22--S. Korea reports 20 new virus cases amid efforts to contain club-linked cases

Itaewon has emerged as a hotbed for infections as a 29-year-old man tested positive for COVID-19 on May 6 following @ @ @ @ @ and bars in Itaewon .
At least 200 infections here have been connected to the @ @

SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported 20 more cases of the new coronavirus Friday as health officials are trying to bring mass infections tied to Seoul's nightlife district of Itaewon under control.
The new cases raised South Korea's total caseload to 11,142 and the nation's death toll remained unchanged at 264, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
Itaewon has emerged as a hotbed for infections as a 29-year-old man tested positive for COVID-19 on May 6 following his visits to multiple clubs and bars in Itaewon. At least 200 infections here have been connected to the man.
To avoid a second wave of infections, South Korea has been carrying out tens of thousands of tests on those who visited affected clubs between April 24 and May 6.
Building management workers carry out disinfection operations at a concert hall located in western Seoul on May 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-22--OLED TV market may post relatively small growth this year: report

`` In spite of the downturn in global TV shipment this year , the market for QLED products thrived on @ @ @ @ @ well as the sales promotions of Samsung Visual Display 's older models in the first @ @ @ @ @ resulted in retail price cuts of more than 20 percent for 65-inch QLED TVs in @ @ @ @ @ incidentally creating a wave of replacement demand for new TV sets , '' it said @

SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- The global OLED TV market, led by South Korea's LG Electronics Inc., is expected to post relatively small growth this year, compared with the QLED TV sector, following a disruption in panel supply caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic, a market report showed Friday.
The global OLED TV shipment is expected to increase 7.8 percent on-year to 3.375 million units this year, according to display market tracker WitsView, a research division of TrendForce. The figure was a 26.1 percent decrease from its original number forecasted earlier this year.
OLED, or organic light-emitting diode, is highlighted by self-illuminating pixels that deliver perfect black, and it is the main display used for LG's high-end TVs.
"The OLED TV market faces the dual headwinds of hindered panel supply and high retail prices," WitsView said. "Both market leader LG Electronics and Sony have revised down their shipment targets for OLED TVs this year."
This photo taken on Jan. 7, 2020, shows a reporter looking at LG Electronics Inc.'s OLED 8K TVs at the company's exhibition booth at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Yonhap)
Industry insiders said that production delay from LG Display Co., the sole large-size OLED TV panel supplier in the world, will weigh down the industry.
LG Display previously planned to have its OLED panel factory in Guangzhou, China, start mass production in the first quarter of the year, but it could not meet the schedule due to COVID-19 outbreak.
The company recently said it plans to fully operate the Guangzhou factory within the first half of the year.
Industry observers said a sharp rise of QLED TVs can further limit OLED TV sales amid the pandemic.
"Aside from the pandemic-induced slowdown in OLED demand, the more flexible pricing of QLED products will also represent a substantial threat to the sales of OLED TVs this year, since the latter have historically maintained a high retail price," WitsView said.
The global QLED TV shipment is expected to grow 41.8 percent on-year to reach 8.27 million units this year with aggressive sales promotions from the market leader Samsung Electronics Co., according to WitsView.
This photo taken on Jan. 8, 2020, shows people looking at Samsung Electronics Co.'s QLED 8K TVs at the company's exhibition booth at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Yonhap)
QLED is Samsung's marketing term for its liquid crystal display (LCD) TVs using quantum-dot technology to enhance performance in key picture quality areas.
Although overall global TV shipment is expected to suffer 5.8 percent on-year decline to 205.21 million units this year, WitsView said QLED TV sales can increase further.
"In spite of the downturn in global TV shipment this year, the market for QLED products thrived on the flourishing stay-at-home economy as well as the sales promotions of Samsung Visual Display's older models in the first quarter of 2020, which resulted in retail price cuts of more than 20 percent for 65-inch QLED TVs in the North American market, incidentally creating a wave of replacement demand for new TV sets," it said.
According to market tracker Omdia, Samsung was the top TV vendor in the January-March period as it accounted for 32.4 percent of the global TV market in terms of sales value.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-22--(URGENT) S. Korea adds no virus deaths, death toll stays at 264: KCDC


yna--2020-05-22--(URGENT) 27 more people released after full recovery from coronavirus, bringing total cured patients

(URGENT) 27 more people released after full recovery from coronavirus, bringing total cured patients to 10,162: KCDC


yna--2020-05-22--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 20 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 11,142: KCDC


yna--2020-05-22--(Yonhap Feature) Coronavirus offers turning point in S. Korea's long-stalled push for telemedicine

The results compiled so far are positive .
More than 260,000 phone consultations and prescriptions were made at a total @ @ @ @ @ 24 and May 10 , according to official data .
Among them were lots of @ @ @ @ @ been no report of negative impact on the medical care system .

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- Getting geared up for a potential second wave of COVID-19 infections, South Korea seems to be leaning toward embracing telemedicine despite unrelenting protests from a physicians' lobby group and civic activists.
President Moon Jae-in's aides at Cheong Wa Dae are busy making a case for why such a system is necessary, citing the new coronavirus experience. Telemedicine is expected to be included in the Korean version of the New Deal, Moon's newly found signature project amid the virus crisis.
Formally, they use an alternative jargon, "non face-to-face" or "untact" services, as critics view telemedicine as a prelude to full-fledged for-profit businesses by hospitals here.
"The (envisioned) untact medical service is intended to prepare for a second pandemic, which experts fear, and protect the health of medical workers and patients' access to medicine," a Cheong Wa Dae official told reporters on background. "The government will make thorough preparations."
Introducing telemedicine service has long been a contentious and ideologically sensitive issue in South Korea, where the common good is the mantra of its medical system. Rigorous regulations are in place.
Medical workers at Seoul National University Hospital's branch in Moongyeong, North Gyeongsang Province, monitor health-related data of coronavirus patients in this undated file photo. (Yonhap)
Under the Medical Service Act, all public and private hospitals are categorized as not-for-profit and required to reinvest earnings back into their operation, not for shareholders or other investors. Establishing for-profit subsidiaries are outlawed.
A decade ago, the "business-friendly" Lee Myung-bak administration sought a revision of the law to introduce telemedicine. The move drew ferocious opposition not only from Moon's left-leaning Democratic Party (DP) but also from physicians and civic groups.
In 2016, the successive conservative administration of Park Geun-hye also attempted it to no avail.
Opponents of telemedicine have voiced worries about misdiagnoses, personal disease record leaks, and obstacles to early and timely treatment.
They argued that large hospitals, including college-affiliated ones, would be a main beneficiary with community-based clinics at stake.
Moon was against it himself, serving as leader of the DP when it was the main opposition party.
The coronavirus pandemic has clearly turned the tide.
An image of telemedicine (Yonhap)
In response to soaring infections in late February, the government temporarily waived a ban on remote services by medical centers nationwide.
The results compiled so far are positive. More than 260,000 phone consultations and prescriptions were made at a total of 3,853 institutions between Feb. 24 and May 10, according to official data. Among them were lots of small clinics. There has been no report of negative impact on the medical care system.
"We have gained valuable experience from the provisional measure," another presidential official said on the customary condition of anonymity. "It's important to systemize that with the advent of a new normal led by COVID-19."
An information, communication and technology power seeking to spread the so-called K-bio wave worldwide, South Korea is already lagging behind as far as introducing telemedicine service is concerned. The United States launched the American Telemedicine Association in 1993. Japan and China lifted restrictions on telemedicine in 2015 and 2016. respectively.
The logo of the Korean Medical Association is shown in this photo provided by the physicians' lobby group. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The Korean Medical Association (KMA), which claims 130,000 members, vehemently protests against bringing in telemedicine.
"Now that it's a matter of rattling the nation's medical system, we have no other choice but to stage an extreme struggle if the government pushes ahead with it," its hard-liner chief, Choi Dae-zip, warned.
Some civic groups question the necessity and usefulness of telemedicine for South Korea.
"It's more urgent to expand the number of public sickbeds and public health service workers," People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy said in a statement.
Telemedicine would bring more favors and profits only to big-name hospitals and major telecommunication firms, it added.
Cheong Wa Dae officials emphasized the Moon administration remains committed to beefing up the public health care networks.
What's being planned is a fresh concept different from that of conventional "telemedicine" sought by the former governments before the coronavirus pandemic, they say.
Rather than industrial aspects, they stressed, the terminology "untact" focuses more on promoting the safety and convenience of patients and medical workers for public good, which is believed to be the key reason for them to make a pitch for the alternative terminology.
Civic activists urge the government to halt a push for telemedicine in Seoul on May 15, 2020. (Yonhap)
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-22--S. Korea may face worst economic slump in Q2: vice finance minister

South Korea has begun providing relief handouts to every household to ease the economic fallout from the pandemic .
For @ @ @ @ @ more people , 1 million won ( US $ 815 ) is given .
Three-person @ @ @ @ @ two-person households and single-person households receive 600,000 won and 400,000 won , respectively .

SEJONG, May 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is likely to face the worst quarterly economic slump in the second quarter, Vice Finance Minister Kim Yong-beom said Friday, as the new coronavirus pandemic has crippled exports and consumption.
"Shocks are expected to be concentrated in the second quarter," Kim said during a meeting with senior ministry officials.
Kim said the government will fully mobilize stimulus packages in the second quarter to minimize the economic fallout from the pandemic.
The ministry is set to unveil the third extra budget early next month as it will seek to encourage firms to boost investment and protect the job market.
Vice Finance Minister Kim Yong-beom speaks at a meeting with senior ministry officials on May 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
South Korea has begun providing relief handouts to every household to ease the economic fallout from the pandemic. For a household with four or more people, 1 million won (US$815) is given. Three-person households receive 800,000 won while two-person households and single-person households receive 600,000 won and 400,000 won, respectively.
Kim said 84.3 percent of 21.71 million households in South Korea have received handouts.
Nearly all 2.86 million low-income households received cash handouts, Kim said.
South Korea has pledged relief packages worth some 240 trillion won to ease the economic fallout from the virus.
The nation's economy shrank 1.4 percent on-quarter in the first quarter of this year, marking the sharpest quarterly contraction since the last three months of 2008.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-22--Seoul stocks open lower on fears of U.S.-China dispute

Fears of a dispute between the world 's two largest economies apparently spooked investor sentiment there after U.S. President Donald @ @ @ @ @ the COVID-19 pandemic , saying it was the `` incompetence of China '' that led @ @ @ @ @ of thousands globally .

SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks opened slightly lower Friday, apparently tracking overnight losses on Wall Street related to a brewing dispute between the United States and China.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) lost 2.58 points, or 0.13 percent, to 1,995.73 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 101.78 points, or 0.41 percent, to close at 24,474.12 on Thursday (New York time).
Fears of a dispute between the world's two largest economies apparently spooked investor sentiment there after U.S. President Donald Trump again blamed China for the COVID-19 pandemic, saying it was the "incompetence of China" that led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands globally.
The U.S. and China are South Korea's two main trading partners.
Large caps traded mixed.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics lost 1.10 percent while No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix slipped 1.08 percent.
Top pharmaceutical firm Samsung BioLogics spiked 2.96 percent, with leading chemical maker LG Chem advancing 1.06 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,235.45 won against the U.S. dollar, down 4.55 won from the previous session's close.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-22--S. Korean volleyball icon Kim Yeon-koung leaves Turkish club

The 32-year-old has been rumored to be on her way back to China .
She spent one season in the @ @ @ @ @ Shanghai Bright Ubest in the 2017-2018 season .
A Brazilian report claimed last month that @ @ @ @ @ BAIC Motor , had offered Kim a contract .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korean volleyball superstar Kim Yeon-koung has left her Turkish club after two seasons, with her second tour of duty in China potentially up next.
The Turkish team Eczacibasi VitrA announced on its website on Friday that Kim and the club have "parted ways by mutual agreement."
This image captured from the website of the Turkish volleyball club Eczacibasi VitrA on May 22, 2020, shows South Korean star Kim Yeon-koung. Eczacibasi said Kim and the club have parted ways by mutual agreement. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Kim, who captained Eczacibasi during the 2019-2020 season, helped the team to two Turkish Super Cup titles, a silver and a bronze medal at the past two FIVB Club World Championships.
Kim signed with Eczacibasi in 2018 and the two-year deal expired this month.
The 32-year-old has been rumored to be on her way back to China. She spent one season in the Chinese Volleyball Super League with Shanghai Bright Ubest in the 2017-2018 season. A Brazilian report claimed last month that another Chinese club, Beijing BAIC Motor, had offered Kim a contract.
The talented outside hitter has won numerous championships and individual awards in a 15-year career with stops in South Korea, Japan, China and Turkey. She was named the MVP of the women's volleyball tournament at the 2012 London Olympics, where South Korea finished in fourth place.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-22--S. Korea's Q1 exports of new-industry goods soar despite virus

South Korea 's overall exports contracted 1.4 percent in the first quarter as overseas demand for its goods slackened due @ @ @ @ @ led to lockdowns , shuttered plants and dampened consumer spending across the globe .

SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's first-quarter exports of eight new-industry goods jumped despite a drop in overall exports due to the new coronavirus pandemic, data showed Friday.
Overseas shipments of those products came to US$21 billion in the January-March period, up 17 percent from a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea International Trade Association (KITA).
They include next-generation semiconductors, biohealth products, electric vehicles, new-energy goods, robots, aviation products and drones, advanced new materials and next-generation displays.
Exports of next-generation chips soared 23 percent on-year, with those of biohealth products surging nearly 26 percent due to the pandemic. Comparable growth figures were 38 percent for drones and aviation goods, and about 25 percent for electric vehicles.
Yet, first-quarter overseas shipments of new-energy items, robots and advanced new materials shrank slightly from a year earlier.
South Korea's overall exports contracted 1.4 percent in the first quarter as overseas demand for its goods slackened due to the coronavirus outbreak that led to lockdowns, shuttered plants and dampened consumer spending across the globe.
Stressing the need to nurture new promising export items to brace for a post-coronavirus period, KITA predicted global demand for health care products and digital equipment to grow further down the road.
(END)


Friday's weather forecast

SEOUL , May 22 ( Yonhap ) -- The following is the weather forecast for South Korea 's 12 major @ @ @ @ @ .


KOSPI 2,001.60 UP 3.29 points (open)


KOSDAQ 717.78 UP 1.76 points (open)


yna--2020-05-22--Dollar opens at 1,234.0 won UP from 1,230.9 won


yna--2020-05-22--U.N. raises US$1.3 mln to aid N. Korea's antivirus fight

The fund , whose latest tally was as of Wednesday , represented some 3 percent of $ 39.7 million estimated @ @ @ @ @ the North 's antivirus efforts , according to the report by the U.N. Office for @ @ @ @ @ ( OCHA ) .

SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- The United Nations has raised US$1.3 million to provide assistance for North Korea's efforts to prevent the outbreak of the new coronavirus, a U.N. report showed Friday.
The fund, whose latest tally was as of Wednesday, represented some 3 percent of $39.7 million estimated to be required to support the North's antivirus efforts, according to the report by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The report said some $900,000 in aid was sent to support North Korea's fight against COVID-19.
North Korea has claimed to be coronavirus-free, but outside watchers say the country is highly susceptible to such infectious diseases due to weak medial infrastructure.
The North closed its border with China late in January in a precautionary move to prevent the flow of the virus, while toughing quarantine criteria on inbound goods and people.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-22--U.S. position in defense cost talks undermines S. Korea alliance : expert

`` We 're not doing this for the benefit of South Korea or for the benefit of Europe .
We @ @ @ @ @ it 's in our interest , and it 's useful to get support and cooperation @ @ @ @ @ the values , the concerns , the ideas that motivate us as well . ''

By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, May 21 (Yonhap) -- The United States' insistence that South Korea shoulder a much larger share of the cost of the U.S. troop presence risks hurting the alliance at a time when both sides need each other, a Korea expert said Thursday.
Victor Cha, former director for Asian affairs at the White House National Security Council, made the comment in response to the ongoing impasse in the two countries' negotiations for a defense cost-sharing deal.
"The sad part of all this is that the alliance has become consumed by this one technical issue, and it's soured South Korean views of the alliance," he said during a virtual seminar hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.
"It's not as well covered here in the United States, obviously. And for what? You know, for like dollars and cents, when this alliance has a deep history. Both countries need each other. They're very important partners to each other in the world," he said.
This file photo shows Victor Cha, former director for Asian affairs at the White House National Security Council. (Yonhap)
U.S. President Donald Trump has rejected South Korea's latest offer to increase its contribution by 13 percent for the hosting of 28,500 American troops in the country.
The Trump administration has instead asked for US$1.3 billion a year, an increase of nearly 50 percent.
In the absence of a new agreement, U.S. Forces Korea has placed some 4,000 South Korean employees on unpaid leave since the beginning of April.
Drawing on his experience of working in Congress, Robert King, a former special envoy for North Korea's human rights issues, weighed in that the alliance actually serves U.S. interests.
"I think most members of Congress who serve longer than most presidents tend to see the value of participation of other countries and in our alliance as something that benefits the United States," King said.
"We're not doing this for the benefit of South Korea or for the benefit of Europe. We're doing these things because it's in our interest, and it's useful to get support and cooperation of other countries who share the values, the concerns, the ideas that motivate us as well."
This AFP file photo shows former U.S. Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues Robert King. (Yonhap)
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-22--(EDITORIAL from Korea JoongAng Daily on May 22)

In the first trial , the former prime minister was found not guilty thanks to the CEO 's reversal of @ @ @ @ @ delivery of the money .
But the appellate court sentenced her to two years in @ @ @ @ @ million won after it accepted various pieces of evidence presented by prosecutors , including a @ @ @ @ @ .
The Supreme Court upheld the ruling despite a split opinion among justices over 600 @ @ @ @ @ payment .
For the remaining 300 million won , the 13 justices unanimously handed down @ @ @ @ @ was also found that she gave a 100 million won check to her brother for @ @ @

Beware the boomerang
The ruling Democratic Party (DP) is methodically moving to reinvent the political life of former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook, 76, who was sentenced to jail for two years for receiving money from the former CEO of a construction company in 2007 in return for favors. If the DP really attempts to rehabilitate such a convict, that's a grave challenge to respect for the rule of law. Han, who served as prime minister in the Roh Moo-hyun administration (2003-2008), was an iconic figure representing the liberal camp.
She was indicted, convicted and served a jail term after the Supreme Court upheld a lower court's ruling against her. She was indicted without detention in July 2010 on charges of taking 900 million won ($731,400) from Han Man-ho, the CEO, who died after serving a prison term in 2018.
In the first trial, the former prime minister was found not guilty thanks to the CEO's reversal of an earlier statement on the delivery of the money. But the appellate court sentenced her to two years in jail and fined her 830 million won after it accepted various pieces of evidence presented by prosecutors, including a memorandum Han wrote in prison. The Supreme Court upheld the ruling despite a split opinion among justices over 600 million won of the alleged payment. For the remaining 300 million won, the 13 justices unanimously handed down a guilty verdict. It was also found that she gave a 100 million won check to her brother for house rent.
When a pro-government internet media outlet obtained Han's memorandum last week, the ruling party swiftly moved. DP floor leader Kim Tae-nyeon defined the former prime minister as a "victim of the prosecution's coercive investigation and the court's abuse of power." Rep. Park Joo-min, a senior member of the DP, went a step further. "When a separate law enforcement body aimed at probing high government officials, including prosecutors and judges, is established, it can revisit the case," he said. It looks as if the ruling camp is engrossed with resurrecting the politically-dead former prime minister.
If legal requirements are met, she can call for a retrial. However, as the courts already reached a conclusion on the memorandum, they won't accept the request. Our criminal procedure act allows a retrial only when there is evidence of fabrication of evidence and perjury. Jo jae-yeon, head of the National Court Administration, expressed concerns about "raising doubts just because defendants oppose the court's rulings." The DP should listen to his words and must not abuse its super majority status in the National Assembly. If the party goes too far, its actions will boomerang.
(END)