yna--2020-03-10--(5th LD) Seoul call center emerges as city's biggest infection cluster, numbers feared to rise

Health authorities said they plan to also check 550 other employees at the call center who worked on the seventh @ @ @ @ @ same building , with Seoul and other local governments all scrambling to screen people who @ @ @ @ @ workers as soon as possible while asking those at most at risk to isolate themselves @

(ATTN: ADDS details in paras 3, 7-8, 18-21)
By Lee Minji
SEOUL, March 10 (Yonhap) -- With at least 50 cases, a call center in southwestern Seoul emerged as the biggest COVID-19 infection cluster here Tuesday, triggering concerns over potential mass transmission in the metropolitan area that is home to 25 million, or nearly half of the country's population.
A high-rise in the neighborhood of Sindorim was closed and disinfected late Monday after workers at a call center on its 11th floor were confirmed as patients, according to Guro Ward, which oversees Sindorim.
In a meeting with provincial officials, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon initially said 64 cases occurred from the outbreak, although numbers released later in the day by local governments estimated around 80 infections.
Wards in Seoul reported close to 60 confirmed cases in their areas. Incheon and Gyeonggi Province each confirmed more than 10 cases.
The KCDC, which only officially confirmed 50 cases, said all diagnosed employees worked on the 11th floor and did not wear masks.
But numbers are feared to further soar, considering the usually packed work environment at call centers, where temporary workers are outsourced to respond to customer complaints and inquiries.
Call center employees usually have to work in narrow booths and in the case of those working for financial firms, have to work in designated areas, as they handle personal information.
Health authorities said they plan to also check 550 other employees at the call center who worked on the seventh to ninth floors of the same building, with Seoul and other local governments all scrambling to screen people who have come in contact with workers as soon as possible while asking those at most at risk to isolate themselves.
Incheon said that it has identified some 60 people with ties to the call center, with Uijeongbu in Gyeonggi, just north of Seoul, reporting its first infection case from a person who works at the Guro center. Gyeonggi has determined that 45 people came into contact with call center workers.
People who work at a building in southwestern Seoul where infections occurred stand in a line to be checked for the new coronavirus on March 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
The infection is so far the biggest group infection that has occurred in the Seoul metropolitan area, raising worries of a widespread outbreak in the capital in addition to the mass infections in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province in the southeast of the country.
"All 207 workers have been quarantined and inspections are taking place. This is the biggest infection reported in Seoul so far, and we are looking at this in a serious and grave manner and striving to prevent additional cases," Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said in a press briefing.
The city government said it has launched an emergency taskforce of 30 researchers to look into the outbreak and has urged residents in the building, which has 19 floors and six basement levels, to isolate themselves.
In addition to the offices and commercial facilities in floors one to 12, 140 residential flats are located on the top seven floors of the building in Sindorim, one of the busiest areas in southwestern Seoul, where subway lines No. 1 and 2 pass through.
A virus screening center has been set up on the ground floor of the building for residents and employees to be screened for the new coronavirus, the city said.
The latest cluster of infections was identified at the call center operated by Metanet Mplatform, whose clients include the local affiliate of global insurance group Chubb.
This photo taken on March 10, 2020, shows a building in southwestern Seoul where infections occurred at a call center located on the 11th floor. (Yonhap)
The outbreak, the first to occur in a call center, raised worries about similar office environments in which employees have to work in close proximity to each other and cannot afford to take part in the government's social distancing campaign.
The Seoul mayor said the city plans to monitor similar work environments and advise owners of businesses, such as karaoke rooms or dance clubs, to suspend operations for the time being.
Reflecting infection concerns in certain workplaces, regional governments across the country are rushing to check all insurance and telecom call centers within their jurisdictions to see if they are at risk of spreading infection.
Cities and provinces that have call centers said they stepped up disinfection and are asking companies to allow employees to work from home instead of reporting to packed offices.
Incheon said it had 18 calls centers. Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul, confirmed 64.
Daegu reported that seven people working at call centers in the city have tested positive for the virus and that authorities have placed 230 employees of the facility in self-quarantine. The city said it has some 62 call centers employing 7,780 people, with the workplaces employing up to 400 people.
Around 80 percent of the more than 7,000 infections reported in South Korea are attributed to group transmissions, according to KCDC data.
While the minor religious sect of Shincheonji is associated with more than 60 percent of all infections, infections have also occurred in minor clusters in hospitals, religious services and even Zumba classes.
In Seoul, 14 infections occurred at the Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital, a general hospital in northwestern Seoul, and 13 in a residential complex in the Seongdong Ward as of Monday, according to the KCDC.
South Korea has reported 7,513 infections since its first confirmed case on Jan. 20.
A city official disinfects Guro subway station in southwestern Seoul on March 10, 2020, after a patient who worked at a nearby building was found to have visited the station. (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-10--(3rd LD) 109 countries, territories restricting entry from S. Korea over coronavirus fears

Norway recommends a 14-day self-isolation for people from Korea , Iran , northern Italy and a few others regardless of @ @ @ @ @ Slovakia requires a two-week home quarantine for its citizens and foreigners arriving from four countries @ @ @ @ @ people subjected to a penalty in case of an infraction .

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 13-14)
By Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, March 10 (Yonhap) -- A total of 109 countries and territories were imposing entry bans or tougher quarantine procedures for people from South Korea over coronavirus concerns Tuesday, up by three from the previous day, the foreign ministry said.
As of 2 p.m., Norway, Slovakia and Rwanda have joined the list of countries and territories imposing stricter immigration controls and requiring or recommending self-quarantine, raising the tally to 49, according to the ministry website.
Norway recommends a 14-day self-isolation for people from Korea, Iran, northern Italy and a few others regardless of whether they show symptoms. Slovakia requires a two-week home quarantine for its citizens and foreigners arriving from four countries including Korea, with those people subjected to a penalty in case of an infraction.
Rwanda began to conduct health screenings on people upon arriving from Korea and other virus-hit countries and to impose 14-day home quarantines for those showing symptoms even though they have tested negative for the virus.
Gabon was moved to the 39 countries and territories barring the entry of foreigners who have visited South Korea, China, Japan and other virus-hit countries. The African coastal nation had imposed a 14-day quarantine for foreigners since late February.
Diplomats or businesspeople may be permitted to enter but only after being cleared by undergoing extra processes such as medical checks or prior notifications.
The number of countries and territories slapping entry bans for parts of Korea where the bulk of COVID-19 outbreaks have occurred -- primarily Daegu city and North Gyeongsang Province -- remained unchanged at six, including Japan.
Croatia has toughened quarantine procedures for travelers with a record of visits to the major epicenters of the virus outbreaks in the past two weeks, including Korea's Daegu city and Cheongdo County, Hubei province in China and parts of Italy. They will be quarantined in facilities for 14 days.
If the travelers, including its own citizens, had arrived from other parts of the virus-affected countries, or Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore, they will face a home quarantine.
That puts the number of countries and territories implementing strict quarantine programs for South Korea at 15, including 21 Chinese provinces. China has added the north-central province of Gansu and the province of Guizhou in the southwest to the list.
Foreign ministry officials said South Korea is in consultations with some 20 countries to explore ways to allow at least businesspeople with no signs of infection to fly in to do business in those countries.
The countries include China, Vietnam, Indonesia and India, where Korean companies have been trying to expand footholds with production lines, massive direct investment schemes and other operations.
Starting Tuesday, all passengers from South Korea arriving at airports in Beijing and Shanghai are transported by vehicles prepared by local governments from the airports to their homes or hotels for a two-week quarantine, according to airline officials.
People from Italy, Iran and Japan are also transported from the airports to their homes or hotels for 14 days of quarantine, they said.
As of early Tuesday, a total of 1,668 Koreans were being quarantined around the world, including 1,234 people in China, with 397 others in Vietnam, the foreign ministry said.
South Korea added 131 new cases of coronavirus infections Monday, bringing the total to 7,513, with 54 deaths.
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-10--(2nd LD) S. Korea on high alert over cluster infections amid case slowdown

Daegu reported that seven people who work at call centers have tested positive for the virus since late last month @ @ @ @ @ placed 230 employees in self-quarantine .
The city said it had some 62 call centers @ @ @ @ @ that number may be higher because there are small-sized operations in the city .
Centers @ @ @ @ @ been closed for disinfection .

(ATTN: ADDS more info on Daegu infection in paras 14-15)
SEOUL, March 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korean health authorities are on guard against potential cluster infections as an alarming new mass infection of the novel coronavirus was reported in Seoul on Monday despite a slowdown in the new cases in the southeastern city of Daegu, the epicenter of virus outbreak.
As of Monday, 80.2 percent of the COVID-19 cases in the country are classified as cluster infection cases, with another 19.8 percent of the cases either labeled as sporadic infections or under investigation, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
At least 64 people, including workers from a call center in southwestern Seoul, tested positive for the virus, marking the biggest COVID-19 infection cluster in the capital city and raising concerns of more cluster infections down the road.
"There was a new mass-infection case from the call center in Seoul's Guro Ward and other cluster cases in provincial governments," KCDC Deputy Director Kwon Jun-wook said. "The total number of new confirmed cases is on a downturn but there are concerns over such mass infection cases."
A high-rise building in the neighborhood of Sindorim was closed and disinfected late Monday after workers at a call center on its 11th floor were confirmed as patients.
People who work at a building in southwestern Seoul where infections occurred stand in a line to be checked for the new coronavirus on March 10, 2020. (Yonhap)
Of particular concern is that the latest mass infection case has occurred in the capital, and of the confirmed cases, a large chunk of patients are residents in the city of Incheon, just west of Seoul, and surrounding Gyeonggi Province, where millions of people live.
The KCDC said confirmed cases traced to the call center could rise, considering the usually packed work environment, where temporary workers are outsourced to respond to customer complaints and inquiries.
At least 600 people are presumed to have worked at the location, the KCDC said.
"Efforts should be made by companies to adopt telecommuting and working at home and people to practice social distancing at work places," he said.
Social distancing refers to a series of tactics designed to keep people from gathering in large crowds to maintain distance, including working from home, canceling school and avoiding in-person meetings.
Related to the latest outbreak, regional governments across the country are rushing to check all insurance and telecom call centers within their jurisdictions to see if they are at risk of spreading infection.
Cities and provinces that have call centers said they stepped up disinfection and are asking companies to allow employees to work from home instead of reporting to packed offices.
Incheon said it had 18 calls centers. Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul, confirmed 64.
Daegu reported that seven people who work at call centers have tested positive for the virus since late last month, and that authorities have placed 230 employees in self-quarantine. The city said it had some 62 call centers employing 7,780 people, although that number may be higher because there are small-sized operations in the city. Centers with infected people have all been closed for disinfection.
"Judging by developments in Seoul, people linked call centers here could have been infected," a Daegu city official said.
Besides the Guro call center, only a few mass infection cases have been reported in Seoul. A total of 14 virus patients were linked to Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital in Eunpyeong Ward. Another 13 cases in Seoul came from an apartment building in Seongdong Ward.
Another cluster of infections was reported in Dongdaemun Ward, where a couple in their 60s and their daughter in her 30s, along with her four-week infant, all tested positive for the virus.
Also, a small cluster infections linked to a religious sect related to most cases in the country occurred in Daegu over the weekend.
Out of 140 residents at an apartment building in Daegu, 46 have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
A city official disinfects Guro subway station in southwestern Seoul on March 10, 2020, after a patient who worked at a nearby building was found to have visited the station. (Yonhap)
The latest mass infection case came as the country's new confirmed virus cases are showing signs of slowing down.
The 131 new cases, which were detected Monday, brought the nation's total number of infections to 7,513, the KCD. Monday's additional cases were far below the daily increases of 500 or more last week and marked the slowest one-day rise in confirmed cases in two weeks.
Of the 131 new cases, which were detected on Monday, 92 are in Daegu and 10 are in North Gyeongsang, the KCDC said.
Daily new virus cases in Daegu, the country's fourth-largest city with a population of 2.5 million, peaked at over 700 on Feb. 29, but have been on the wane falling to below 300 level on March 8 and 200 on March 9.
The total number of confirmed cases in Daegu and North Gyeongsang, the two epicenters of the virus outbreak here, stood at 5,663 and 1,117, respectively, accounting for 90 percent of total infections here.
The spike in virus cases came as the country's health authorities conducted massive testing of some 210,000 followers of a religious sect in the city. About 63 percent of total infections in the county are traced to Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu.
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-10--S. Korea reports 8 more African swine fever cases in wild boars

North Korea reported its first outbreak of ASF at a pig farm near its border with China in May last @ @ @ @ @ cases so far in South Korea have been reported in border areas .

SEOUL, March 10 (Yonhap) -- An environment agency said Tuesday it has found eight more wild boars infected with African swine fever (ASF) virus in areas near the inter-Korean border. The discoveries raised the number of wild boar infections in the country to 347.
The eight carcasses were found in the border city of Yeoncheon in Gyeonggi Province, north of Seoul, according to a research institute affiliated with the environment ministry.
South Korea confirmed its first-ever outbreak of the animal disease in September last year. Although no additional ASF cases on farms have been reported since early October, authorities continue to discover dead wild boars carrying the disease.
Different from other animal diseases, such as foot-and-mouth disease, which is airborne, African swine fever spreads through direct contact with infected animals or their remains, according to experts.
North Korea reported its first outbreak of ASF at a pig farm near its border with China in May last year, and all confirmed cases so far in South Korea have been reported in border areas.
As part of preventive measures, the authorities have culled about 400,000 pigs. Currently, no vaccines or cures exist.
(END)


yna--2020-03-13--N.K. leader attends artillery fire competition

Kim was also quoted as calling for `` always bearing deep in mind that modern warfare is precisely the warfare @ @ @ @ @ combat preparations of the artillerymen are exactly those of the People 's Army . ''

By Koh Byung-joon
SEOUL, March 13 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un guided an artillery fire competition, stressing that modern warfare is the "warfare of artillery pieces," state media reported Friday.
His attendance in the fire competition held Thursday came after the North test-fired three projectiles off its east coast Monday, the second weapons test that the communist state had carried out this month.
"The competition was aimed to suddenly make selective inspection and evaluation of how the artillery forces of each corps are getting themselves combat ready," the official Korean Central News Agency said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) watches an artillery fire competition between the artillery units under the North Korean People's Corps 7 and Corps 9 on March 12, 2020, in this photo taken from the website of the North's official Korean Central News Agency the next day. The KCNA stopped short of disclosing the competition's location. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
Kim was also quoted as calling for "always bearing deep in mind that modern warfare is precisely the warfare of artillery pieces and the combat preparations of the artillerymen are exactly those of the People's Army."
On his order, all the artillery pieces were fired, turning the "target islet" into "a sea of flames," the KCNA said.
The KCNA did not provide details on the exact location where the fire competition was held.
Kim supervised test-firings of projectiles twice this month -- each in the North's eastern towns of Wonsan and Sondok. They appear to be part of the North's winter military drill.
The winter military drill is under way despite the North's nationwide efforts to prevent the outbreak of the new coronavirus that originated in its neighboring China and has been sweeping around the world.
The artillery units under the North Korean People's Corps 7 and Corps 9 take part in an artillery fire competition on March 12, 2020, in this combined photo taken from the website of the North's official Korean Central News Agency the next day. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected the competition, with the KCNA stopping short of disclosing the competition's location. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
Seoul has urged Pyongyang to restrain from raising tensions, saying such drills will not help bring peace to the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea conducted missile tests 13 times last year, with the latest one carried out in November in a show of force and frustration over stalemated denuclearization talks with Washington.
Nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington have stalled since the no-deal summit between Kim and Trump in February last year.
Kim told a party meeting late in December that he does not feel bound anymore by his self-imposed moratorium on testing long-range ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, saying that the world will witness a "new strategic weapon" in the near future.
The artillery units under the North Korean People's Corps 7 and Corps 9 take part in an artillery fire competition on March 12, 2020, in this photo taken from the website of the North's official Korean Central News Agency the next day. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected the competition, with the KCNA stopping short of disclosing the competition's location. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-13--(EDITORIAL from Korea JoongAng Daily on March 13)

Heads of local municipalities are under fire for missing the so-called golden time needed to curb the spread of Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ `` coronavirus politics . ''
For instance , Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon was focused on @ @ @ @ @ the Shincheonji church 's founder Lee Man-hee with the prosecution .
Though the religious sect @ @ @ @ @ the call center in Seoul tested negative , Mayor Park tried to attribute the infections @ @ @ @ @ church .
Gyeonggi Gov .
Lee Jae-myung went so far as to pressure Lee to @ @ @ @ @ after he already tested negative .

No time for politics
The World Health Organization (WHO) has finally defined the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic, like the Hong Kong flu of 1958 and the swine flu of 2009. The WHO belatedly took the step after the virus had spread to more than 110 countries around the globe with over 120,000 cases of confirmed infection.
In an alarming development for Korea, confirmed infections are taking place in the Seoul metropolitan area after a slowing of infections in Daegu and North Gyeongsang. More than 100 confirmed cases of infection in a call center in Seoul raise serious concerns about the spread of the lethal virus through the public transportation system, including subways and buses.
Choi Jae-wook, a senior official at the Korean Medical Association, said that the infections "were discovered belatedly." The call center says some of its workers started showing signs of infection from late February.
Epidemiologists have persistently urged the Moon Jae-in administration to do more to disinfect public facilities since last month. Now, the government says it will prepare guidelines to prevent the virus from spreading to high-density workplaces across the country. But such overdue efforts will most likely be too late, as the government's efforts were in the initial stages of the outbreak. And yet President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday praised the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) for its "successful job."
Heads of local municipalities are under fire for missing the so-called golden time needed to curb the spread of Covid-19 due to their engrossment with "coronavirus politics." For instance, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon was focused on filing a criminal complaint against the Shincheonji church's founder Lee Man-hee with the prosecution. Though the religious sect's followers who worked at the call center in Seoul tested negative, Mayor Park tried to attribute the infections in the center to the church. Gyeonggi Gov. Lee Jae-myung went so far as to pressure Lee to go through a test again after he already tested negative.
More than half of our entire population live in the Seoul metropolitan area — a whopping 26 million people. Given such a density, the region is particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases. Yet negative pressure isolation rooms are already occupied by patients infected with the virus. Doctors and nurses are exhausted. If many patients are brought in at once needing medical attention, the metropolitan area will experience the same chaos as in Daegu.
The government must find effective ways to accommodate anyone who falls ill, not to mention swift disinfection of public facilities, including noraebang (singing rooms) and internet cafes, in the metropolitan area. Companies need to ask their employees to work from home. Individuals should minimize their outings. Religious communities and civic groups must refrain from holding services or other mass gatherings.
We recommend Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, who has been staying in Daegu as head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, go back and forth between Seoul and Daegu to efficiently tackle the challenges. If the Seoul metropolitan area is paralyzed, the nation can come to a halt.
(END)


yna--2020-03-13--(EDITORIAL from Korea Times on March 13)

However , the WHO can not deflect criticism that it has been too slow to take timely and appropriate action @ @ @ @ @ contain the new coronavirus .
Some critics had denounced the WHO for trying to curry @ @ @ @ @ contributed huge sums to the agency .
Besides , the WHO had given the impression @ @ @ @ @ the word `` pandemic '' in order not to stir excessive and irrational fears about @ @ @

Virus declared pandemic
Closer cooperation needed to fight COVID-19
The World Health Organization declared the global coronavirus outbreak a pandemic Wednesday. The declaration is somewhat belated but inevitable considering the new virus' rapid spread throughout the world. It should serve as a clear warning against COVID-19 that calls for more aggressive and intensive action to contain the highly contagious virus.
The pandemic declaration marked the third time for the U.N. health agency to raise its health alarm to the highest level. The two previous cases were the new H1N1 flu strain in 2009 and the 1968 flu pandemic also known as the Hong Kong flu. This means that it has been rare for the WHO to describe any virus outbreak as a pandemic. Yet, the agency has had no reason to hesitate sounding the highest alarm when it is necessary to fight an epidemic sweeping the globe.
The move comes a long time after the first case of the novel coronavirus was reported in Wuhan, the capital of China's central Hubei Province, Dec. 30. The WHO classified the outbreak as a global public health emergency Jan. 30. The number of confirmed infections has since soared to 124,000 in 118 countries with over 4,600 fatalities. China, the epicenter of the outbreak, has reported more than 81,000 cases and over 3,000 deaths.
The number of daily new infections has recently sharply declined in China. But COVID-19 has been spreading at an alarming rate across the world, especially in Europe and the Middle East. A 13-fold increase was reported in the number of cases outside China in the past two weeks. Italy and Iran have recorded 12,462 cases and 9,000 cases, respectively, with their death tolls rising to 827 and 354. They have emerged as the new virus hotspots.
Against this backdrop, the pandemic declaration is seen as a clear message that all countries, particularly the worst-hit ones, must do their utmost to bring the spreading virus under control. The term "pandemic" should not be used as an excuse for any country to give up fighting the coronavirus. That's why WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the agency has rung the alarm bell loud and clear.
"We are deeply concerned both by the alarming level of spread and severity and by the alarming level of inaction," Tedros told reporters in Geneva. He added, "We have therefore made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic." He stressed that all countries can still change the course of the pandemic if they detect, test, treat, isolate, trace and mobilize their people in response.
However, the WHO cannot deflect criticism that it has been too slow to take timely and appropriate action to help countries prevent and contain the new coronavirus. Some critics had denounced the WHO for trying to curry favor with China which has contributed huge sums to the agency. Besides, the WHO had given the impression that it hesitated to use the word "pandemic" in order not to stir excessive and irrational fears about the virus.
Now, countries the world over should step up their cooperation in battling COVID-19. They should double down on their efforts to better protect people from the worsening health crisis by sharing information about the virus, including treatment know-how and effective use of limited resources.
(END)


yna--2020-03-13--(EDITORIAL from Korea Herald on March 13)

Considering that it is almost impossible to identify everyone who made contact with the infected workers by sharing a subway @ @ @ @ @ the incident is stoking up fear .
Furthermore , in a situation in which South @ @ @ @ @ open to China , there is no telling where or how fast the virus may @ @ @ @ @ .

The sooner, the safer
Swift preparations needed to prevent COVID-19 explosion in capital area
One hundred and two people have been found to be infected with the new coronavirus in a cluster traced to a call center in Seoul as of Thursday morning.
The number could rise, as tests are being done on people who worked on other floors of the Korea Building in Seoul's Guro District.
The health authorities say the situation is not as grave in Seoul and adjacent Gyeonggi Province as it is in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province. But with the slightest slip, the situation in the Seoul area could get much worse.
The infected workers live scattered over the densely populated capital region, where about half of the nation's 51 million people reside. Many people commute across the region using crowded public transit. Enclosed office spaces abound, and small public facilities are ubiquitous. The infection cluster in the call center, if not controlled successfully, could spread at a calamitous rate.
The location of the Korea Building, where the call center rents space, is particularly concerning because of the large number of people who travel to and through it. It is situated between two bustling subway stations -- Guro Station on Subway Line No. 1 and Sindorim Station, a transfer station on subway lines 1 and 2. The stations serve as hubs linking Seoul to Incheon and numerous cities in Gyeonggi Province.
More than 25,000 people use Guro Station every day, while about 100,000 go in and out of Sindorim Station. Some 7 million people ride the Seoul subway every day. Most subway trains are crowded at rush hour, and countless buses stop near subway stations.
Most of the infected workers reportedly commuted from other districts of Seoul, or from Incheon or Gyeonggi Province, along the two subway lines and on buses.
Worse still, some are believed to have shown symptoms as early as March 3 or 4. Many passengers must have been in close proximity to them, and there is a good chance they unknowingly passed on the virus.
Considering that it is almost impossible to identify everyone who made contact with the infected workers by sharing a subway train or a bus, the incident is stoking up fear. Furthermore, in a situation in which South Korea keeps its doors partially open to China, there is no telling where or how fast the virus may be spreading in the country.
The health authorities focused intensively on large-scale infections connected to the secretive Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu and a hospital in Cheongdo, North Gyeongsang Province.
Preoccupied with outbreaks in the region, the authorities took their eyes off the more populous Seoul area and took few proactive measures in anticipation of infection clusters at worksites such as call centers. It seems that the central government and Seoul City had 20/20 hindsight about the contagion risk in call centers.
Call center workers usually sit at arm's length from one another and talk constantly over the phone. Their work environment exposes them to two major risk factors for infection -- close proximity and an abundance of respiratory droplets. Moreover, due to the nature of their job, they tend not to wear face masks.
According to Statistics Korea, about 76,000 people work in 982 call centers across the country. In Seoul, about 3,000 work in 41 call centers. The government said Wednesday that it would distribute guidelines to prevent infection clusters in high-risk facilities such as call centers.
Their release is urgent. The government ought to draw up proactive measures to encourage work from home, flexible work schedules and increased distance between workers. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should step up their efforts to set up a system at their call center to enable their counselors to work from home.
The Financial Supervisory Service and the Korea Communications Commission launched emergency inspections of call centers affiliated with financial institutions and telecom companies. They reportedly asked the centers to space their workers further apart. Special inspections and corrective measures are needed for gyms, karaoke rooms, internet cafes and nightclubs as well.
Above all, the health authorities must carry out more tests to find infected individuals early. At the same time, together with the three local governments, they must speed up their preparations for a worst-case scenario. Before the country encounters a sudden surge of infections, the most urgent task is to secure enough negative-pressure wards for the treatment of those with serious symptoms and separate living quarters where people with mild cases can be treated in isolation. The sooner, the safer.
(END)


yna--2020-03-13--Top headlines in major S. Korean newspapers

Korean-language dailies -- Global stocks hit by fear of 'COVID-19 pandemic ' ( Kyunghyang Shinmun ) -- Politicians ' 'arbitrary @ @ @ @ @ to crisis ( Kookmin Daily ) -- Trump : Entry to U.S. from Europe banned @ @ @ @ @ Donga llbo ) -- Trump bans entry from Europe to U.S. , hints at easing @ @ @ @ @ Seoul Shinmun ) -- Global financial market hit by 'pandemic shock , ' S. Korean @ @ @ @ @ Segye Times ) -- Fear over pandemic swirls , U.S. , too , closes its @ @ @ @ @ -- Large , medium-sized , self-employed businesses all call for card to revive economy ( @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , Trump even blocks Europe ( Hankyoreh ) -- Double shock of corona pandemic @ @ @ @ @ from Europe ( Hankook Ilbo ) -- Trump 's tough action ; bans entry from @ @ @ @ @ Business Newspaper ) -- 'Corona panic ' : U.S. , European stock markets collapse again @ @ @ @ @

SEOUL, March 13 (Yonhap) -- The following are the top headlines in major South Korean newspapers on March 13.
Korean-language dailies
-- Global stocks hit by fear of 'COVID-19 pandemic' (Kyunghyang Shinmun)
-- Politicians' 'arbitrary' use of masks led to crisis (Kookmin Daily)
-- Trump: Entry to U.S. from Europe banned for next 30 days (Donga llbo)
-- Trump bans entry from Europe to U.S., hints at easing restrictions on S. Korea (Seoul Shinmun)
-- Global financial market hit by 'pandemic shock,' S. Korean economy gets more gloomy (Segye Times)
-- Fear over pandemic swirls, U.S., too, closes its door (Chosun Ilbo)
-- Large, medium-sized, self-employed businesses all call for card to revive economy (JoongAng Ilbo)
-- Corona pandemic, Trump even blocks Europe (Hankyoreh)
-- Double shock of corona pandemic, U.S. ban on entry from Europe (Hankook Ilbo)
-- Trump's tough action; bans entry from Europe to U.S. (Maeil Business Newspaper)
-- 'Corona panic': U.S., European stock markets collapse again (Korea Economic Daily)
English-language dailies
-- Stocks collapse as a global sell-off continues (Korea JoongAng Daily)
-- Trump bans travelers from Europe over coronavirus (Korea Herald)
-- WHO labels coronavirus 'pandemic' (Korea Times)
(END)


yna--2020-03-13--Korea's export prices slightly up in Feb.

The export prices index , in terms of Korean won , came to 97.90 last month , up 1.2 percent @ @ @ @ @ month before , according to preliminary data from the Bank of Korea ( BOK ) @

SEOUL, March 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's export prices rose slightly from a month earlier in February, largely due to the weakening of the local currency, central bank data showed Friday.
The export prices index, in terms of Korean won, came to 97.90 last month, up 1.2 percent from the revised 96.75 the month before, according to preliminary data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).
From a year earlier, however, the reading marks a 1.8 percent drop.
The file photo shows stacks of import-export containers at South Korea's largest port in Busan, located some 450 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
The on-month increase was also largely attributed to the strengthening of the U.S. dollar that pushed up the value of South Korea's exports in terms of its local currency.
The dollar fetched an average 1,193.79 won in February, up 2.5 percent from an average 1,164.28 won the previous month, according to the BOK.
The export prices index, in terms of foreign currencies, came to 92.93 in the month, down 1.1 percent from a month earlier and 7.2 percent from the same month last year.
The price index of farmed goods, in terms of Korean won, gained 2.3 percent from a month earlier to 116.91 in February while that of manufactured goods came to 97.82, up 1.2 percent over the cited period.
Export prices of petroleum and petrochemical products dropped sharply, apparently reflecting recent drops in global oil prices, but the price index of flash memory chips surged 10.7 percent on-month, indicating a recovery in chip prices.
South Korea's exports had dropped for 14 consecutive months since December 2018, partly due to a slump in global chip prices. The country's outbound shipments grew 4.5 percent on-year in February.
In February, the import prices index dropped 1.3 percent from a month earlier to 106.52 in terms of the local currency.
In terms of the U.S. dollar, the import index plunged 3.4 percent from a month earlier and 6.2 percent from a year before.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-13--Mercedes-Benz, Maserati recall almost 26,000 vehicles: ministry

Among them , 21,760 vehicles have problems with buckles for seat belts that do not function properly , while the @ @ @ @ @ airbag warning information written on sun visors in the driver 's seat , according to @ @ @

SEOUL, March 13 (Yonhap) -- German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz has begun a voluntary recall of more than 24,300 vehicles to fix faulty parts, the transport ministry said Friday.
The latest recall, which began Thursday, affects 24,327 units of 28 different models produced between June and November 2018, including the CLS 400d 4MATIC, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said.
Among them, 21,760 vehicles have problems with buckles for seat belts that do not function properly, while the others have problems in the airbag warning information written on sun visors in the driver's seat, according to the ministry.
This image provided by Yonhap News TV shows the logo of the German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz. (Yonhap)
Separately, Forza Motors Korea, which sells Ferraris and Maserati in South Korea, is set to begin recalling 1,430 vehicles, including the Maserati Quattroporte 350 and Ghibli Diesel, on March 23 to repair a faulty component connected to engines and batteries.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-13--N. Korea may be ready to test more advanced ICBM: U.S. general

`` Kim Jong-un has demonstrated the capability to threaten the U.S. homeland with nuclear-armed ICBMs , '' he said , @ @ @ @ @ leader .
`` In 2017 , North Korea successfully tested an apparent thermonuclear weapon as @ @ @ @ @ capable of ranging most or all of North America -- feats only the five permanent @ @ @ @ @ Council had previously achieved . ''

By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, March 12 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's recent engine testing suggests the regime may be ready to test a more advanced intercontinental ballistic missile that could pose a greater threat to the United States, a U.S. general said Thursday.
Gen. Terrence O'Shaughnessy, commander of the U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command, offered the assessment in a written statement to the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces ahead of a hearing on fiscal year 2021 priorities for missile defense and missile defeat programs.
"Kim Jong-un has demonstrated the capability to threaten the U.S. homeland with nuclear-armed ICBMs," he said, referring to the North Korean leader. "In 2017, North Korea successfully tested an apparent thermonuclear weapon as well as two ICBM designs capable of ranging most or all of North America -- feats only the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council had previously achieved."
This EPA file photo shows General Terrence O'Shaughnessy, commander of United States Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command. (Yonhap)
O'Shaughnessy recalled that after the North's last ICBM test in November 2017, Kim declared the research and development phase of the country's strategic weapons program complete and vowed to begin serial production and deployment of these new systems.
In the past year, the general said, North Korea tested several new short-range missile systems and demonstrated advancing technologies that could eventually be incorporated into its strategic systems.
In December, the general also recalled, Kim stated it was time to take offensive measures to ensure the country's sovereignty and security and threatened to soon unveil a new strategic weapon.
"While Kim did not specify what this new weapon would be, recent engine testing suggests North Korea may be prepared to flight test an even more capable ICBM design that could enhance Kim's ability to threaten our homeland during a crisis or conflict," said O'Shaughnessy, alluding to the two apparent engine tests conducted at North Korea's western satellite launching site in December.
The general described USNORTHCOM's ballistic missile defense mission as a "no-fail mission."
"North Korea continues to openly threaten the United States with nuclear-capable ICBMs," he said, "and it is essential that our ballistic missile defense system continues to provide a reliable and lethal defense against a potential missile attack by North Korea or Iran, should Iran decide to develop ICBM technology."
Late last year, North Korea threatened to send an unwanted "Christmas gift" to the U.S. in protest of stalled denuclearization negotiations between the countries.
Many expected the "gift" to be an ICBM launch in the wake of its presumed engine tests, but there was no major provocation around Christmas and there have not been any since.
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


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yna--2020-03-12--(6th LD) S. Korea's virus cases on slide, authorities on guard for cluster infections

Virus cases in Busan rose by one to 99 , with 34 patients linked to a Christian church in the @ @ @ @ @ patients linked to Shincheonji .
The 34 patients of the Oncheon church in Busan have @ @ @ @ @ 's three-day retreat that ended on Feb. 17 , officials said .
It is still @ @ @ @ @ with the virus .

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details in paras 5, 12, 17, minor edits throughout; ADDS info on extra budget in last 5 paras)
SEOUL, March 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea recorded another drop in its daily new infections Thursday as the massive testing program of a religious sect's followers in the southeastern city of Daegu, the epicenter of the new coronavirus here, is nearing an end, but concerns are lingering over cluster infections in Seoul and neighboring areas.
The 114 new cases of the coronavirus, which were detected Wednesday and marked the lowest number of daily infections in more than two weeks, brought the nation's total infections to 7,869.
Wednesday's additional cases, which followed the 242 new cases detected Tuesday, were also far below the daily increases of 500 or more last week.
So far, 66 people, mostly elderly patients with underlying illnesses, have died in South Korea from the respiratory virus that emerged in China late last year, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
One more fatality, an 82-year-old man with lung cancer residing in Gyeonggi Province, was reported earlier in the day, but his death has not been included in an official update.
The KCDC said 59 virus patients are in critical condition. The flu-like virus causes a fever, cough, runny nose or headache for most healthy people, but the risk of severe infection is high for elderly people with underlying health problems.
About 61 percent of confirmed cases have been linked to a branch of the Shincheonji religious sect in Daegu, which, with a population of 2.5 million, is the country's fourth-largest city.
This graph, provided by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) on March 12, 2020, shows daily new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and total infections in South Korea. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The pace of daily new inflections had shown signs of slowing in recent days as health authorities completed extensive testing of 210,000 Shincheonji followers at the center of the disease's rapid spread, but authorities are still on high alert over new clusters of infections, including one at a call center in Seoul's Guro Ward.
Of the 114 new cases, 73 are in Daegu and eight are in North Gyeongsang, the KCDC said. The total number of confirmed cases in Daegu and North Gyeongsang, the two epicenters of the virus outbreak here, stood at 5,867 and 1,143, respectively.
While Daegu and North Gyeongsang still account for the majority of daily new infections, clusters of infections in Seoul and neighboring areas are feared to rise further.
Aside from Daegu and North Gyeongsang, cases of community spread with unknown origins, mostly cluster and sporadic outbreaks, are gradually on the rise.
Seoul's confirmed cases rose to 212, up 19 from the day before, with at least 105 cases the Guro call center and another 14 cases linked to Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital in Eunpyeong Ward. Another 13 cases in Seoul were detected at an apartment building in Seongdong Ward.
Although not reflected in the official tally, wards in the capital city reported 17 further infections later on in the day, bringing the total to 229.
Incheon's cases were unchanged at 25, with 14 cases linked to the call center in Guro. Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul and Incheon, saw confirmed cases climb by three to 178, with 27 cases connected to Shincheonji and 14 to the Guro call center.
Virus cases in Busan rose by one to 99, with 34 patients linked to a Christian church in the Dongnae district and another 10 patients linked to Shincheonji. The 34 patients of the Oncheon church in Busan have a connection to the church's three-day retreat that ended on Feb. 17, officials said. It is still unclear how they were infected with the virus.
In South Chungcheong Province, which includes the city of Cheonan, 105 of the total 114 patients were linked to a Zumba dance class in Cheonan, the KCDC said.
Clusters of infections account for 80.1 percent of the total confirmed cases as of Thursday.
Public officials disinfect computer mice, keyboards and other items at a "PC bang," a Korean-style internet cafe, in the southwestern city of Gwangju on March 12, 2020, amid the spread of the new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
The Guro call center cluster infection -- the largest in Seoul -- highlighted concerns about the virus' spread in confined spaces and within the metropolitan area.
Employees and trainees at the call center, as well as those who have come into contact with them, have been asked to get tested, local officials said.
Since raising the virus alert level to "red," the highest level, on Feb. 23, health authorities have focused on halting the spread of the virus in Daegu and North Gyeongsang.
Officials in North Gyeongsang said Thursday that a 43-year-old woman in the city of Gyeongsan was declared cured during her self-isolation without medical treatment, the first such case in South Korea.
The woman, who tested positive for the virus on Feb. 29 and has been under self-isolation since then, had shown mild symptoms.
KCDC Deputy Director Kwon Jun-wook said in a briefing that it is "possible" for healthy people to recover from the coronavirus "without medical assistance."
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Wednesday that the global coronavirus crisis is now a pandemic, as the global death toll neared 4,300 and worldwide infections approached 118,000.
The WHO's declaration will not affect South Korea's ongoing containment measures, but the country will further tighten immigration procedures if the number of imported virus cases rises, Kwon said.
Citing precautions by foreign health authorities, Kwon said the virus can be caught from spending about 15 minutes within two meters of infected people.
The possibility of infection after coming into contact with a virus patient on buses or subways is low, Kwon said.
The number of daily new inflections in Daegu recorded a double-digit increase Thursday, the slowest pace of infections since late last month.
Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health ministry official in charge of quarantine work, voiced guarded optimism on the progress in Daegu, saying, "If the situation improves like this, Daegu will surely overcome COVID-19 and return to normality."
However, Yoon expressed concerns about community spread in Seoul and neighboring areas because the cluster at the Guro call center may be untraceable.
Yoon called for citizens in and around Seoul to take precautionary measures against the virus. He said the government has secured 1,200 hospital beds in the region.
Amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in Europe, South Korea raised its guard against importing the virus.
Medical staffers walk to a staff lounge after finishing a shift at Dongsan Hospital in coronavirus-hit Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on March 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
Starting Sunday, all people who arrive in South Korea after visiting France, Germany, Spain, Britain and the Netherlands will be required to get fever checks and submit papers on their health condition, officials said.
They are required to download a smartphone app that will allow them to be put under supervision if they show symptoms.
Also, the requirements will be applied to all people who arrive in South Korea via Dubai, Moscow and other cities after traveling to Europe in the previous two weeks.
Such requirements have already been applied to people who have visited mainland China, Macau, Hong Kong, Iran and Italy.
Although South Korea's new infections have declined, experts warned that the virus may not disappear anytime soon.
"I think there are more people infected with the virus because community spread has been on a rise," said Jung Ki-suck, a professor of pulmonology at Hallym University and a former chief of the KCDC.
Jung expected the infection rate to increase for the time being as the number of confirmed cases rises, but the nation's mortality rate is likely to decline.
Choi Won-suk, a professor of the Infectious Disease Division at Korea University Ansan Hospital, said, "The decline in daily new infections is a good sign, but it does not mean that the epidemic is over."
South Korea has released 333 fully recovered novel coronavirus patients from hospitals as of Wednesday, up 45 from a day earlier, the KCDC said.
The number of people being checked for the virus and under quarantine came to 17,727 as of Wednesday, down 813 from the day before, it said. The country has tested a total of 227,129 suspected cases, with 209,402 testing negative.
Currently, there is no evidence that the new coronavirus is airborne. The WHO says the virus is transmitted through droplets or close contact.
On the subject of the government's move to ask parliament for an extra budget of 11.7 trillion won (US$9.7 billion) to cope with the infectious disease, Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said the amount reflects what government policymakers believe is a "manageable sum" of money.
In a message released on Facebook, the minister said the requested sum reflected the need to help the socially disadvantaged, ways to bolster the economy and the fiscal health of the country as a whole.
"The total reflects a detailed examination of various factors," he claimed.
The remarks by the country's top economic policymaker came as the ruling Democratic Party strongly criticized the government, saying the total is too small to meet present requirements.
It said lawmakers plan to mark up the extra budget to around 18 trillion won to better allow the country to cover expenses associated with the outbreak and stimulate the economy that as it struggles with the impact.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-12--(3rd LD) S. Korea unveils virus prevention guidelines for confined workplaces

`` In the Seoul metropolitan area , there are already quite a number of cases whose infection routes are unknown @ @ @ @ @ , a professor of infectious medicine at Korea University Guro Hospital .
`` If people @ @ @ @ @ for a long time , it could lead to group transmission , and the call @ @ @ @ @ example of the worst-case scenario becoming a reality . ''

(ATTN: UPDATES with revised numbers in paras 6, 13)
SEOUL, March 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Thursday unveiled virus prevention guidelines for confined workplaces and public-use facilities to stem cluster infections of the novel coronavirus following a massive group transmission at a call center in Seoul.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it will distribute the guidelines to those whose businesses involve people being in enclosed spaces, such as internet cafes, karaoke rooms and fitness centers, which raise the risk of group transmissions of COVID-19.
The guidelines call for business operators to set up a prevention system to better protect their workers and customers from the contagious disease.
Under the guidelines, business owners are recommended to designate managers dedicated to quarantine activities and set up an emergency contact list with local health authorities. They are also advised to conduct fever checks on employees twice a day.
A health worker disinfects an office at a call center in Suwon, south of Seoul, on March 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
The KCDC also urged companies to actively adopt remote working, stagger commuting hours and increase the distance between workers in the workplace.
The guidelines come after a massive group transmission was reported at a call center in southwestern Seoul, where workers apparently worked in packed offices. So far, 105 COVID-19 cases have been found to be linked to the call center.
"Managing business sites that are vulnerable to new coronavirus infections has become an urgent task," said Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health ministry official who is in charge of quarantine work. "With the guidelines, business owners should put in place prevention measures depending on their working conditions."
After the call center case rang warning bells about enclosed spaces increasing the chances of viral outbreaks, South Korean experts have called on the government to come up with toughened quarantine measures.
"In the Seoul metropolitan area, there are already quite a number of cases whose infection routes are unknown," said Kim Woo-joo, a professor of infectious medicine at Korea University Guro Hospital. "If people stay in a confined space for a long time, it could lead to group transmission, and the call center group transmission is an example of the worst-case scenario becoming a reality."
This file photo taken Feb. 24, 2020, shows an internet cafe, also known as a "PC bang" in South Korea, in Seoul. (Yonhap)
Some municipal governments hinted that they may even consider shutting down such public-use facilities to prevent small cluster infections.
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said Wednesday the city has recommended owners of karaoke rooms and internet cafes to suspend operations and is considering issuing administrative orders for the temporary shutdown of such facilities.
Large companies in South Korea toughened their quarantine measures on workplaces with confined spaces even before the government guidelines were released.
SK Telecom Co., South Korea's largest mobile carrier, said 1,500 workers at its call centers who applied for remote working will work from home starting Thursday. For those who have to work at offices, the company widened the distance between each seat so as to reduce the risk of transmission.
LG Electronics Inc. also allowed its call center workers to work from home. The move impacts 800 workers employed at the company's six call centers nationwide.
Samsung Electronics Service Co., a maintenance service unit of Samsung Electronics Co., has reported virus-infected workers at its call center in Daegu, the epicenter of South Korea's virus outbreak, and closed the facility on Feb. 27.
The company originally planned to reopen the call center on Friday but decided to push it back until the end of this month following a request from the Daegu city government. Samsung Electronics Service said it will adopt a remote working system and allow its call center workers to take paid leave on a rotational basis to create a healthy office environment.
A thermal imaging camera is installed at a building in Seoul on March 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
Infectious disease experts said it is a positive development that the government is coming up with guidelines for confined spaces at work but urged the authorities to first establish a system to monitor whether companies' prevention measures are properly working.
"There should be a system that makes companies report the health conditions of their employees daily to health authorities," said Jung Ki-suck, a doctor at Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital and former head of the KCDC. "Making recommendations will not work."
Doctors emphasized that the best way to prevent group transmission in work premises begins with personal hygiene, because in reality, it is difficult to block people having conversations.
"The best way to prevent the virus infection is to wear masks even in offices and wash your hands frequently," said Uhm Joong-shik, a doctor at Gachon University Gil Medical Center in Incheon, just west of Seoul.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-12--FM says entry restrictions of S. Korea, Japan 'qualitatively different'

`` When it comes to the visa waiver program , it could seem , in part , like a tit-for-tat @ @ @ @ @ had to be that way because if one party breaks the visa waiver agreement , @ @ @ @ @ do so as well , '' the minister said .

SEOUL, March 12 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Thursday the entry restrictions South Korea enforced against Japan in the face of the new coronavirus concerns are "qualitatively different" from the immigration control measures Tokyo adopted against Seoul.
Kang made the remarks during an interview with local broadcaster KBS, referring to Japan's 14-day quarantine order on South Koreans that took effect Monday amid the neighboring countries' protracted row over trade and wartime history.
Tokyo suspended its visa waiver program for South Koreans and started asking them to stay at designated facilities for two weeks and refrain from using public transportation.
In a tit-for-tat response to Tokyo's entry restrictions, Seoul also halted a 90-day visa-free entry program for Japanese visitors and imposed special entry procedures that require them to undergo temperature checks and fill out a health questionnaire and other paperwork at airports.
"When it comes to the visa waiver program, it could seem, in part, like a tit-for-tat action, but ... it had to be that way because if one party breaks the visa waiver agreement, the other party has to do so as well," the minister said.
"But regarding the quarantine efforts, Japan has begun imposing the 14-day isolation period, whereas we are asking people who are to come to come, but follow these steps. These are qualitatively different," she said.
The mutual restrictions came as the two countries are still mired in a dispute over Japan's export curbs, which South Korea sees as political retaliation for 2018 top court rulings here ordering Japanese firms to compensate victims of wartime forced labor.
Seoul has defended its immigration control measures against Tokyo as "restrained and principled."
Kang also said the government is not considering withdrawing its nationals from Italy for now despite a surge in the number of infections in the European country.
"Italy has quite an advanced medical system, so our judgment is that even if by any chance (our nationals) are infected, we think that they can get treated there," she said.
South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha explains the government's ongoing efforts to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus during a briefing for foreign diplomats at the foreign ministry in Seoul on March 6, 2020. (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-03-12--S. Korea, China to hold talks on cooperation against new coronavirus

During the talks on Friday , the two sides will share their experience combating COVID-19 and discuss ways to jointly @ @ @ @ @ the new virus , according to the ministry .

SEOUL, March 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and China will hold a video conference this week on possible cooperation to fight the new coronavirus, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday.
During the talks on Friday, the two sides will share their experience combating COVID-19 and discuss ways to jointly stem the further spread of the new virus, according to the ministry.
The planned meeting comes after President Moon Jae-in and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, agreed to strengthen cooperation in their fight against the new virus in a phone conversation last month.
"The upcoming meeting is ... expected to greatly contribute to the two countries' cooperation in response to COVID-19 down the road," the ministry said in a release.
Officials from related government organizations -- such as the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- will take part in the discussion, it said.
The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared that the virus crisis is now a pandemic, with the numbers of confirmed cases swelling across the globe.
As of midnight Wednesday, South Korea had reported 7,869 cases of the new virus, including 66 deaths.
Boxes of face masks donated by the Chinese Embassy in Seoul are seen at the National Education Training Institute in the southeastern city of Daegu on March 2, 2020. (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-03-12--(3rd LD) Coronavirus cases at gov't complex spark worries over cluster infection

Quarantine officials launched an investigation into how the patients were infected with the novel virus .
The oceans ministry ordered @ @ @ @ @ contact with the patients to stay home and announced all 570 of its employees will @ @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES with additional cases in lead, paras 2-4, 7, 14-15)
By Kang Yoon-seung
SEOUL, March 12 (Yonhap) -- The number of public servants working at South Korea's main government complex infected with the new coronavirus stood at 23, officials said Thursday, up 14 from a day earlier.
Thirteen more COVID-19 cases were reported at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, based in the main government building in the administrative city of Sejong, 130 kilometers south of Seoul, bringing its total to 18.
The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs reported the first case among its workers Wednesday. A day earlier, South Korea confirmed an infection in the education ministry.
Quarantine officials launched an investigation into how the patients were infected with the novel virus. The oceans ministry ordered all workers who have had contact with the patients to stay home and announced all 570 of its employees will be tested.
A quarantine official carries out a disinfection operation at the Sejong government complex in the administrative city of Sejong, 130 kilometers south of Seoul, on March 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
As the Sejong government complex accommodates 35 government ministries and agencies employing 15,000 workers, the latest cases have sparked concerns over a potential cluster infection.
Last week, the government complex reported its first case from a public servant working at the health ministry. Health officials said the patient is assumed to have contracted the virus at a Zumba class.
Two other public servants were infected in Sejong on top of the nine cases from the complex as well, but their workplaces were located in other buildings.
South Korea has been struggling to cope with a possible cluster infection, after 105 cases of COVID-19 were found at a call center in southwestern Seoul.
The total number of confirmed infections reached 7,869 in the country Thursday.
South Korea suspended the facial recognition system at main entrances of government buildings to allow its staff members to wear protective masks at all times.
The Government Buildings Management Office said it has been carrying out disinfection operations on a daily basis, amid rising concerns of a cluster outbreak at such buildings may significantly disrupt governmental affairs.
Seats at their cafeterias are also reorganized to avoid people sitting face to face, it added.
South Korea has 11 government complexes, including those in Seoul, Daejeon, Gwacheon and Gwangju.
"All ministries need to have more staff members work from home," an official from the management office said. "We are also considering banning the entry of all visitors to the government complexes if necessary."
The Ministry of Personnel Management said earlier in the day that it will introduce a flexible working scheme, including adjustable hours and remote working, for public servants as a way to curtail the spread of the highly infectious disease.
Under the guidelines, public servants across the country are expected to take turns working remotely, either at home or at so-called smart work centers run by the government.
A quarantine official disinfects the building of the oceans and fisheries at the government complex in Sejong, central South Korea, on March 10, 2020, after an employee of the ministry tested positive for the COVID-19 virus earlier in the day. (Yonhap)
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-12--(LEAD) Moon urges people to harbor hope in fight against coronavirus amid pandemic declaration

`` This can not help being a big threat to us at a time when domestically we 've contained the @ @ @ @ @ to curb the further spread , '' Moon wrote on social media .
`` ( @ @ @ @ @ virus ) could deal an unspeakable blow to the global economy and the Korean economy @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES with Moon's visit to treatment facility in last 4 paras, minor edits througout; CHANGES photo)
SEOUL, March 12 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in called on people not to lose hope in South Korea's battle against the new coronavirus Thursday after the U.N. health agency declared the virus outbreak a pandemic.
"This cannot help being a big threat to us at a time when domestically we've contained the blaze of COVID-19 and sought to curb the further spread," Moon wrote on social media. "(The global spread of the virus) could deal an unspeakable blow to the global economy and the Korean economy."
The World Health Organization declared Wednesday that the virus crisis is now a pandemic, as the numbers of confirmed cases are swelling across the globe.
Moon stressed what South Korea needs at this juncture is to harbor hope.
"We need the virus of 'hope' that will overwhelm COVID-19. We should also contain the virus of 'anxiety' that runs rampant like COVID-19," he said.
Moon encouraged health officials and medical workers fighting the virus and also cautioned that the outbreak may take time to be fully contained.
Later on Thursday, Moon visited a facility in the central city of Cheonan providing medical treatment to 308 infected patients from Daegu.
Daegu, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, has been the heart of South Korea's coronavirus outbreak, with the number of patients in the city skyrocketing due to a cluster of infections centered on the Shincheonji religious sect.
The president expressed gratitude to the medical staff for their work and vowed government efforts to support their services, according to his spokesperson, Kang Min-seok.
It was Moon's second visit to a facility treating virus patients in less than two weeks, following his visit to a military hospital in Daejeon last week.
President Moon Jae-in (L) listens to a briefing on the operation of a treatment facility in the central city of Cheonan for COVID-19 patients on March 12, 2020, in this photo provided by his office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-03-12--(LEAD) Gov't orders scheduled remote working for public servants

The education ministry and the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs have each confirmed one case and said employees were @ @ @ @ @ not to report to work .
The education ministry said 100 employees have been told @ @ @ @ @ with the veterans affairs ministry asking 20 employees who may have been exposed to remain @ @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details, revised infection numbers in paras 8-11)
SEOUL, March 12 (Yonhap) -- In its latest efforts to fight the new coronavirus, South Korea on Thursday introduced a flexible working scheme, including adjustable hours and remote working, for public servants.
Under the guidelines, public servants across the country are expected to take turns working remotely, either at home or at so-called smart work centers run by the government, according to the document distributed to 50 government organizations by the Ministry of Personnel Management.
The heads of each organization will decide on the numbers of those working remotely, while manager-level public servants will continue to work from their offices as usual.
The guidance, aimed at reducing office density and face-to-face contact, advises those working in offices to vary their commuting and lunch schedules.
It mandates that each team designates an employee to check whether there are team members with COVID-19 symptoms twice a day.
The guidelines also seek to minimize face-to-face meetings and expand online meetings.
The new rules, the strongest regarding government personnel, come amid concerns that more public servants could be affected by the contagious virus, which has infected 7,869 people in the country.
As of Thursday, 23 public servants, including 13 at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, working at the country's main government complex in Sejong have tested positive.
The oceans ministry said that it will test all 570 employees who work from its Sejong office to prevent further spread of the illness. All buildings occupied by the ministry have been disinfected, and the office used by those infected was temporarily closed as a safety measure.
The education ministry and the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs have each confirmed one case and said employees were told to stay home and not to report to work. The education ministry said 100 employees have been told to remain in quarantine, with the veterans affairs ministry asking 20 employees who may have been exposed to remain at home.
South Korea has 11 government complexes, including the main complex in Sejong, 130 kilometers south of Seoul, as well as in major cities such as Seoul and Daejeon.
Related to the outbreak among government officials, Sejong City said that it will move to check all workers at the complex as a precautionary move.
This undated file photo shows people walking into the main government complex in Sejong, 130 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-12--(4th LD) Virus infections linked to Seoul call center reach at least 105

`` We are working in a preemptive , bold and all-out manner to prevent the case from spreading .
There @ @ @ @ @ residential floors ... there seems to be no need for such concern , '' Park @ @ @ @ @ the case swelling into a mass outbreak seen in the country 's southeastern region .

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES paras 2, 3 with latest figures)
By Lee Minji
SEOUL, March 12 (Yonhap) -- The number of new coronavirus infections linked to a call center in southwestern Seoul has reached at least 105, the city government said Thursday, amid rising concerns over possible mass transmission in the metropolitan area.
Seoul accounted for most of them, with 74 patients as of 5 p.m., according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
Earlier, 17 cases linked to the call center were reported in Incheon, west of Seoul, and 14 in Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds the capital, according to Mayor Park Won-soon.
Health authorities and city officials run a virus screening center on March 10, 2020, in front of the Korea Building in southwestern Seoul where group transmissions were reported. (Yonhap)
The figures are based on screening tests of 207 call center employees who worked on the 11th floor of the building in the Sindorim neighborhood, as well as their families.
Of the roughly 550 call center employees working on the seventh to ninth floors of the building, 400 have been tested, while 150 are waiting to be tested, according to Guro Mayor Lee Sung. Guro is the southwestern Seoul ward that oversees the neighborhood of Sindorim.
Workers at other commercial facilities in the lower floors of the building, including a wedding hall and a convenience store, have so far tested negative, he added.
The Seoul mayor said while around 200 residents who live on the 13th to 19th floors of the 19-story building were tested for COVID-19 infections, none of them tested positive.
"We are working in a preemptive, bold and all-out manner to prevent the case from spreading. There were no patients in the residential floors ... there seems to be no need for such concern," Park told reporters when asked about the case swelling into a mass outbreak seen in the country's southeastern region.
Still, the city government said it plans to designate the affected building and nearby areas as a "special support zone for contagious diseases" to prevent the infections from developing into a bigger cluster infection.
Province officials disinfect a call center run by Gyeonggi Province in Suwon, south of Seoul, on March 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
Authorities have been on alert for group transmissions after Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province have been hit by infections traced to the fringe religious sect Shincheonji. More than 60 percent of the country's total infections are linked to the religious sect.
The group infections at the call center rang alarm bells about a similar crisis in the capital where 10 million live.
The building's location in Sindorim, one of the busiest neighborhoods in southwestern Seoul, with subway lines No. 1 and 2 that connect Seoul to nearby Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, added to fears over mass transmission in the wider metropolitan area that is home to 25 million.
The call center cases also triggered concerns over transmissions in packed, indoor spaces after the workers were found to have worked in narrow booths, without wearing masks.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said it plans to distribute guidelines for businesses in enclosed spaces, such as call centers, karaoke rooms and private sector cram schools.
This photo taken March 11, 2020, shows the Korea Building in southwestern Seoul, where group transmissions broke out among employees at a call center. (Yonhap)
According to government figures from midnight Wednesday, South Korea has reported 7,869 infections since its first confirmed case on Jan. 20.
Cases in Seoul rose to 212, up 19 cases from the previous day but slowed from the previous day when 52 new cases were reported, according to the KCDC's data.
Several minor cluster infections have been reported in the capital, such as 14 cases linked to the Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital in northwestern Seoul and 13 linked to a residential complex in Seongdong Ward.
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-12--Chinese embassy provides 25,000 masks to Seoul city amid virus concerns

`` If China and South Korea ... protect each other , look after each other and help each other , @ @ @ @ @ definitely win this battle against COVID-19 and meet the splendid spring , '' the envoy @ @

SEOUL, March 12 (Yonhap) -- The Chinese Embassy in South Korea said Thursday it has provided 25,000 masks to the Seoul city government amid concerns over possible mass transmission of the new coronavirus in the metropolitan area.
In a letter to Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, China's top envoy to Seoul, Xing Haiming, said the masks are in return for the help Seoul provided when the COVID-19 situation was at its worst in China, according to the embassy.
Earlier, the Seoul city government provided 600 million won (US$497,100) worth of quarantine materials to 12 Chinese cities including Beijing.
"If China and South Korea ... protect each other, look after each other and help each other, I believe that we can definitely win this battle against COVID-19 and meet the splendid spring," the envoy said.
As of Thursday morning, South Korea had reported a total of 7,869 infections nationwide.
In the largest cluster of infections in Seoul so far, at least 100 people linked to a call center in Guro Ward had tested positive for the virus as of Tuesday, highlighting concerns about the virus' spread in confined spaces and within the metropolitan area.
This photo, provided by the Chinese Embassy in Seoul on March 12, 2020, shows boxes of masks provided to Seoul by Beijing to help with the new coronavirus. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-03-12--Gov't orders scheduled remote working for public servants

Under the guidelines , public servants across the country are expected to take turns working remotely , either at home @ @ @ @ @ centers run by the government , according to the document distributed to 50 government organizations @ @ @ @ @ Management .

SEOUL, March 12 (Yonhap) -- In its latest efforts to fight the new coronavirus, South Korea on Thursday introduced a flexible working scheme, including flexible working hours and remote working, for public servants.
Under the guidelines, public servants across the country are expected to take turns working remotely, either at home or at so-called smart work centers run by the government, according to the document distributed to 50 government organizations by the Ministry of Personnel Management.
The heads of each organization will decide on the numbers of those working remotely, while manager-level public servants will continue to work at offices as usual.
The guidance, aimed at reducing office density and face-to-face contact, advises those working in offices to vary their commuting and lunch schedules.
It mandates that each team designates an employee to check whether there are team members with COVID-19 symptoms twice a day.
The guidelines also seek to minimize face-to-face meetings and expand online meetings.
The new rules, the strongest regarding government personnel, come amid concerns that more public servants could be affected by the contagious virus that has affected more than 7,800 people in the country.
As of Thursday, 14 public servants, including 11 at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, working at the country's main government complex in Sejong have tested positive.
South Korea has 11 government complexes, including the main complex in Sejong, 130 kilometers south of Seoul, as well as in major cities such as Seoul and Daejeon.
This undated file photo shows people walking into the main government complex in Sejong, 130 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-12--No international flights run at Gimpo airport on Thursday amid virus concerns

The airport used to operate five international routes , but following the COVID-19 outbreak the number was reduced to two @ @ @ @ @ Shanghai is run by China Eastern Airlines , and the other to Beijing is run @ @ @ @ @

SEOUL, March 12 (Yonhap) -- No international flights operated at Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul on Thursday amid concerns about the new coronavirus.
The airport used to operate five international routes, but following the COVID-19 outbreak the number was reduced to two. One line connecting to Shanghai is run by China Eastern Airlines, and the other to Beijing is run by China Southern Airlines.
Both were not scheduled for operation Thursday. It is the first time that the airport has had no international flights since 2003, when it resumed international operations.
About 160 domestic flights operated normally, an airport official said.
Two South Korean airlines have halted international operations at Gimpo, and the two Chinese companies also plan to curtail services.
Some ticket booths at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul are closed on March 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-03-13--(4th LD) Virus cases continue to increase in Seoul, but growth slows

In Seoul , where a group transmission at an insurance call center had spawned concerns , 13 more cases were @ @ @ @ @ to 225 as of Thursday midnight , according to the KCDC data .
An additional @ @ @ @ @ by various ward offices in the city , bringing the total to 240 , although @ @ @ @ @ reflected in the official daily government tally .

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details in paras 4, 10, 12)
By Lee Minji
SEOUL, March 13 (Yonhap) -- New cases of the new coronavirus reported in Seoul on Friday slowed from earlier in the week, but officials said it is yet too early to lower their guard against the contagious virus.
"We seem to have extinguished the big fire, but we cannot lower our guard. ... There is a possibility that (the call center infection) may emit sparks to other areas," Park said in a press briefing streamed on YouTube.
South Korea reported 110 new COVID-19 cases Friday, bringing the total to 7,979, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
In Seoul, where a group transmission at an insurance call center had spawned concerns, 13 more cases were reported, raising the total to 225 as of Thursday midnight, according to the KCDC data. An additional 15 cases have been reported by various ward offices in the city, bringing the total to 240, although they have yet to be reflected in the official daily government tally.
This photo, taken March 11, 2020, shows the Korea Building in southwestern Seoul, where group infections occurred among workers at a call center on the 11th floor. (Yonhap)
The increase marks a sharp slowdown from Wednesday, when 52 cases were reported following the call center infections. It is also smaller than the 19 new cases reported Thursday.
The call center case, which centers on a 19-story building in the southwestern ward of Guro, is so far the biggest cluster infection reported in South Korea's capital of 10 million, or 25 million when including Incheon and Gyeonggi Province in the wider metropolitan area.
The building's neighborhood is one of the busiest transportation hubs in southwestern Seoul -- subway lines No. 1 and 2, which connect to nearby Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, pass through the area.
The call center is located on the 11th floor of the building. The lower 12 floors are leased out as offices and commercial facilities, including a wedding hall, and the top seven floors are residential.
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon speaks at an online press briefing held at the local health office in Guro Ward in southwestern Seoul on March 13, 2020. (Yonhap)
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon told reporters that most of the 1,091 workers, residents and their contacts in the affected building had been tested as of 10 a.m.
Of those who have been screened, 112 have tested positive, including 74 in Seoul, with others being discovered in Incheon, west of Seoul, and in Gyeonggi Province, according to local governments and the KDCD.
The cases have mostly been contained within the 11th floor of the building, and their family members, while no cases have been reported among residents who live on the 13th to 19th floor, Park said.
But he also warned that figures may go up when factoring in unregistered visitors at the building. The city is currently trying to secure a list of people who entered the building after Feb. 21 based on GPS tracking provided by mobile operators and the police.
Health authorities have been on alert for additional group transmissions, with some 80 percent of all reported cases here beign traced to cluster infections in hospitals, religious facilities and even Zumba classes.
While the pace of daily new infections has shown signs of slowing following an aggressive testing program for more than 210,000 Shincheoji followers, who have been at the center of the outbreak here, sporadic outbreaks have been spotted across the country.
In Seoul, 14 cases were linked to Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital in the northwestern Eunpyeong Ward, while another 13 cases were traced to an apartment complex in Seongdong Ward in the east of the city. Nine cases were recently reported in relation to a Protestant church in Dongdaemun Ward that held a winter camp in late February.
Closed, indoor spaces, such as call centers, internet cafes and private-sector cram schools, have emerged as spaces carrying a greater risk of infection for users, with the government stressing social distancing and recommending owners suspend their businesses.
Health officials disinfect an internet cafe in Seongdong Ward in eastern Seoul on March 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-13--(LEAD) Top court rules in favor of singer banned from visiting S. Korea

In 2017 , the Seoul High Court ruled the refusal was appropriate , but the Supreme Court in July 2019 @ @ @ @ @ revisit the ruling , saying it violated due administrative procedure .
In November last year @ @ @ @ @ in favor of Yoo .

(ATTN: ADDS reaction from Seoul's foreign ministry in paras 9-10)
SEOUL, March 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top court has ruled in favor of a Korean-American singer who was banned from entering South Korea, a decision that may help him visit the country for the first time in 18 years.
The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a lower court's decision that was handed down in favor of Steve Yoo, better known as Yoo Seung-jun here, in a lawsuit against South Korea's diplomatic mission in Los Angeles for refusing to grant him a visa.
Yoo, 43, had been banned from entering South Korea since 2002, when he became the subject of public outcry after giving up his South Korean citizenship, which critics claimed was aimed at dodging military service.
After botched attempts to enter the country, he filed a lawsuit against the South Korean Consulate General in Los Angeles in October 2015 for refusing to grant him a visa. Yoo reportedly applied for an F-4 visa, which is usually issued to Koreans living overseas.
In 2017, the Seoul High Court ruled the refusal was appropriate, but the Supreme Court in July 2019 ordered the same court to revisit the ruling, saying it violated due administrative procedure. In November last year, the appeals court ruled in favor of Yoo.
But the top court's decision does not mean that Yoo's entrance to South Korea will be automatically permitted as the main contentious point in the lawsuit was whether the visa refusal was proper.
Yoo is expected to apply for a visa again, but there is the possibility that the Korean consulate general in Los Angeles may reject the visa issuance, citing other reasons.
"We expect an appropriate decision that will be commensurate with the purpose of the ruling as the top court handed down the same decision twice," a legal representative of Yoo said.
South Korea's foreign ministry said if Yoo applies for a visa, it will decide on whether to issue it after consulting with related agencies
"The government will decide on whether to grant the plaintiff a visa through the legitimate exercise of discretionary authority," the ministry said.
Yoo had been a mega-hit singer until the citizenship issue sparked public fury in a country where mandatory military service is a sensitive issue.
By law, all able-bodied men have to serve in the armed forces for around two years before the age of 38.
This file photo shows Korean-American singer Steve Yoo. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-13--U.S. stadium, set for BTS concerts in April, closes operations over virus woes

BTS was scheduled to launch the U.S. leg of its world tour on April 25 in Santa Clara , where @ @ @ @ @ days of performances .
The tour would take it to Los Angeles , Dallas , @ @ @ @ @ Jersey , Washington , D.C. and Chicago .

SEOUL, March 13 (Yonhap) -- A stadium in California where K-pop superband BTS planned to hold concerts next month said Thursday (local time) it will suspend operations for the time being due to concerns about the new coronavirus.
Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, tweeted, "In light of guidelines issued yesterday by the federal government to stop the spread of COVID-19, the SAP Performance Center and Levi's Stadium will close operations beginning March 13 until further notice."
BTS was scheduled to launch the U.S. leg of its world tour on April 25 in Santa Clara, where the band plans to two days of performances. The tour would take it to Los Angeles, Dallas, Orlando, Atlanta, New Jersey, Washington, D.C. and Chicago.
But the stadium's announcement raised uncertainty for BTS's planned concerts.
"We will put out a notice if there are any changes," Big Hit Entertainment said.
In February, BTS canceled the inaugural Seoul leg of its new world tour, now set to kick off in April, as South Korea was struggling to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
This photo, provided by Big Hit Entertainment, shows K-pop superband BTS. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-03-13--(LEAD) Virus outbreak already hurting domestic demand: finance ministry

KIEP said hospitality businesses are being hit hardest , with the transport and storage as well as the travel and @ @ @ @ @ .
On the other hand , the think tank said local e-commerce is expected to @ @ @ @ @ people opt to buy products online .

(ATTN: ADDS with assessesment by KIEP in para 8-11; UPDATES with minor edits throughout)
SEOUL, March 13 (Yonhap) -- The outbreak of the new coronavirus is already hurting domestic demand and sending reverberations into the local financial markets, the country's finance ministry said Friday.
In a monthly report called the Green Book, the Ministry of Economy and Finance said the virus outbreak is causing downward revisions to growth estimates for most major economies.
"The downward risks, such as increased volatility in the financial market and prices of raw materials, are growing," the report said. "With growing concerns over the global impact of COVID-19, growth projections for the global economy and major countries are being revised down," it added.
Cargo containers are stacked at a port in South Korea's southeastern city of Busan on Dec. 1, 2019, in this file photo. (Yonhap)
Earlier this week, the World Health Organization declared the virus outbreak a pandemic.
South Korea has confirmed 7,800 infection cases with 66 deaths as of Thursday.
Its central bank, however, has already slashed its growth outlook for Asia's fourth-largest economy to 2.1 percent from the previous 2.3 percent.
Others, including global ratings agency S&P, have lowered their growth estimates to as low as 1.1 percent for the South Korean economy.
The state-run Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP) said that the spread of the virus could result in country's gross domestic product (GDP) contracting 0.51-1.02 percent this year.
The prediction takes into account a fall off in labor productivity, weak consumer sentiment and disruption to trade.
KIEP said hospitality businesses are being hit hardest, with the transport and storage as well as the travel and leisure sectors all being impacted. On the other hand, the think tank said local e-commerce is expected to do relatively well, as people opt to buy products online.
It added that depending on the severity of the outbreak, global GDP may backtrack 0.57-1.13 percent in 2020.
The Seoul government has pledged about 20 trillion won (US$16.4 billion) to fight the virus and support the local economy, and it is also seeking nearly 12 trillion won in an extra budget to help offset the fallout from the outbreak.
"The government will swiftly implement its phase one and two support measures to help overcome the damage from COVID-19 at an early date while also making thorough preparations for the swift execution of the extra budget," the finance ministry said in its report.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-13--Top court rules in favor of singer banned from visiting S. Korea

SEOUL, March 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top court has ruled in favor of a Korean-American singer who was banned from entering South Korea, a decision that may help him visit the country for the first time in 18 years.
The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a lower court's decision that was handed down in favor of Steve Yoo, better known as Yoo Seung-jun here, in a lawsuit against South Korea's diplomatic mission in Los Angeles for refusing to grant him a visa.
Yoo, 43, had been banned from entering South Korea since 2002, when he became the subject of public outcry after giving up his South Korean citizenship, which critics claimed was aimed at dodging military service.
After botched attempts to enter the country, he filed a lawsuit against the South Korean Consulate General in Los Angeles in October 2015 for refusing to grant him a visa. Yoo reportedly applied for an F-4 visa, which is usually issued to Koreans living overseas.
In 2017, the Seoul High Court ruled the refusal was appropriate, but the Supreme Court in July 2019 ordered the same court to revisit the ruling, saying it violated due administrative procedure. In November last year, the appeals court ruled in favor of Yoo.
But the top court's decision does not mean that Yoo's entrance to the South will be automatically permitted as the main contentious point in the lawsuit was whether the visa refusal was proper.
Yoo is expected to apply for a visa again, but there is the possibility that the Korean consulate general in Los Angeles may reject the visa issuance, citing other reasons.
"We expect an appropriate decision that will be commensurate with the purpose of the ruling as the top court handed down the same decision twice," a legal representative of Yoo said.
Yoo had been a mega-hit singer until the citizenship issue sparked public fury in a country where mandatory military service is a sensitive issue.
By law, all able-bodied men have to serve in the armed forces for around two years before the age of 38.
This file photo shows Korean-American singer Steve Yoo. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)