yna--2020-06-20--KBO's Kimwoom Heroes say ex-MLB player's domestic abuse case not as serious as known

While few would question Russell 's baseball pedigree -- the former first round pick had 21 home runs and 95 @ @ @ @ @ season and is still just 26 years old -- he does bring some off-the-field baggage @ @ @ @ @ suspension from late 2018 to early 2019 for violating Major League Baseball 's domestic violence @ @ @ @ @ of abusing his then-wife , Melisa Reidy , who detailed years of abuse in their @ @ @ @ @ in 2018 .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean baseball club Kiwoom Heroes on Saturday defended their signing of a former major league player with a history of domestic abuse, saying the case wasn't as serious as it had been known.
Earlier in the day, the Heroes announced their acquisition of infielder Addison Russell, the 2016 National League All-Star for the Chicago Cubs, under a US$530,000 deal for the rest of the season. Russell is filling the foreign position player spot vacated by Taylor Motter, who was released on May 30 after batting .114 in 10 games.
In this EPA file photo, from June 21, 2019, Chicago Cubs' second baseman Addison Russell makes a throw to first base during the bottom of the first inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game against the New York Mets at Wrigley Field in Chicago. (Yonhap)
While few would question Russell's baseball pedigree -- the former first round pick had 21 home runs and 95 RBIs in his lone All-Star season and is still just 26 years old -- he does bring some off-the-field baggage. Russell served a 40-game suspension from late 2018 to early 2019 for violating Major League Baseball's domestic violence policy. Russell was accused of abusing his then-wife, Melisa Reidy, who detailed years of abuse in their marriage in a blog post in 2018.
Heroes' general manager Kim Chi-hyun told Yonhap News Agency that the team did its due diligence on Russell's past. Kim said he heard directly from Scott Boras, the uber-agent who represents Russell, that the player had been penalized by MLB over a text message, instead of any physical abuse.
"If he had engaged in physical abuse, he would have been banned for 80 games, but he served only 40 games," Kim said. "Obviously, what he did was wrong, but we felt it wasn't bad enough that he should no longer play baseball."
Russell has only played second base and shortstop in his minor league and major league career. The Heroes are already set at those two positions, with former MVP Seo Geon-chang at second and All-Star slugger Kim Ha-seong manning the shortstop position.
Kim said Russell will be primarily playing his two natural positions, and the team already has set up plans to work Russell into the infield mix and move existing pieces around the diamond.
Kim acknowledged that the Heroes had also been in talks with another former big league All-Star, Yasiel Puig. The flamboyant outfielder best known among South Korean fans for his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2013 to 2018, Puig became a free agent after last season.
"We felt we had a chance to sign him," Kim said. "But Puig decided he should give MLB another shot."
In this EPA file photo, from July 17, 2019, Addison Russell of the Chicago Cubs (L) hits a home run during the bottom of the second inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field in Chicago. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-20--(3rd LD) S. Korea's new virus cases surge to 67 as imported cases spike

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

(ATTN: CORRECTS figure in 2nd para; ADDS more details about imported cases in para 6-7, details from gov't briefing in paras 10-11, and 21-22)
SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported the biggest rise in daily new coronavirus cases in nearly a month Saturday, driven by a fresh spike in imported cases amid fears looming over a second wave of infections.
The country added 67 new COVID-19 cases, the largest since the 79 tallied on May 28 and a jump from Friday's 49, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). The total caseload came to 12,373.
Of the new cases, 31 came from overseas and the 36 others were locally transmitted.
The spike in imported cases is the biggest since the country reported 40 such cases on April 5. South Korea saw a marked drop in imported cases to as few as a single digit for the past several weeks, compared with a range of 30-40 between late March and early April.
The surge in imported cases deepens worries about another possible wave of infections and puts further strains on health authorities despite the months of all-out efforts to stem the virus. South Korea reported its first case on Jan. 20.
A total of 1,427 cases have come from abroad, the KCDC said.
Of the new imported cases, all but three came from Asia excluding China, including 16 from Pakistan and seven from Bangladesh. The three others came from North America.
On Friday, authorities said seven Bangladeshi nationals and two South Koreans tested positive for the virus after entering South Korea on the same flight from Dhaka.
Including the imported cases, Seoul reported 14 new cases, raising the total caseload to 1,202, with the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and Incheon logging 17 and five, respectively.
This file photo shows passengers and quarantine workers at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on May 3, 2020. (Yonhap)
Health authorities emphasized that infections can occur anytime and anywhere as long as three conditions are met: close contact, enclosed space and dense gatherings. They called on citizens to take heed of social distancing guidelines.
"The multiple and endless spread of COVID-19 infections is continuing without a pause. We now have to think that there is no completely safe zone away from the virus," KCDC Deputy Director Kwon Joon-wook told a press briefing.
The unabating spread of the virus in the capital is worrisome as schools have reopened and people have increasingly been opting for social gatherings and group activities.
A 12-year-old girl and her grandmother living in the eastern Seongdong Ward have tested positive for the virus, according to the ward office.
The girl was among a crowd of other students who took a group graduation photo at her school earlier this week. Testing is under way for everyone in the same sixth grade as her and all teachers from the elementary school.
The latest figures by the Seoul metropolitan government show that the daily average of infected patients for this month came to 17.9 as of Friday, a significant rise from 5.2 tallied in April and 7.4 in May.
A series of sporadic cluster infections, from a door-to-door sales firm to a table tennis facility in southwestern Seoul, is continuing with no signs of a letup. At least 38 cases, including four new ones, were found in a nursing facility for the elderly in a northern ward of Dodong.
The central city of Daejeon, where a new community spread has emerged, added five more cases, putting the total caseload at 72.
South Korea has seen an increase in the number of infections in Daejeon, some 160 kilometers south of Seoul in recent days, stoking fears that such a case of community spread outside of the greater Seoul areas could mean that a possible second wave of infection is coming.
Most of the Daejeon cases, found in a church and a door-to-door sales company, have so far turned out to be untraceable, making it harder for the authorities to take appropriate steps to contain the virus.
The spike in new daily cases is likely to prompt the government to rethink the current social distancing practices, which it eased in early May after the virus curve flattened from its peak of more than 900 new daily cases in late February.
On Saturday, Deputy Director Kwon said the government was not considering a rollback of the quarantine policy to intense social distancing for now, adding that it is keeping close tabs on the outbreak to preemptively respond with necessary measures.
There were no additional deaths reported as of Saturday, keeping the total death toll at 280, with a fatality rate of 2.26 percent.
The total number of people released from quarantine after full recoveries stood at 10,856, up 21 from the previous day.
Parents and children line up to get tested for the coronavirus at an elementary school in Incheon, west of Seoul, on June 17, 2020. (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-20--(LEAD) S. Korea urges N.K. to drop plan to send anti-Seoul leaflets

The North has also vowed to sever ties with the South and go back to treating the neighbor like an @ @ @ @ @ it blew up a joint liaison office in the border town of Kaesong as the @ @ @ @ @ of retaliatory actions it claims will take against Seoul .

(ATTN: RECASTS lead; ADDS more details, photo)
SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea urged North Korea on Saturday to "immediately" withdraw its plan to send anti-Seoul leaflets across the border into the South, voicing regret over its decision to do so.
The unification ministry handling inter-Korean affairs made the request after the North's state media said earlier in the day it was printing anti-Seoul propaganda materials in large numbers and preparing to send them across the border to the South.
The North's Korean Central News Agency website showed pictures of North Korean workers sorting printed propaganda flyers in piles. One of them showed pictures of President Moon Jae-in with dirty cigarette butts in a plastic bag.
"It is very regrettable that North Korea unveiled via a media outlet its plan to send massive anti-South Korea leaflets, and we demand its immediate halt," the ministry said in a statement.
"Such acts by North Korea are a clear violation of the inter-Korean agreement, a step that does not resolve wrong practices between the two Koreas but rather exacerbates them," it said, stressing that it does no good for inter-Korean relations or the peace process on the Korean Peninsula.
It also said the government has vowed to sternly deal with anti-Pyongyang leafleting by some civic groups and stepped up control near the border towns to crack down on the activities.
Tensions run high after Pyongyang made a series of threats against Seoul, including possible military action, in anger over what the North claimed to be the South's "connivance" at the sending of anti-Pyongyang leaflets via balloons by North Korean defectors and activists.
The North has also vowed to sever ties with the South and go back to treating the neighbor like an enemy. On Tuesday, it blew up a joint liaison office in the border town of Kaesong as the first step in a series of retaliatory actions it claims will take against Seoul.
The government said earlier this month it would legislate a ban on sending such leaflets into the North and filed a criminal complaint with police against two defector groups.
This photo, captured from the website of North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on June 20, 2020, shows printed pictures of South Korean President Moon Jae-in with cigarette butts in a plastic bag, after the North has said it will send anti-Seoul propaganda leaflets from the North into the South. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-20--S. Korea urges N.K. to drop plan to send anti-Seoul leaflets

The unification ministry handling inter-Korean affairs made the request after the North 's state media said earlier in the day @ @ @ @ @ materials in large numbers and preparing to send them across the border to the South @

SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government urged North Korea on Saturday to "immediately" withdraw its plan to send anti-Seoul leaflets across the border into the South, voicing regret over its decision to do so.
The unification ministry handling inter-Korean affairs made the request after the North's state media said earlier in the day it was printing anti-Seoul propaganda materials in large numbers and preparing to send them across the border to the South.
"It is very regrettable that North Korea unveiled via a media outlet its plan to send massive anti-South Korea leaflets, and we demand its immediate halt," the ministry said in a statement.
"Such acts by North Korea are a clear violation of the inter-Korean agreement, a step that does not resolve wrong practices between the two Koreas but rather exacerbates them," it said.
The ministry also stressed that it does no good for inter-Korean relations or the peace process on the Korean Peninsula.
Tensions run high after Pyongyang made a series of threats against Seoul, including possible military action, in anger over what the North claimed to be the South's "connivance" at the sending of anti-Pyongyang leaflets via balloons by North Korean defectors and activists.
The North has also vowed to sever ties with the South and go back to treating the neighbor like an enemy.
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-20--KBO's Kiwoom Heroes sign ex-MLB All-Star Addison Russell

The Heroes said Russell will undergo his physical and receive his work permit in the U.S. before arriving in South @ @ @ @ @ government mandate on all international arrivals during the coronavirus pandemic , Russell will have to @ @ @ @ @ before he can join the Heroes .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- Former major league All-Star Addison Russell is bringing his talent to South Korea.
The Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced Saturday that they've signed Russell, the 2016 National League All-Star for the Chicago Cubs, for the remainder of the 2020 season for US$530,000.
The 26-year-old is replacing Taylor Motter, a utility player who was released on May 30 after batting just .114 in 10 games.
Russell, a first-round draft pick by the Oakland Athletics in 2012, made his big league debut with the Cubs in 2015.
In this Getty Images file photo from July 19, 2019, Addison Russell of the Chicago Cubs (L) hits a fielder's choice groundball during the bottom of the eighth inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game against the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field in Chicago. (Yonhap)
He made his first and only All-Star team the following year, when he posted career highs of 21 home runs and 95 RBIs for the World Series champions.
Last year, Russell played 82 games and had a .237/.308/.391 line with nine homers and 23 RBIs.
From the end of 2018 to the beginning of the 2019 season, Russell served a 40-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's policy on domestic violence.
For his big league career, Russell batted .242/.312/.392 with 60 home runs and 253 RBIs.
Russell played mostly shortstop and second base in the majors, and the Heroes are set at second base with former MVP Seo Geon-chang and at shortstop with perennial All-Star Kim Ha-seong.
They could have used an extra outfielder, but general manager Kim Chi-hyun said he opted for the infielder after discussions with the team.
"He's a versatile player who excels in every aspect of the game, whether it's hitting, fielding or base running," Kim said. "As a major league All-Star, he has already proven himself. We believe he'll be a tremendous addition to our ballclub."
The Heroes said Russell will undergo his physical and receive his work permit in the U.S. before arriving in South Korea. As per the government mandate on all international arrivals during the coronavirus pandemic, Russell will have to be quarantined for 14 days before he can join the Heroes.
In this Getty Images file photo from Aug. 24, 2019, Addison Russell of the Chicago Cubs celebrates his home run during the bottom of the fifth inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game against the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field in Chicago. (Yonhap)
KBO teams are each allowed to sign up to three foreign players, with a maximum two pitchers. All 10 teams this season are carrying two foreign pitchers and one foreign hitter. Since Motter's release, the Heroes had been the only club without the service of an import position player.
Entering Saturday's action, the Heroes ranked fifth among 10 teams with 225 runs scored. Their cleanup hitter Park Byung-ho has slumped to a .197 batting average in 37 games and missed the past two games with wrist and back issues. He's expected to be back in the lineup Saturday.
Through Friday's action, they ranked fourth with a 23-17 record, following three consecutive walk-off victories.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-20--Seoul stocks likely to stay range-bound next week amid virus fears

`` The KOSPI may be under selling pressure over a resurgence of COVID-19 infections , '' NH Investment & Securities @ @ @ @ @ `` The inter-Korean relations are also a risk factor in that the North may push @ @ @ @ @ ''

SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korean shares are expected to move in a tight range next week, due to concerns over the further spread of the coronavirus and North Korea's additional provocations.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 2,141.32 points Friday, up 0.42 percent from a week ago.
In the face of growing concerns over a potential second wave of virus outbreaks and Pyongyang's aggressive actions, the KOSPI suffered a 4.76 percent fall Monday and a 5.28 percent gain Tuesday before choppy sessions the rest of the week.
Electronic signboards at the trading rrom of Hana Bank in Seoul show the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) up 7.84 points, or 0.37 percent, to close at 2,141.32 on June 19, 2020, while the Korean won fell against the U.S. dollar. (Yonhap)
"The KOSPI may be under selling pressure over a resurgence of COVID-19 infections," NH Investment & Securities analyst Noh Dong-kil said. "The inter-Korean relations are also a risk factor in that the North may push provocations against the South."
U.S. stocks closed lower Friday as hopes of an economic recovery were dashed by the worsening virus situation in some states.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 208.64 points, or 0.8 percent, to 25,871.46.
jwc@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-20--(URGENT) Unification ministry urges N. Korea to drop plan to send anti-Seoul leaflets

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


yna--2020-06-20--BTS' 'Stay Gold' sweeps global iTunes charts

The full-length album with `` Stay Gold '' is due to be released July 15 .
The song is also @ @ @ @ @ Japanese TV series , `` The Spiral Labyrinth-DNA Science Investigation . ''
The drama was @ @ @ @ @ in April , but its premiere has been put off indefinitely due to the COVID-19 @ @

SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- K-pop group BTS' "Stay Gold," the lead track on the upcoming Japanese album, has topped global iTunes charts in more than 80 countries, the band's management agency Big Hit Entertainment said Saturday.
The song, sung in Japanese, ranked No. 1 on the Top Songs chart in 82 countries, including the United States, Britain, Brazil and India, the company said in a release. The agency released the song prior to the official release of the full-length album.
It is yet another record for a BTS track sung in Japanese. Their Japanese single "Lights" had topped the charts in 43 countries.
The full-length album with "Stay Gold" is due to be released July 15. The song is also on the soundtrack of a Japanese TV series, "The Spiral Labyrinth-DNA Science Investigation." The drama was originally set to be aired in April, but its premiere has been put off indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A photo of BTS, released by their agency Big Hit Entertainment, on June 15, 2020 (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-06-20--(2nd LD) S. Korea's new virus cases surge to 67 as imported cases spike

(ATTN: ADDS more info on Seoul infections in paras 8-12, photo; TRIMS; RESTRUCTURES)
SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported the biggest rise in daily new coronavirus cases in nearly a month Saturday, driven by a fresh spike in imported cases amid fears looming over a second wave of infections.
The country added 67 new COVID-19 cases, the largest since the 79 tallied on May 28 and a jump from Friday's 49, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). The total caseload came to 12,373.
Of the new cases, 31 came from overseas and the 36 others were locally transmitted.
The spike in imported cases is the biggest since the country reported 40 such cases on April 5. South Korea saw a marked drop in imported cases to as few as a single digit for the past several weeks, compared with a range of 30-40 between late March and early April.
The surge in imported cases deepens worries about another possible wave of infections and puts further strains on health authorities despite the months of all-out efforts to stem the virus. South Korea reported its first case on Jan. 20.
On Friday, seven Bangladeshi nationals and two South Koreans tested positive for the virus after entering South Korea on the same flight from Dhaka.
Including the imported cases, Seoul reported 14 new cases, raising the total caseload to 1,202, with the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and Incheon logging 17 and five, respectively.
This file photo shows passengers and quarantine workers at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on May 3, 2020. (Yonhap)
The unabating spread of the virus in the capital is worrisome as schools have reopened and people have increasingly been opting for social gatherings and group activities.
A 12-year-old girl and her grandmother living in the eastern Seongdong Ward have tested positive for the virus, according to the ward office.
The girl was among a crowd of other students who took a group graduation photo at her school earlier this week. Testing is under way for everyone in the same sixth grade as her and all teachers from the elementary school.
The latest figures by the Seoul metropolitan government show that the daily average of infected patients for this month came to 17.9 as of Friday, a significant rise from 5.2 tallied in April and 7.4 in May.
A series of sporadic cluster infections, from a door-to-door sales firm to a table tennis facility in southwestern Seoul, is continuing with no signs of a letup. At least 38 cases, including four new ones, were found in a nursing facility for the elderly in a northern ward of Dodong.
The central city of Daejeon, where a new community spread has emerged, added five more cases, putting the total caseload at 72.
South Korea has seen an increase in the number of infections in Daejeon, some 160 kilometers south of Seoul in recent days, stoking fears that such a case of community spread outside of the greater Seoul areas could mean that a possible second wave of infection is coming.
Most of the Daejeon cases, found in a church and a door-to-door sales company, have so far turned out to be untraceable, making it harder for the authorities to take appropriate steps to contain the virus.
The spike in new daily cases is likely to prompt the government to rethink the current social distancing practices, which it eased in early May after the virus curve flattened from its peak of more than 900 new daily cases in late February.
There were no additional deaths reported as of Saturday, keeping the total death toll at 280.
The total number of people released from quarantine after full recoveries stood at 10,856, up 21 from the previous day.
Parents and children line up to get tested for the coronavirus at an elementary school in Incheon, west of Seoul, on June 17, 2020. (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-20--Today in Korean history

Today in Korean history

2014 -- A South Korean sergeant from an Army unit goes on a shooting rampage at a general outpost in @ @ @ @ @ Goseong , Gangwon Province , killing five soldiers and injuring seven others .
He told @ @ @ @ @ planned the shooting out of anger at fellow soldiers who had bullied him .

June 21
1904 -- The first public washroom in Seoul opens.
1947 -- The International Olympic Committee accepts South Korea's proposal for membership.
1972 -- Thailand completes the phased withdrawal of its soldiers from South Korea, ending a deployment that began during the 1950-53 Korean War.
1989 -- Based on a proposal from the South Korean government, the United Nations Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) creates the King Sejong Literacy Prize, an award for those who contribute to the fight against illiteracy. King Sejong (1397-1450) of the Joseon Dynasty made a major contribution to literacy in Korea by creating Hangeul, the Korean alphabet.
1994 -- U.S. President Bill Clinton proposes a meeting of high-level officials to North Korea if the North proves its willingness to stop its nuclear development program.
2004 -- The six countries participating in talks over North Korea's nuclear weapons program start a preliminary session before holding main negotiations.
2005 -- A five-member North Korean delegation, led by Kwon Ho-ung, a Cabinet councilor, arrives in Seoul on a chartered North Korean flight for an inter-Korean Cabinet-level meeting on a four-day schedule. The meeting, the 15th since the 2000 inter-Korean summit, was an official resumption of ministerial-level talks that had been on hold due to political tensions.
2008 -- South Korea and the United States agree to ban imports of beef from cattle older than 30 months to address concerns of South Korean people over the safety of U.S. beef.
2014 -- A South Korean sergeant from an Army unit goes on a shooting rampage at a general outpost in the eastern border town of Goseong, Gangwon Province, killing five soldiers and injuring seven others. He told the military police that he planned the shooting out of anger at fellow soldiers who had bullied him.
2018 -- President Moon Jae-in arrives in Russia in the first state visit by a South Korean leader to the Eurasian country since 1999. He held a bilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
(END)


yna--2020-06-20--Military officer infected from Itaewon club recovers, to be probed for flouting rules

The staff sergeant tested positive in May following a visit to clubs and bars in the central district of Seoul @ @ @ @ @ a major infection cluster resulting in the massive community spread in and around the capital @

SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- An officer at the South Korean military's cyber command who contracted the coronavirus during a visit to Itaewon has recovered and will be put under a disciplinary review for flouting off-hour rules, the military said Saturday.
The staff sergeant tested positive in May following a visit to clubs and bars in the central district of Seoul, where it turned into a major infection cluster resulting in the massive community spread in and around the capital.
He will be facing a disciplinary review for not complying with the military instructions restricting off-hour movements to prevent the virus spread and instead visiting the nightclub and bars in Itaewon.
After he tested positive, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the military in connection with the Itaewon cluster rose to 12.
On Saturday, the military added two recovered cases and no new cases of the novel virus, with the total infection caseload unchanged at 58, the defense ministry said.
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-20--High-profile female comebacks to cap off H1 K-pop release calendar

Hwasa , the magnetic power singer of girl group Mamamoo , has also announced a comeback with her first solo @ @ @ @ @ '' which will be released on June 29 as well .
It will be the @ @ @ @ @ since her solo debut song `` Twit '' from February of last year .

By Chang Dong-woo
SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- Leading female voices in K-pop today are gearing up for comebacks later this month, closing off the first half of the K-pop industry's 2020 release calendar largely shaken up by the new coronavirus pandemic.
Solo artist Sunmi plans to make a comeback with her new single, "Pporappippam," on June 29. The song marks Sunmi's first new material in 10 months since her hit single "Lalalay" from last year.
For her new song, the ex-Wonder Girls member partnered with DJ and producer Frants. The producer was involved in co-creating Sunmi's past hits "Siren" and "Lalalay." As usual, Sunmi was in charge of the lyrics of her new song.
Sunmi shared a promotional image for "Pporappippam" on her social media on Wednesday, striking a chic look dressed in a leopard print dress.
This file photo shows South Korean singer Sunmi posing for a photo during a showcase for her new single album "Lalalay" in Seoul on Aug. 27, 2019. (Yonhap)
Hwasa, the magnetic power singer of girl group Mamamoo, has also announced a comeback with her first solo EP album "Maria," which will be released on June 29 as well. It will be the singer's first new material since her solo debut song "Twit" from February of last year.
The songstress, known for her powerful vocals and electrifying stage presence, became a household name from her frequent appearances on MBC TV's reality program "I Live Alone," sharing the more personal and freewheeling aspects of her private life.
This file photo shows Hwasa, a member of South Korean girl group Mamamoo, performing during a showcase for the group's second album "reality in BLACK" in Seoul on Nov. 14, 2019. (Yonhap)
K-pop girl group BLACKPINK is also making a comeback next Friday with "How You Like That," a pre-release single from the band's first studio album to be fully unveiled in September.
According to the band's label and management agency, YG Entertainment, the quartet will make its global comeback debut on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" on American television network NBC on June 26 (local time).
YG has announced that the band's new album will be released under a three-tier scheme, with the first single release coming this month followed by another track sometime between July and August.
One of the biggest K-pop girl groups today, BLACKPINK landed a successful debut in 2016, storming multiple music charts back to back with their edgy hip-hop tracks "Whistle" and "Boombayah."
The team has maintained a winning streak at home and overseas, with the EP "Kill This Love" from last year peaking at 24th on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and its song of the same name ranking as high as 41st on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
This file photo, provided by YG Entertainment, shows South Korean K-pop girl group BLACKPINK performing at a concert in Jakarta on Jan. 21, 2019. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)


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

South Korea has seen an increase in the number of infections in Daejeon , some 160 kilometers south of Seoul @ @ @ @ @ fears that such a community spread outside of the capital and its neighboring areas could @ @ @ @ @ of infections is on the way .

(ATTN: RECASTS lead, 2nd para; ADDS more details related to imported cases and other info in paras 4-6)
SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported the biggest rise in daily new coronavirus cases in nearly a month Saturday, driven by a fresh spike in imported cases amid fears looming over a second wave of infections.
The country added 67 new COVID-19 cases, the largest since the 79 tallied on May 28 and a jump from Friday's 49, raising the total caseload to 12,373, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
Of the new cases, 31 came from overseas and the 36 others were locally transmitted.
The spike in imported cases is the biggest since the country reported 40 on April 5. South Korea saw a marked drop in imported cases to as few as a single digit for the past several weeks, compared with a range of 30-40 between late March and early April.
On Friday, seven Bangladeshi nationals and two South Koreans tested positive for the virus after entering South Korea on the same flight from Dhaka.
The surge in imported cases deepens worries about another possible wave of infections and puts further strains on health authorities despite the months of all-out efforts to stem the virus. South Korea reported its first case on Jan. 20.
Including the imported cases, Seoul reported 14 new cases, raising the total caseload to 1,202, with the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and Incheon logging 17 and five, respectively.
The central city of Daejeon, where a new community spread has emerged, added five more cases, putting the total caseload at 72.
South Korea has seen an increase in the number of infections in Daejeon, some 160 kilometers south of Seoul in recent days, stoking fears that such a community spread outside of the capital and its neighboring areas could mean a possible second wave of infections is on the way.
Most of the Daejeon cases, found in a church and a door-to-door sales company, have so far turned out to be untraceable, making it harder for the authorities to take appropriate steps to contain the virus.
The spike in new daily cases is likely to prompt the government to rethink the current social distancing practices, which it eased in early May after the virus curve flattened from its peak of more than 900 new daily cases in late February.
But a series of sporadic cluster infections in the Seoul area soon emerged, and they are showing no signs of a letup.
There were no additional deaths reported as of Saturday, keeping the total death toll at 280.
The total number of people released from quarantine after full recoveries stood at 10,856, up 21 from the previous day.
This file photo shows passengers and quarantine workers at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on May 3, 2020. (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-20--Local council pushes for bill to mandate removal of statues of former presidents

The provincial government has yet to proceed with the plan , as critics questioned whether commemorative projects in the popular @ @ @ @ @ , paths named after them , and exhibits of paintings , records and materials , @ @ @ @ @ benefits listed in the provision .

CHEONGJU, South Korea, June 20 (Yonhap) -- Councilors in the central province of North Chungcheong are pushing for legislation to support a plan to remove the statues of two former disgraced presidents from a public park.
The provincial government decided on May 14 to remove all monuments of former Presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo from Cheongnamdae, formerly a presidential retreat in Cheongju, about 140 kilometers south of Seoul.
The two former Army generals led a coup in 1979 and ruled the country from 1980-1993. They were imprisoned in the mid-1990s after being convicted of mutiny and corruption.
A committee of the local council announced a bill early this week that calls for the suspension and withdrawal of local commemorative projects for former heads of state who have received a prison sentence.
The ordinance proposed by a member of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) will be dealt with during an extraordinary session set to open July 7.
Statues of Chun Doo-hwan (L) and Roh Tae-wo, former presidents of South Korea who were penalized for munity and corruption, stand at a once presidential villa in the city of Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, on May 15, 2020. (Yonhap)
The move came amid controversy over the legality of the planned removal.
The province's decision is based on the national act on the treatment of former presidents, which stipulates that all lifetime benefits but security measures shall be withdrawn if a former president is sentenced to a prison term.
The provincial government has yet to proceed with the plan, as critics questioned whether commemorative projects in the popular tourist site, including statues, paths named after them, and exhibits of paintings, records and materials, can be regarded as the benefits listed in the provision.
"Once the bill passes, the statues of the two former presidents will be removed without disputes," a councilor said.
Cheongnamdae, which means a southern Cheong Wa Dae, was built as a presidential villa in 1983 during Chun's presidency. It was turned into a public park managed by North Chungcheong Province in 2003.
The two former leaders were arrested in 1995 on charges of leading the 1979 military coup and a bloody crackdown on a pro-democracy uprising in Gwangju the following year.
Chun, president from 1980-1988, was sentenced to life imprisonment, while Roh, in office from 1988-1993, who was also charged with corruption, received 17 years in prison. They were pardoned in 1997 by then President Kim Dae-jung.
nyway@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-20--LG, Samsung claim clothes refreshers can disinfect face masks

The research team tested KF94 , and cotton masks , and found that LG 's steam closet system can remove @ @ @ @ @ , adenovirus , herpes , as well as porcine epidemic diarrhea virus , a type @ @ @ @ @ from COVID-19 , according to the company .

SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- If used face masks could be disinfected, and then possibly reused, that would be a good thing for people suffering shortages of masks.
South Korea's two largest electronics firms -- Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. -- are saying that their clothes refreshers can disinfect face masks using sanitization features amid the coronavirus pandemic.
LG claims that its Tromm Styler, a clothes care appliance, can kill over 99.9 percent of the virus found in face masks when using its disinfection cycle, citing research by Chonnam National University.
An LG Electronics Inc. advertisement for the company's Tromm Styler, emphasizing its disinfection features (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The research team tested KF94, and cotton masks, and found that LG's steam closet system can remove viruses, like influenza A, adenovirus, herpes, as well as porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, a type of coronavirus that is different from COVID-19, according to the company.
LG said KF94 mask's filtering function remains intact even after running the sanitization cycle three times, citing test results from the Korea Apparel Testing and Research Institute.
Samsung says its latest garment care appliance, Air Dresser, also adopted a mask disinfection course, which can eliminate 99.9 percent of germs found in KF94 and N95 masks.
Following the novel coronavirus outbreaks this year, Samsung and LG have been also emphasizing sanitization features in their home appliance products.
LG has been advertising its latest STEAM ThinQ dryer uses its "TrueSteam" technology that focuses on sterilizing bacteria and allergens.
Samsung said its Grande AI dryer comes with better hygiene features to deal with dust, water residue and rust.
This photo provided by Samsung Electronics Co. shows the company's clothes care appliance, Air Dresser, in burgundy. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-21--Unification ministry to upgrade computer system to better cope with cyberattacks from N. Korea

`` This will establish a new system that allows us to effectively respond to cyberattacks by linking the system with @ @ @ @ @ , instead of civil servants having to sit down all day and look out for @ @ @ @ @ ministry official said .

SEOUL, June 21 (Yonhap) -- The unification ministry plans to upgrade its computer system to strengthen security against possible cyberattacks from North Korea and other hackers, officials said Sunday.
The move comes a year after hackers posing as the ministry sent emails with malicious codes to reporters covering the ministry and other related people. Hacking experts said at the time that North Korea was believed to be behind the attacks.
Earlier this month, the ministry announced a bid to pursue the upgrade, saying, "Intelligent cyberattacks with highly advanced hacking technology are on the rise."
By upgrading the system, the ministry aims to detect and analyze any Advanced Persistent Threats (APT) that target the unification ministry in real time. APT refers to attacks that aggressively pursue a chosen target rather an unidentified subject.
It plans to invest 320 million won (US$265,000) in upgrading the system, which is expected to take six months.
"This will establish a new system that allows us to effectively respond to cyberattacks by linking the system with institutions specializing in preventing cyberattacks, instead of civil servants having to sit down all day and look out for possible attacks," a ministry official said.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-21--(URGENT) 12 more people released after full recovery from coronavirus, total cured patients at 10,86

(URGENT) 12 more people released after full recovery from coronavirus, total cured patients at 10,868: KCDC


yna--2020-06-21--(URGENT) S. Korea reports no additional virus deaths, total death toll now at 280: KCDC


yna--2020-06-21--(URGENT) S. Korea reports  48 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 12,421: KCDC


yna--2020-06-21--N. Korea keeps sending small groups of troops to border sentry posts: source

The North has sent groups of up to five soldiers with shovels and sickles to small stakeout boxes in the @ @ @ @ @ Koreas .
But Seoul does not see the move as a step to make good @ @ @ @ @ military action , the source said .

SEOUL, June 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korea keeps sending small groups of troops to border sentry posts for bush clearance and road maintenance, a government source said Sunday, amid concerns it could deliver on its threat of military action against South Korea.
The North has sent groups of up to five soldiers with shovels and sickles to small stakeout boxes in the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas. But Seoul does not see the move as a step to make good on Pyongyang's threat of military action, the source said.
In anger over propaganda leaflets sent from the South, the North threatened to redeploy troops to the now-shuttered joint industrial complex in its border city of Kaesong and the Mount Kumgang tourist zone on its east coast, and restore border guard posts removed under a 2018 tension-reduction deal.
"Guard posts and stakeout boxes are obviously facilities for military utility," the source said on condition of anonymity. "So it is natural that there are such military movements. But we are keeping close tabs on them."
The military authorities here believe that an activity by at least a platoon-level number of forces could be seen as an unusual sign that requires their particular attention, the source said.
The source added that there have not been any activities spotted related to the restoration of the guard posts removed under the two Korea's Comprehensive Military Agreement, which was signed in September 2018 to build mutual trust and reduce border tensions.
The South Korean military is also closely watching two coastal artillery pieces on the North's border region of Gaemori, as their muzzles appeared open, spawning worries that they could be on standby for use.
"But those are things that the North often close and open. There seems to be a possibility that the muzzles were open to remove humidity or for ventilation work," the source said.
Tensions between the two Koreas have run high as the North appears to be reverting to brinkmanship tactics with its bellicose rhetoric, demolition last week of an inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong and warnings of military action.
In an unusually strong tone, the South Korean military has warned that it would respond strongly should the North launch any military provocations.
This photo, taken June 19, 2020, shows a North Korean coastal guard post in Gaepung County, North Hwanghae Province.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


Sunday's weather forecast

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


yna--2020-06-21--(LEAD)(Korean War Special) Armistice observer says DMZ should be kept stable

`` Let the DMZ be -- it 's heavily armed but -- stable so we do n't have any escalation @ @ @ @ @ that is going to ruin for everyone if that happens , and give space to @ @ @ @ @ important , '' the Swedish general said .

(ATTN: ADDS photo)
By Choi Soo-hyang
SEOUL, June 21 (Yonhap) -- A beleaguered tension-reduction military agreement between South and North Korea has helped make the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) "much calmer," the Swedish chief of the armistice monitoring panel said, amid Pyongyang's threats to scrap the deal.
Maj. Gen. Hibbe Corneliusson, the Swedish member of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC), also stressed in an interview with Yonhap News Agency that the DMZ should be kept stable to prevent an escalation in tensions from becoming uncontrollable.
"I would say that the CMA did a lot," he said, referring to the official name of the deal signed in September 2018, the Comprehensive Military Agreement. "The situation in the DMZ is much calmer."
Just a week before the interview, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's powerful sister, Kim Yo-jong, warned of abolishing the pact, denouncing it as "hardly of any value" in anger over anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent across the border by activists here.
The North's military has since said it will redeploy troops to two joint inter-Korean economic zones, restore guard posts removed from the DMZ under the military deal and resume all kinds of military exercises near the border.
"Let the DMZ be -- it's heavily armed but -- stable so we don't have any escalation that is uncontrolled, because that is going to ruin for everyone if that happens, and give space to talks, which is very important," the Swedish general said.
Maj. Gen. Hibbe Corneliusson, the Swedish member of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission, speaks during an interview with Yonhap News Agency at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul on June 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
Seven decades after the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War, peace still appears to be a daunting task.
Inter-Korean relations have been markedly deteriorating after North Korea blew up the joint liaison office in the North's border town of Kaesong on Tuesday.
"We have seen the temperature going up and down," said the two-star general who has led the Swedish delegation since June last year. "Now there are no talks, no high-level meetings, so of course it's a challenge."
Describing a series of steps the two Koreas have taken under the 2018 pact as "confidence-building measures," Corneliusson said such moves are important as they lay the groundwork for talks and allow the two sides to take care of challenges if something happens.
The Swedish observer said the two sides could always use the platform created under the armistice to resume dialogue.
"The T2 and T3 houses are there, there are communication lines over in the JSA, so utilize what is already there on both sides," he said, referring to the blue conference buildings straddling the border in the Joint Security Area of the DMZ.
This file photo, taken on July 27, 2017, shows the truce village of Panmunjom inside the Demilitarized Zone separating South and North Korea on the 66th anniversary of the signing of the armistice. The blue structures are conference buildings straddling the inter-Korean border. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
Along with his Swiss counterpart, the Swedish general convenes a weekly meeting of the 10-member monitoring group -- comprising five members each from the two countries -- at the T1 building every Tuesday.
The meeting has been held ever since the commission was launched along with the truce in 1953 to monitor as a third party whether the armistice agreement is well implemented on the southern front of the military demarcation line.
On the northern front, what was previously Czechoslovakia and Poland represented the NNSC until North Korea kicked them out and declared the monitoring group invalid in light of the fall of communist governments in Eastern Europe in 1990s.
"The door is open to North Korea, never locked, and that's why we have it on a specific time," Corneliusson said, referring to the weekly session. "If they want to participate or select a country participating, or observe our meeting, they can just open the door and walk in."
The monitoring panel's job would be complete when a peace treaty is signed, but Sweden could continue to play a part in implementing such a treaty, the general said.
"We have the knowledge of the peninsula, we have been here, and if Sweden decides, they can use us for supporting a peace treaty," he said. "But that is, of course, if the entities want us to do so."
Sweden has diplomatic missions both in South and North Korea.
"I'm one individual in a long road of individuals that have left a part of their heart in Korea. Over a thousand officers have served in the NNSC from the Swedish side since 1953," Corneliusson said. "The bottom line is that for Sweden, this is a long-term commitment to be in Korea, creating peace on the peninsula."
In this file photo, taken on Jan. 23, 2007, the 3000th meeting of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission is under way at the T1 conference building in the truce village of Panmunjom. The armistice monitoring panel has held a weekly meeting every Tuesday since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. (Yonhap)
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-21--Shipbuilders' stocks may rally on hopes of more LNG carrier deals, oil prices

The preliminary pact , an arrangement that precedes a major shipbuilding order , allows the Qatari company to secure so-called @ @ @ @ @ Korean shipyards .
The deal is expected to lead to the securing of more than @ @ @ @ @ near future .

By Nam Kwang-sik
SEOUL, June 21 (Yonhap) -- Shares in South Korean shipbuilders will get a boost from hopes of more LNG carrier deals after a recent mega deal from Qatar and a rise in global oil prices that will boost demand for new ships, industry sources said Sunday.
On June 2, the country's top three players -- Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co., Samsung Heavy Industries Co. and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. -- signed a combined US$19.2 billion deal with Qatar Petroleum to reserve their LNG ship construction capacity through 2027.
The preliminary pact, an arrangement that precedes a major shipbuilding order, allows the Qatari company to secure so-called construction slots from the South Korean shipyards. The deal is expected to lead to the securing of more than 100 LNG carriers in the near future.
This undated photo, provided by Hyundai Heavy Industries, shows a LNG carrier built by the South Korean shipbuilder. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Buoyed by the mega deal, local investors flocked to the shipbuilders.
Samsung Heavy rose 30 percent from 4,980 won (US$4.10) to 6,470 won from June 1 to 17 on the Seoul stock market, with Korea Shipbuilding and Daewoo Shipbuilding falling slightly during the same period on profit-taking after a surge.
Before the Qatar deal, the shipbuilding sector was gripped by a gloomy outlook amid the coronavirus pandemic.
According to data provided by global market researcher Clarkson Research Service, global new shipbuilding orders are expected to decline by 23 percent to 21 million compensated gross tons (CGTs) this year from a year earlier.
Analysts said hopes for more orders of LNG carriers and a possible rise in oil prices will boost shipbuilders' stock prices.
Sluggish orders of shipbuilders in the first half of the year could improve thanks to a rise in LNG carrier orders from Mozambique, Russia and Qatar in the second half, they added.
"If prices of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude move up over $40 a barrel, the production of shale gas and oil in the U.S. will rise, which will generate orders of commercial vessels," Bae Se-jin, an analyst at Hyundai Motor Securities Co., said.
WTI crude traded at $38.84 a barrel on Friday.
This undated photo, released by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) shows a LNG carrier built by the shipbuilder. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
It has been widely reported that Daewoo Shipbuilding would gain an order worth $4 billion to build up to 12 LNG carriers from Russia's second-largest natural gas producer, Novatek.
Other rivals, such as Samsung Heavy and Korea Shipbuilding, have been said to win orders to build a total of 16 LNG carriers from a Mozambique LNG project pushed by U.S. company Anadarko Petroleum Corp.
However, some analysts said investors should be cautious about the Qatar LNG carrier deal, pointing to news of orders signed between a Dutch-British oil and gas company Royal Dutch Shell Plc., commonly known as Shell, in 2009 and Samsung Heavy.
Shell reportedly made orders worth about $50 billion to build 10 LNG FPSO vessels. FPSO is short of a floating production, storage and offloading vessel, a type of floating tank system used in the offshore oil and gas industry.
"However, only one vessel worth $3 billion was actually ordered during the past 10 year," Lee Bong-jin, an analyst at Hanwha Investment Securities Co., said.
It remains to be seen how many ships Qatar Petroleum will order from South Korean shipbuilders, Lee added.
ksnam@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-21--N. Korea says it has no intention to cancel plan to send anti-Seoul leaflets

`` We , clearly aware that leaflet scattering is the violation of the North-South agreement , do not have any @ @ @ @ @ our plan at a time when the North-South relations have already been broken down , @ @ @ @ @ North 's United Front Department ( UFD ) said in a statement carried by the @ @ @ @ @

By Koh Byung-joon
SEOUL, June 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Sunday it has no intention to cancel its plan to send anti-South Korea leaflets across the border, calling an inter-Korean agreement that bans such activity "a dead document."
On Saturday, the North's state media said Pyongyang was printing anti-Seoul propaganda materials in large numbers and preparing to send them across the border. South Korea's unification ministry expressed regret and urged Pyongyang to withdraw the plan immediately, calling it a violation of an inter-Korean summit agreement.
"We, clearly aware that leaflet scattering is the violation of the North-South agreement, do not have any intent to reconsider or change our plan at a time when the North-South relations have already been broken down," a spokesman for the North's United Front Department (UFD) said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency.
"The South Korean authorities must no longer talk about the agreement that has been already reduced to a dead document," the spokesperson added.
Sending propaganda leaflets into the South is one of the retaliatory measures the North has vowed to take in response to anti-Pyongyang leaflets that defectors in the South send via large balloons into the North.
North Korea has called South Korea an "enemy" and vowed to cut off all cross-border communication lines in anger over the leafleting issue. Last week, it even blew up a joint liaison office in its border town of Kaesong that was opened as a result of a 2018 summit between their leaders.
The North has bristled at South Korea failing to stop defector groups and other activists from sending propaganda leaflets criticizing its leaders.
The South Korean government has sought to legislate a ban against leafleting and filed a criminal complaint against two defector groups engaging in such activity. The North, however, criticized Seoul for moving too late and coming up with "little more advanced excuses."
"Before belatedly touting violation and principle, they should have looked back on who perpetrated first and connived at acts that lighted the fuse of the North-South conflict and who deteriorated the situation to the catastrophe," the UFD spokesperson said.
"When they are put in our shoes, the South Korean authorities will be able to understand even a bit how disgustedly we looked at them and how offending it was for us."
This photo, captured from the homepage of the Korean Central News Agency on June 9, 2020, shows one of the marches by North Korean youths and students across the nation in protest against anti-Pyongyang leaflets recently sent to the communist nation via balloons by North Korean defectors in South Korea. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-21--(Korean War Special) Armistice observer says DMZ should be kept stable

By Choi Soo-hyang
SEOUL, June 21 (Yonhap) -- A beleaguered tension-reduction military agreement between South and North Korea has helped make the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) "much calmer," the Swedish chief of the armistice monitoring panel said, amid Pyongyang's threats to scrap the deal.
Maj. Gen. Hibbe Corneliusson, the Swedish member of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC), also stressed in an interview with Yonhap News Agency that the DMZ should be kept stable to prevent an escalation in tensions from becoming uncontrollable.
"I would say that the CMA did a lot," he said, referring to the official name of the deal signed in September 2018, the Comprehensive Military Agreement. "The situation in the DMZ is much calmer."
Just a week before the interview, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's powerful sister, Kim Yo-jong, warned of abolishing the pact, denouncing it as "hardly of any value" in anger over anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent across the border by activists here.
The North's military has since said it will redeploy troops to two joint inter-Korean economic zones near the border, restore guard posts removed from the DMZ under the military deal and resume all kinds of military exercises near the border.
"Let the DMZ be -- it's heavily armed but -- stable so we don't have any escalation that is uncontrolled, because that is going to ruin for everyone if that happens, and give space to talks, which is very important," the Swedish general said.
Seven decades after the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War, peace still appears to be a daunting task.
Inter-Korean relations have been markedly deteriorating after North Korea blew up the joint liaison office in the North's border town of Kaesong on Tuesday.
"We have seen the temperature going up and down," said the two-star general who has led the Swedish delegation since June last year. "Now there are no talks, no high-level meetings, so of course it's a challenge."
Describing a series of steps the two Koreas have taken under the 2018 pact as "confidence-building measures," Corneliusson said such moves are important as they lay the groundwork for talks and allow the two sides to take care of challenges if something happens.
The Swedish observer said the two sides could always use the platform created under the armistice to resume dialogue.
"The T2 and T3 houses are there, there are communication lines over in the JSA, so utilize what is already there on both sides," he said, referring to the blue conference buildings straddling the border in the Joint Security Area of the DMZ.
Along with his Swiss counterpart, the Swedish general convenes a weekly meeting of the 10-member monitoring group -- comprising five members each from the two countries -- at the T1 building every Tuesday.
The meeting has been held ever since the commission was launched along with the truce in 1953 to monitor as a third party whether the armistice agreement is well implemented on the southern front of the military demarcation line.
On the northern front, what was previously Czechoslovakia and Poland represented the NNSC until North Korea kicked them out and declared the monitoring group invalid in light of the fall of communist governments in Eastern Europe in 1990s.
"The door is open to North Korea, never locked, and that's why we have it on a specific time," Corneliusson said, referring to the weekly session. "If they want to participate or select a country participating, or observe our meeting, they can just open the door and walk in."
The monitoring panel's job would be complete when a peace treaty is signed, but Sweden could continue to play a part in implementing such a treaty, the general said.
"We have the knowledge of the peninsula, we have been here, and if Sweden decides, they can use us for supporting a peace treaty," he said. "But that is, of course, if the entities want us to do so."
Sweden has diplomatic missions both in South and North Korea.
"I'm one individual in a long road of individuals that have left a part of their heart in Korea. Over a thousand officers have served in the NNSC from the Swedish side since 1953," Corneliusson said. "The bottom line is that for Sweden, this is a long-term commitment to be in Korea, creating peace on the peninsula."
This file photo, taken on July 27, 2017, shows the truce village of Panmunjom inside the Demilitarized Zone separating South and North Korea on the 66th anniversary of the signing of the armistice. The blue structures are conference buildings straddling the inter-Korean border. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
In this file photo, taken on Jan. 23, 2007, the 3000th meeting of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission is under way at the T1 conference building in the truce village of Panmunjom. The armistice monitoring panel has held a weekly meeting every Tuesday since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. (Yonhap)
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-21--(Korean War Special) 70 years after bloody battle, rival Koreas in arms race for military supremacy

`` North Korea has sought nuclear weapons as a means of self-defense because the regime came to believe that it @ @ @ @ @ the Soviet Union or China .
As it lagged far behind the South in economic @ @ @ @ @ , the communist country further hinged its destiny on the nuclear programs , '' Ra @ @ @ @ @ security adviser , said .

By Oh Seok-min
SEOUL, June 21 (Yonhap) -- Standing eyeball to eyeball for 70 years in a state of conflict after the Korean War, South and North Korea have bolstered their military capabilities, making the peninsula the world's last-remaining Cold War frontier.
To fend off the lingering dangers of communist encroachment and to rebuild the country from the ruins of the 1950-53 war, South Korea has poured huge resources into building a powerful military. And it is now equipped with advanced weapons and has made it on the list of the ten mightiest militaries in the world.
North Korea, in contrast, has devised asymmetric strategies by resorting to nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction to ensure regime survival and to overcome its qualitative defensive weakness, sparking a vicious circle of arms race between the two Koreas.
North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Hwasong-15 is displayed during a military parade in Pyongyang marking the 70th anniversary of the country's armed forces in this photo capture from the North's Central TV on Feb. 8, 2018. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
"North Korea has sought nuclear weapons as a means of self-defense because the regime came to believe that it could not depend on either the Soviet Union or China. As it lagged far behind the South in economic power from around the 1980s, the communist country further hinged its destiny on the nuclear programs," Ra Jong-yil, a former national security adviser, said.
North Korea has carried out six underground detonation tests and is widely believed to have significantly advanced its nuclear capabilities.
The regime is estimated to possess 50 kilograms of weapons-grade plutonium and a "considerable" amount of highly enriched uranium, and its technology to miniaturize a nuclear warhead has also reached a "considerable" level, according to the 2018 defense white paper published by South Korea's defense ministry.
After the latest nuclear test at the Punggye-ri site in September 2017, Pyongyang claimed to have developed a hydrogen bomb, the most powerful form of nuclear explosive, which can be mounted atop a missile.
Amid a flurry of diplomacy in 2018, Pyongyang said it would suspend nuclear tests as its capabilities had been verified.
But it seems to be tinkering with a nuclear card again amid stalled denuclearization negotiations with the United States. Last month, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un convened a key party meeting and discussed "new policies for further increasing the nuclear war deterrence," according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency.
This press pool photo shows a tunnel of North Korea's only known nuclear test site, Punggye-ri, being blown up on May 24, 2018. The North's Korean Central News Agency said tunnels, all kinds of equipment, the control center and a research institute at the site were dismantled. (Yonhap)
The development of nuclear programs has come alongside significant progress in the modernization of its missile arsenal. After the time of managing old and decrepit weapons adopted from the Soviet Union, North Korea now boasts diverse types with various ranges to not only target South Korea but the continental U.S.
The Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) has an estimated range of 8,000 miles, or 12,874 kilometers, which is capable of striking any part of the U.S. mainland, according to the 2019 Strategic Digest, an annual publication by the U.S. Forces Korea.
The Hwasong-13, which can fly as far as 5,500 km, and the Hwasong-14 missile with an estimated range of 10,058 km are capable of reaching most of the U.S. mainland, the report showed. The North test-fired the Hwasong-14 on July 4, 2017, and the Hwasong-15 in November that year.
On the list of its medium-range missiles are the Pukguksong-2 with a flight range of 997 km and Nodong with 1,287 km. The Hwasong-10 and Hwasong-12 missiles are classified as intermediate-range ballistic ones capable of traveling 2,890 kilometers or longer.
The communist country also has short-range ballistic missiles of SCUD-B/C/ER.
Despite a respite from major provocations since late 2017, North Korea worked to upgrade its conventional weapons that aim at its immediate neighbor and beyond following the collapse of the second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un in February 2019.
In 2019 alone, the regime carried out a total of 13 missile tests, and displayed several new types of ballistic missiles, including its version of Russia's Iskander, the U.S.' Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and super-large multiple rocket launcher, as well as an advanced submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM).
"Years of North Korean provocations and development of weapons of mass destruction ... have resulted in significant hurdles to removing accumulated distrust and establishing permanent peace with a denuclearized North Korea," USFK said in the yearly report.
Late last year, Pyongyang also warned of showing off a "new strategic weapon," which may mean a new ICBM with greater range, an SLBM or a new submarine capable of launching missiles.
This photo, released by the Army on Nov. 29, 2017, shows South Korea's surface-to-surface missile Hyunmoo-II being fired. The military conducted a live-fire missile training on the same day near the eastern sea border with North Korea minutes after the North's ballistic missile launch. (Yonhap)
In the face of persistent nuclear and missile threats from the North, South Korea introduced a wide range of next-generation military assets and is building its own scheme for enhanced surveillance, detection and interception capabilities.
The response system includes the so-called Kill Chain pre-emptive strike platform and the Korea Air and Missile Defense system (KAMD), which involves several types of precision-guided missiles and other ballistic projectiles.
North Korea has massive conventional forces, with the number of its active-duty service members standing at 1.28 million as of end-2018, which is more than double that of the South's 599,000, according to the defense white paper.
The regime also has numerical superiority in such military hardware as main battle tanks, field guns, combat ships, combat aircraft and submarines.
But South Korea's quality assets appear to be enough to offset the numbers.
Major advanced weapons Seoul adopted include RQ-4 Block 30 Global Hawk Remotely Piloted Aircraft and the F-35A next-generation stealth fighters.
In addition to Aegis-equipped destroyers and advanced battle ships, South Korea is pushing to build 3,450-ton indigenous submarines to be equipped with ballistic missile launchers, and to secure its first light aircraft carrier.
South Korea has also maintained a tight combined readiness posture with the U.S., having responded to the North's provocations with a full spectrum of military actions, according to their authorities.
"As long as the unstable security situation on the peninsula continues, the two Koreas will continue to pursue absolute military superiority, and their military buildup that lasted for the past 70 years is bound to go on," Prof. Han Yong-sup of the Nation Defense University said.
Unfortunately, signs have become more evident that the period of thawing inter-Korean tensions will soon give way to recurrent provocations and coercion by Pyongyang. The North has defined the South "an enemy" and threatened to take military action, accusing the South of failing to prevent defectors from flying anti-regime leaflets across the border.
Last week, it blew up the inter-Korean liaison office in its border town of Kaesong, and threatened to forward deploy troops to the Kaesong region and the Mount Kumgang tourist area on the east coast as well as other frontline, demilitarized areas.
North Korea has already stationed around 70 percent of its ground troops and 60 percent of its naval forces south of its capital city of Pyongyang. Most of its special forces are also deployed near the inter-Korea border, according to North Korea watchers.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in (R) walks with U.S. President Donald Trump (C) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un toward the northern side of the truce village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone, which separates the two Koreas, on June 30, 2019, after holding talks with Trump at the Freedom House on the village's southern side. (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-21--(Korean War Special) 70 years after Korean War outbreak, lasting peace still tall order

The spike in tensions is now heightening uncertainty for Moon 's peace efforts that once appeared to be heading to @ @ @ @ @ in 2018 , the unprecedented summit between the U.S. and the North in Singapore in @ @ @ @ @ the dramatic encounter among the leaders of the two Koreas and the U.S. at the @ @ @ @ @

By Song Sang-ho
SEOUL, June 21 (Yonhap) -- Despite South Korea's unrelenting drive for reconciliation, North Korea is pivoting to brinkmanship tactics with its venomous rhetoric, demolition of a joint liaison office and military steps in anger over propaganda leaflets sent from the South.
The deepening Sino-U.S. rivalry is muddling the prospects of cooperation for regional stability, while U.S. President Donald Trump's focus on the new coronavirus and looming reelection battle seems to have nudged the North's nuclear quandary onto the back burner.
Seven decades after the outbreak of the Korean War, the recent developments underscore South Korea's uphill struggle for lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, the world's last remaining vestige of the Cold War division.
Since taking office three years ago, South Korean President Moon Jae-in has hammered away at his initiative for rapprochement. But it has yielded little tangible progress in the face of recurring challenges -- cross-border distrust, convoluted geopolitics and domestic discord.
"In the border context, the contest between the U.S. and the then Soviet Union, and now the Sino-U.S. rivalry has made the Cold-War structure on the peninsula ossify," said Park Won-gon, professor of international politics at Handong Global University.
"The commingling of these factors, along with mutual distrust, domestic dissonance and not least Pyongyang's periodic provocations has been another reason why enduring peace is still far from assured," he added.
The destruction last week of the inter-Korean liaison office in the North's border city of Kaesong dealt a withering blow to Moon who is still keen on reviving the momentum for peace efforts stalled amid the deadlocked nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang.
Adding insult to injury, the spiteful tirade against Moon by Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has put cross-border ties further onto a slippery slope and emboldened hawkish voices for a tougher stance against the recalcitrant regime.
The North's provocative streak came amid its deepening economic woes caused by crippling global sanctions and the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as growing frustration over the continued impasse in nuclear talks with the U.S.
The spike in tensions is now heightening uncertainty for Moon's peace efforts that once appeared to be heading to fruition with three inter-Korean summits in 2018, the unprecedented summit between the U.S. and the North in Singapore in the same year, and the dramatic encounter among the leaders of the two Koreas and the U.S. at the inter-Korean border last year.
This photo, taken June 30, 2019, shows South Korean President Moon Jae-in (R), U.S. President Donald Trump (C) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un meeting at the inter-Korean border truce village of Panmunjom. (Yonhap)
To Korea watchers, the downward spiral of relations between the two Koreas was a dispiriting sign that Moon's relatively soft approach -- a departure from his two predecessors' hard-line stance -- along with the U.S.' engagement might be proving ineffective.
"To mollify North Korea, the U.S. and South Korea have tried carrots and sticks, maximum pressure and summit diplomacy. Nothing has substantially changed the calculus of the Kim family regime. Not even the young general, Kim Jong-un," said Patrick Cronin, the Asia-Pacific security chair at the Hudson Institute.
"Seoul and Washington may aspire to peace, but the Kim family appears to want to cling to absolute power. Without a fundamental shift in at least the policy of the North Korean regime, the security dilemma of leaders and the interests of governments will remain separated by a chasm much wider than the Demilitarized Zone that still divides the two Koreas," he added.
When the armistice was signed after the three-year war, the first major armed conflict of the Cold War, no one anticipated that the temporary cessation of hostilities would last for nearly seven decades.
The armistice called for a higher level of political conference among its parties -- the U.S.-led U.N. Command, China and North Korea -- to take place within three months since the signing to discuss the "peaceful settlement of the Korean question."
The conference did occur in 1954 in Geneva, Switzerland. But they failed to bring a permanent end to the war amid differences over various issues of conflicting interests.
After the world emerged from the Cold War, South Korea started to explore a path toward inter-Korean reconciliation. But the North's pursuit of nuclear arms and longer-range missiles, as well as its military saber-rattling, hampered the efforts.
"Think about what happened between North and South Korea between May 2017 and Jan. 1, 2018. President Moon made serious efforts for reconciliation with North Korea, but the North consistently rebuffed his efforts," Bruce Bennett, a senior defense analyst at RAND Corp., said.
"Indeed, the North carried out an extensive series of missile tests and a nuclear test that created great anxiety over security in the Republic of Korea," he added.
Policy changes in South Korea, which stem in part from political polarization, have added to inter-Korean distrust. Over the last few decades, Seoul's approach to Pyongyang has oscillated from strict reciprocity to active engagement, as the government changes every five years.
Differences on how to achieve security still remain a big hurdle.
The South regards its relationship with the U.S. as the bedrock for national security though it has gradually been seeking greater autonomy in the alliance. The North, however, feels uneasy about the American military presence south of the border with adherence to its nuclear arms as a "treasured sword."
Outside the peninsula, the increasingly acrimonious rivalry between the U.S. and China over trade, technology and security is deepening concerns that the major powers could prioritize their own geopolitical interests when it comes to security on the peninsula.
"An increasingly assertive China wants to rewrite the regional balance of power and upend the longstanding security architecture," Cronin said. "Beijing wants to nullify the ROK-U.S. and Japan-US alliances, and it desires an end state of a pacified peninsula subservient to Beijing."
Despite twists and turns in peace efforts, hopes linger that South Korea's rising diplomatic stature could help it avoid the fallout of geopolitical tensions and find the momentum to rejuvenate its reconciliatory drive.
"The diplomatic conditions for South Korea are much better now than what they were at the time of the Korean War, given its diplomatic clout and national power," said Nam Chang-hee, professor of international politics at Inha University.
"I think South Korea has reached some sort of consensus now on capitalizing on its middle-power status to steer clear of the geopolitical tensions and forge ahead with the peace efforts."
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


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yna--2020-06-21--Main opposition party withdraws boycott, returning to parliament

Since the new term started on May 30 , the National Assembly has been at a standstill , as the @ @ @ @ @ agree on how to distribute the 18 committee chairmen posts .

SEOUL, June 21 (Yonhap) -- The main opposition United Future Party (UFP) said Sunday that it will return to the National Assembly this week, ending a weekslong parliamentary deadlock over the organization of parliamentary standing committees.
"We'll let the ruling Democratic Party (DP) get all the chairmen posts of 18 standing committees," UFP floor leader Joo Ho-young said. "We will fight in the standing committees."
Since the new term started on May 30, the National Assembly has been at a standstill, as the two rival parties could not agree on how to distribute the 18 committee chairmen posts.
Both parties sought to take the legislation and judiciary committee, the gateway to the final plenary session.
Last week, as weekslong bipartisan negotiations yielded no results, the DP, which controls 176 out of the 300 assembly seats, pushed ahead with the voting to elect the chairmen of six committees, including those on finance, foreign affairs, health and defense affairs.
In protest, UFP lawmakers boycotted the voting and held a demonstration outside of the main assembly hall.
Meanwhile, the DP welcomed the UFP's decision to come back to the parliament but it is taking a cautious approach toward the opposition's intention.
"We welcome its return. It sounds like an unconditional return," said a senior official from the ruling party. "We need talks."
In this photo, taken on June 15, 2020, the main opposition United Future Party lawmakers protest a National Assembly plenary session in Seoul. (Yonhap)
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-21--(3rd LD) New virus cases down thanks to fall in imported cases, but local infections rise

Also , the number of COVID-19 patients aged 50 or over accounted for 50 percent of the total new cases @ @ @ @ @ June , up from 11.7 percent a week earlier .
Consequently , the number of @ @ @ @ @ new coronavirus soared to 34 as of Saturday from eight on June 2 .

(ATTN: UPDATES with more info in paras 11-14, 21-23)
SEOUL, June 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported 48 new cases of the coronavirus Sunday, down 19 from a day earlier thanks to a fall in imported cases, but local infections rose amid a continuing spread of the virus in the Seoul metropolitan area and the central city of Daejeon.
The new COVID-19 cases, 40 of them local infections and eight imported cases, raised the total caseload to 12,421, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
The tally marked a fall from 67 additional cases reported Saturday.
The Seoul metropolitan area accounted for most of the newly added virus cases this month.
Of the locally transmitted cases, 27 were reported in the densely populated Seoul and nearby metropolitan areas, where around half of the country's 50-million population lives.
Arrivals from London line up to be tested for COVID-19 on June 20, 2020, in Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. (Yonhap)
Ten cases were reported in Daejeon, some 160 km south of Seoul, triggering concerns that a community spread may further accelerate outside the greater Seoul area.
That brought the number of coronavirus cases confirmed in and around Daejeon for the past week to 45.
In particular, the city of Daejeon has emerged as a concern, as many infections have been linked to a door-to-door sales company there. The Daejeon city government has since banned such door-to-door sales activities to prevent the virus from spreading.
In Seoul, 480 coronavirus patients remained hospitalized as of Sunday, maintaining the upward trend of the number of uncured patients since early May. That raised concerns that the number of hospital beds for seriously ill patients could fall short.
The country reported eight additional imported cases, raising the total number of such cases to 1,435.
Amid the rising community infections, the average number of daily new virus cases marked 46.7 over the recent two weeks, up from 39.6 per day two weeks earlier, according to quarantine authorities.
New imported cases also rose to 9.9 per day over the two-week period, up 3.9 from two weeks ago.
Out of 654 people who tested positive for the coronavirus in the recent two weeks, the transmission routes of 69 patients, or 10.6 percent, remained unclear, up from 8.1 percent two weeks earlier.
Also, the number of COVID-19 patients aged 50 or over accounted for 50 percent of the total new cases in the third week of June, up from 11.7 percent a week earlier. Consequently, the number of critically ill patients with the new coronavirus soared to 34 as of Saturday from eight on June 2.
Due to a fresh rise in daily new cases in the Seoul metropolitan area, the country had imposed two weeks of tougher infection preventive measures in late May until June 14.
There were no additional deaths, keeping the total death toll at 280.
The total number of people released from quarantine after full recoveries stood at 10,868, up 12 from the previous day.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said the government will designate door-to-door sales firms, logistics distribution centers, large private tutoring institutions and buffet restaurants as "high-risk facilities" required to carry out stricter virus prevention measures.
These facilities will be required to carry out new obligations starting Tuesday morning.
Chung also expressed worries about a recent increase in imported cases, saying the government should consider temporarily strengthening visa and other entry restrictions for countries whose entrants have been found to have a higher risk of the virus than other nations.
As precautionary measures, South Korea will restrict issuing visas to people from Pakistan and Bangladesh and temporarily not permit non-scheduled flights between South Korea and those countries, starting from Tuesday.
Foreigners with non-professional employment (E-9) visas will be banned from entering the country if they do not secure proper facilities for a two-week self quarantine.
The number of imported COVID-19 cases reached 13 on June 12 and a 68-day high of 17 on Friday.
The Central Clinical Commission, a government-organized task force of doctors and other medical experts, officially advised the use of remdesivir, an Ebola drug developed by U.S. pharmaceutical giant Gilead Sciences Inc., for coronavirus treatment.
But the commission decided not to recommend the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, medications used to prevent and treat malaria, while advising that the use of kaletra, a medication for the treatment and prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), should be cautiously decided.
The commission also recommended lowering the hospitalization period for coronavirus patients with minor symptoms so as to make more beds available for serious cases.
The commission made the recommendation after scrutinizing clinical data of a total of 3,060 coronavirus patients, saying those with lighter symptoms can be released from hospital early for at-home treatment to allow serious cases to be hospitalized.
ksnam@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-21--Former world No.1 Ryu So-yeon wins KLPGA major

`` Since I had n't played for such a long time , I did n't have such high expectations for @ @ @ @ @ Ryu said .
`` But I was well rested , and I was able to @ @ @ @ @ end . ''

INCHEON, June 21 (Yonhap) -- Ryu So-yeon, former top-ranked female golfer in the world, captured a South Korean tour major championship Sunday.
Ryu shot a 12-under 276 for a one-shot victory at the Kia Motors Korea Women's Open Championship at Bears Best Cheongna Golf Club in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul.
It was Ryu's first victory since winning the Japan Women's Open in September 2018, and her first Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) victory since August 2015.
Ryu So-yeon of South Korea kisses the champion's trophy after winning the Kia Motors Korea Women's Open Championship at Bears Best Cheongna Golf Club in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, on June 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
Ryu, currently world No. 18, has won national titles of South Korea, Japan, the United States, Canada and China.
After edging out fellow LPGA player Kim Hyo-joo by one stroke, Ryu offered to donate her entire winnings of 250 million won (US$206,270) to help quarantine efforts against the coronavirus.
Ryu entered the final round with a one-stroke lead, and she started her title chase with five straight pars.
Ryu and Kim, playing in the final group, went neck and neck throughout the day, until they reached the 18th hole with Ryu up by one.
Both players put their second shots into a greenside bunker. Ryu saved par, and Kim, needing to hole out to force a playoff, settled for par and a runner-up finish.
Ryu So-yeon of South Korea (C) is congratulated by fellow players after winning the Kia Motors Korea Women's Open Championship at Bears Best Cheongna Golf Club in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, on June 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
Ryu had been idle since the LPGA Tour went on a hiatus in February due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"Since I hadn't played for such a long time, I didn't have such high expectations for myself this week," Ryu said. "But I was well rested, and I was able to play well until the very end."
With national titles from four different countries already in the bag, Ryu said, "I've always wanted to win the national championship of my country."
Kim, who had won the Lotte Cantata Ladies Open on June 7, continued her strong run of late with the second-place showing. By adding 100 million won Sunday, she now leads the KLPGA Tour in money with 324 million won.
Ko Jin-young, current world No. 1, finished in sixth at six-under 282.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-21--(LEAD) S. Korea to restrict visas, flights from Pakistan, Bangladesh

Under the precautionary measures , set to take effect from Tuesday , the authorities will restrict issuing visas to people @ @ @ @ @ except for diplomatic and urgent business purposes .
At the same time , they will @ @ @ @ @ between South Korea and those countries .

(ATTN: ADDS more info from 3rd para)
SEOUL, June 21 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government said Sunday that it will strengthen visa and entry restrictions for those from Pakistan and Bangladesh from this week, as the country has recently reported a surge in novel coronavirus cases imported from the two nations.
Under the precautionary measures, set to take effect from Tuesday, the authorities will restrict issuing visas to people from Pakistan and Bangladesh, except for diplomatic and urgent business purposes. At the same time, they will temporarily not permit non-scheduled flights between South Korea and those countries.
Moreover, the government will thoroughly check if foreigners with non-professional employment (E-9) visas have places for a two-week self-quarantine in South Korea before arrival. Those who do not secure proper facilities will be banned from entering the country.
The toughened entry restrictions came as South Korea has faced a steep curve of new coronavirus cases from overseas in June.
The number of imported COVID-19 cases reached 13 on June 12 and a 68-day high of 17 on Friday.
The daily number of foreign arrivals also rose to 1,300 in recent days, up from around 1,000 per day in April, according to the government.
"Those imported cases are from countries that recently experienced widespread infections," Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said in a press briefing. "A rise in imported cases places a burden on our quarantine and treatment capabilities."
South Korea has been struggling with a resurgence of new coronavirus infections in Seoul and the surrounding areas. It reported 48 new cases of the coronavirus Sunday, including eight imported cases, with the cumulative number reaching 12,421.
Quarantine officials check people arriving at Incheon International Airport on June 20, 2020. (Yonhap)
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-21--S. Korea to restrict visas, flights from Pakistan, Bangladesh

SEOUL, June 21 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government said Sunday that it will strengthen visa and entry restrictions for those from Pakistan and Bangladesh from this week, as the country has recently reported a surge in novel coronavirus cases imported from the two nations.
Under the precautionary measures, set to take effect from Tuesday, the authorities will restrict issuing visas to people from Pakistan and Bangladesh, except for diplomatic and urgent business purposes. At the same time, they will temporarily not permit non-scheduled flights between South Korea and those countries.
The number of imported COVID-19 cases has been on a sharp increase in South Korea, reaching a 68-day high of 17 on Friday.
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-21--(2nd LD) New virus cases down thanks to fall in imported cases, but local infections rise

In particular , the city of Daejeon has emerged as a concern , as many infections have been linked to @ @ @ @ @ .
The Daejeon city government has since banned such door-to-door sales activities to prevent the @ @ @ @

(ATTN: CORRECTS the government name in para 8; ADDS more details in paras 11-18)
SEOUL, June 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported 48 new cases of the coronavirus Sunday, down 19 from a day earlier thanks to a fall in imported cases, but local infections rose amid a continuing spread of the virus in the Seoul metropolitan area and the central city of Daejeon.
The new COVID-19 cases, 40 of them local infections and eight imported cases, raised the total caseload to 12,421, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
The tally marked a fall from 67 additional cases reported Saturday.
The Seoul metropolitan area accounted for most of the newly added virus cases this month.
Of the locally transmitted cases, 27 were reported in the densely populated Seoul and nearby metropolitan areas, where around half of the country's 50-million population lives.
Arrivals from London line up to be tested for COVID-19 on June 20, 2020, in Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. (Yonhap)
Ten cases were reported in Daejeon, some 160 km south of Seoul, triggering concerns that a community spread may further accelerate outside the greater Seoul area.
That brought the number of coronavirus cases confirmed in and around Daejeon for the past week to 45.
In particular, the city of Daejeon has emerged as a concern, as many infections have been linked to a door-to-door sales company there. The Daejeon city government has since banned such door-to-door sales activities to prevent the virus from spreading.
In Seoul, 480 coronavirus patients remained hospitalized as of Sunday, maintaining the upward trend of the number of uncured patients since early May. That raised concerns that the number of hospital beds for seriously ill patients could fall short.
The country reported eight additional imported cases, raising the total number of such cases to 1,435.
Due to a fresh rise in daily new cases in the Seoul metropolitan area, the country had imposed two weeks of tougher infection preventive measures in late May until June 14.
There were no additional deaths, keeping the total death toll at 280.
The total number of people released from quarantine after full recoveries stood at 10,868, up 12 from the previous day.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said the government will designate door-to-door sales firms, logistics distribution centers, large private tutoring institutions and buffet restaurants as "high-risk facilities" required to carry out stricter virus prevention measures.
These facilities will be required to carry out new obligations starting Tuesday morning.
Chung also expressed worries about a recent increase in imported cases, saying the government should consider temporarily strengthening visa and other entry restrictions for countries whose entrants have been found to have a higher risk of the virus than other nations.
The Central Clinical Commission, a government-organized task force of doctors and other medical experts, officially advised the use of remdesivir, an Ebola drug developed by U.S. pharmaceutical giant Gilead Sciences Inc., for coronavirus treatment.
But the commission decided not to recommend the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, medications used to prevent and treat malaria, while advising that the use of kaletra, a medication for the treatment and prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), should be cautiously decided.
The commission also recommended lowering the hospitalization period for coronavirus patients with minor symptoms so as to make more beds available for serious cases.
The commission made the recommendation after scrutinizing clinical data of a total of 3,060 coronavirus patients, saying those with lighter symptoms can be released from hospital early for at-home treatment to allow serious cases to be hospitalized.
ksnam@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-21--(LEAD) N. Korea keeps sending small groups of troops to border sentry posts: source

(ATTN: ADDS more info in last 7 paras)
SEOUL, June 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korea keeps sending small groups of troops to border sentry posts for bush clearance and road maintenance, a government source said Sunday, amid concerns it could deliver on its threat of military action against South Korea.
The North has sent groups of up to five soldiers with shovels and sickles to small stakeout boxes in the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas. But Seoul does not see the move as a step to make good on Pyongyang's threat of military action, the source said.
In anger over propaganda leaflets sent from the South, the North threatened to redeploy troops to the now-shuttered joint industrial complex in its border city of Kaesong and the Mount Kumgang tourist zone on its east coast, and restore border guard posts removed under a 2018 tension-reduction deal.
"Guard posts and stakeout boxes are obviously facilities for military utility," the source said on condition of anonymity. "So it is natural that there are such military movements. But we are keeping close tabs on them."
The military authorities here believe that an activity by at least a platoon-level number of forces could be seen as an unusual sign that requires their particular attention, the source said.
The source added that there have not been any activities spotted related to the restoration of the guard posts removed under the two Korea's Comprehensive Military Agreement, which was signed in September 2018 to build mutual trust and reduce border tensions.
The South Korean military is also closely watching two coastal artillery pieces on the North's border region of Gaemori, as their muzzles appeared open, spawning worries that they could be on standby for use.
"But those are things that the North often close and open. There seems to be a possibility that the muzzles were open to remove humidity or for ventilation work," the source said.
Tensions between the two Koreas have run high as the North appears to be reverting to brinkmanship tactics with its bellicose rhetoric, demolition last week of an inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong and warnings of military action.
In an unusually strong tone, the South Korean military has warned that it would respond strongly should the North launch any military provocations.
On Sunday, North Korean media continued its verbal attacks on South Korean authorities, saying they should feel "heavy responsibility" for the deterioration of cross-border relations.
"The South Korean authorities should painstakingly realize what they have committed rather than taking issue with others," the Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, said in a commentary.
It also said that the 2018 inter-Korean agreement was already scrapped a long time ago "due to the South's act of betrayer."
"What can we hesitate to do when mutual respect and trust has collapsed, and there isn't anything, for which the North and South are required to sit down face to face?" the paper said.
Uriminjokkiri, a propaganda website, took issue with a maritime live-fire defense exercise that South Korea staged on a smaller scale earlier this month.
"The South Korean military should keep quiet while fully realizing its sin that has driven the North-South relations into a catastrophe rather than needlessly inviting trouble itself," it said.
The North's Korean Central Television also broadcast reports on young North Koreans eager to send anti-Seoul leaflets into the South.
This photo, taken June 19, 2020, shows a North Korean coastal guard post in Gaepung County, North Hwanghae Province.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)