yna--2020-07-21--Pitching coach-turned-manager straddling fine line between winning and protecting arms

`` I think it 's best for relievers to pitch for two days , rest for two days , and @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said .
`` If you pitch three straight days , that third @ @ @ @ @ .
But over the course of a season , you just ca n't predict when @ @ @ @ @ guy who 's thrown the past two days .
There really is no right answer @ @

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, July 21 (Yonhap) -- As a former pitcher who flamed out early in his career because of injuries, the Kiwoom Heroes' manager Son Hyuk often agonizes over the workload of his relievers.
In a tight game especially, Son says he keeps asking himself if he should use a reliever for a third straight day or go for another option, even if it means risking blowing a lead.
In this file photo, from July 15, 2020, members of the Kiwoom Heroes celebrate their 7-4 victory over the NC Dinos in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. (Yonhap)
"Obviously, I am trying to win, but at the same time, I have to protect these pitchers," Son said Tuesday, before the start of a key three-game set against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. "The best-case scenario is for us to win some games while also preserving arms."
Son was second-guessed about his bullpen usage from last weekend's series against the SK Wyverns. Closer Cho Sang-woo pitched Friday and Saturday and was held out of Sunday's game, as the Wyverns scored four runs in the bottom eighth for a 4-3 victory. Setup man An Woo-jin was charged with all four runs, with Cho watching from the dugout.
Asked if he should have used Cho for a third straight game, Son said he didn't think the right-hander would have been sharp, anyway.
"His pitch count in the second game (23) was a bit too high for us to consider using him for a third straight day," Son said. "If we had used Cho Sang-woo and won Sunday, maybe it wouldn't have taken him that long to recover. But if Cho had pitched and we still lost, then the physical and psychological damage from that would have been far more serious."
Son, who was done as a pitcher at 31 and only made 26 appearances over his final four seasons combined, said he didn't want his pitchers to go through what he did.
In this file photo, from July 10, 2020, Kiwoom Heroes' manager Son Hyuk (R) reacts to an RBI hit by Lee Jung-hoo against the Kia Tigers during a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
"I realized (after retiring) that it's always best to stay in the game as long as possible. If you've played baseball your whole life and you're out of uniform, you're a nobody," Son said. "And it's also good for baseball fans to be able to watch talented pitchers for many years."
Son said he has been in constant communication with team trainers about pitchers' conditioning and how quickly or slowly they recover after each outing. Together, they try to make sure that a reliever who throws four times in a week will not go more than three games the following week.
"I think it's best for relievers to pitch for two days, rest for two days, and then go two more days," he said. "If you pitch three straight days, that third day will always be difficult. But over the course of a season, you just can't predict when you may need that same guy who's thrown the past two days. There really is no right answer."
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-21--(LEAD) S. Korea rejects UNC request to hold annual ceremony in Panmunjom

Confirming the government 's denial of its request , the UNC said in a statement that it decided to host @ @ @ @ @ different location in Panmunjom , '' saying that a ceremony marking the anniversary has taken @ @ @ @ @ years at the truce village .

(ATTN: ADDS UNC's statement, more details in last 3 paras)
SEOUL, July 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has rejected a request from the United Nations Command to hold an annual ceremony on the inter-Korean border due to concerns over the new coronavirus and inter-Korean tensions, a unification ministry official said.
The remarks came after a local newspaper reported the ministry rejected a UNC request to hold an annual ceremony in the Freedom House located in the border village of Panmunjom to mark the 67th anniversary of the signing of the 1950-53 Korean War armistice agreement.
"We rejected it after comprehensively considering the coronavirus situation and recent inter-Korean relations," the official said.
He pointed out the ministry disapproved of the ceremony "for reasons similar to those that led the resumption of a tour program to the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom to be postponed."
Tours to Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), initially scheduled to take place in February for Seoul-based diplomats, displaced people who hail from North Korea and separated families, were called off due to coronavirus concerns.
This TASS photo, taken on July 16, 20219, shows a view of the village of Panmunjeom in the Demilitarized Zone between North Korea and South Korea. (Yonhap)
Confirming the government's denial of its request, the UNC said in a statement that it decided to host the ceremony "at a different location in Panmunjom," saying that a ceremony marking the anniversary has taken place for more than 60 years at the truce village.
The exact location for the upcoming ceremony has yet to be fixed, as there are many factors that need to be taken into consideration, such as weather conditions, according to sources.
The U.S.-led command administers Panmunjom and the broader Demilitarized Zone and enforces the armistice that halted the 1950-53 Korean War. The four-story Freedom House building was constructed in 1998 and has been used for communications with North Korea. It is managed by the South Korean government.
Gen. Robert Abrams, chief of the United Nations Command (UNC), delivers a speech at an event to celebrate the 66th anniversary of the signing of the 1950-53 Korean War armistice agreement, in the truce village of Panmunjom, north of Seoul, on July 27, 2019. (Joint Press Corps-Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-21--Diplomats from Asia-Pacific countries hold videoconferences on regional, global issues

Seoul 's Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gunn represented South Korea in the sessions , which were also aimed at preparing @ @ @ @ @ presidential-level sessions of the regional meetings expected to take place in September and November .

SEOUL, July 21 (Yonhap) -- Diplomats from Asia-Pacific countries have held videoconferences on joint responses to the new coronavirus, peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula, tensions in the South China Sea and other pending issues, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.
The diplomats attended the Senior Officials' Meetings (SOM) of three regional dialogue platforms -- the ASEAN-plus-three meeting, which involves the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, South Korea, China and Japan; the East Asia Summit (EAS); and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) -- on Monday and Tuesday.
Seoul's Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gunn represented South Korea in the sessions, which were also aimed at preparing for the foreign ministerial- and presidential-level sessions of the regional meetings expected to take place in September and November.
At the EAS meeting, Kim called for international support for Seoul's drive to achieve denuclearization and lasting peace on the divided peninsula, the ministry said.
Kim also voiced hope that peace and stability will be guaranteed in the South China Sea and that territorial disputes in the strategic waterway will be peacefully resolved in accordance with "internationally established norms."
Ri Ho-jun, a North Korean diplomat in Vietnam, attended the ARF SOM session but did not make any remarks, the ministry said.
At the ARF session, the South Korean deputy minister called for joint efforts to ensure cyberspace remains "safe and transparent" amid increasing online activities in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-21--S. Korea, Japan take part in anti-piracy multilateral drill in waters off Somalia

The joint participation came at a time when the relationship between Seoul and Tokyo has plunged to one of its @ @ @ @ @ they have been at odds over historic , economic , diplomatic and defense issues , @ @ @ @ @ Japan 's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula .

SEOUL, July 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and Japan took part in a multilateral anti-piracy drill in waters off Somalia last week, officials said Tuesday, a rare joint military event amid soured bilateral relations.
The regular exercise, named Operation Atalanta, took place from July 16-17 in the Gulf of Aden, involving South Korea, Japan and Spain, according to Seoul's military officials. It is led by the European Union Naval Force Somalia.
South Korea sent the anti-piracy unit of Cheonghae on the 4,400-ton Dae Jo Young to the drill, which also brought together a 4,600-ton frigate from Japan and a 4,100-ton frigate from Spain, they added.
Launched in 2008, the operation is designed to protect vessels, deter and disrupt piracy and robbery at sea and monitor fishing activities off the coast of Somalia, according to the EU military.
The last known Operation Atalanta drill attended by both South Korea and Japan was the one that took place in 2017.
The joint participation came at a time when the relationship between Seoul and Tokyo has plunged to one of its lowest points ever, as they have been at odds over historic, economic, diplomatic and defense issues, which have mostly resulted from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.
"Upon the EU entity's request, we've often participated in the drill. It aims to hone anti-piracy skills and boost cooperation among different militaries," an official of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
South Korea has stationed the Cheonghae Unit since 2009 to help with global efforts to tackle piracy off Somalia. From this year, the 300-member contingent temporarily expanded its mission areas from the Gulf of Aden to include the Strait of Hormuz upon the request by the U.S. to help protect the strategic waterway.
The Dae Jo Yeong, a 4,400-ton South Korean destroyer, departs from a naval base in Busan for the Gulf of Aden on May 11, 2020, carrying a 300-strong contingent of the Cheonghae Unit. The contingent, the 32nd of its kind, will combat piracy in waters off Somalia and in the Persian Gulf over the next six months. (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-21--S. Korea closely consulting with U.S. to seek 'creative solution' to resuming Mt. Kumgang tour: mini

S. Korea closely consulting with U.S. to seek 'creative solution' to resuming Mt. Kumgang tour: ministry

South Korea has been considering individual tours to the scenic mountain as a way to restart the tour project without @ @ @ @ @ as to move reconciliation with the North forward .

SEOUL, July 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is looking for a "creative solution" through consultations with the United States to resume a long-suspended tour program to North Korea's Mount Kumgang in the form of individual tours, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.
South Korea has been considering individual tours to the scenic mountain as a way to restart the tour project without violating sanctions on Pyongyang so as to move reconciliation with the North forward.
The program's formal resumption requires a sanctions waiver as it involves bulk cash transfer to the North.
"We have said a number of times that Seoul and Washington have closely been coordinating over many issues. We are continuing to seek a creative solution through close communication," foreign ministry spokesperson Kim In-chul told a press briefing.
Unification Minister nominee Lee In-young also called individual tours a "creative solution" and said he would propose talks with the North on the issue at an appropriate time.
The project was suspended after a South Korean tourist was shot dead near the mountain resort in 2008.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun said during his visit to Seoul earlier this month that the U.S. strongly supports inter-Korean cooperation and called it an important component in fostering stability on the Korean Peninsula.
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-21--(LEAD) Ex-S. Korea captain Ki Sung-yueng rejoins FC Seoul after 11 years away

Under an agreement when Ki first left the K League 1 , FC Seoul reserved exclusive rights to negotiate with @ @ @ @ @ play in South Korea again .
And if Ki hoped to sign with another K @ @ @ @ @ had to pay FC Seoul a hefty transfer fee , reportedly 2.6 billion won ( @ @ @ @ @ .
With FC Seoul reluctant to sign Ki and also unwilling to let him go @ @ @ @ @ said in February he did n't feel wanted by his original club .

(ATTN: ADDS comments, details in paras 7-11, photos)
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, July 21 (Yonhap) -- Ki Sung-yueng is taking his football talent back to South Korea.
The former South Korean national team captain has rejoined FC Seoul, the K League 1 club announced Tuesday. The reunion comes 11 years after the 31-year-old left for Scotland, and five months after Ki called off talks with the club and accused them of negotiating in bad faith.
FC Seoul midfielder Ki Sung-yueng poses with the team banner at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul after signing with the K League 1 club, in this photo provided by FC Seoul on July 21, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
FC Seoul said the midfielder is signed through 2023, but financial details will not be disclosed under a mutual agreement.
After that ugly turn of events earlier in the year, the two sides have since mended fences enough that Ki agreed to a multiyear deal.
Ki most recently played for RCD Mallorca in La Liga, though the global COVID-19 pandemic limited him to just one appearance.
Ki's first foray into international club football came with Celtic, with whom he won the 2011-2012 Scottish Premier League title. After three seasons in Scotland, Ki moved to the English Premier League and competed for Swansea City, Sunderland and Newcastle United.
In this file photo from July 12, 2009, Ki Sung-yueng takes a shot while playing for FC Seoul in the K League 1 against Incheon United at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul. FC Seoul announced on July 21, 2020, that Ki has rejoined them after 11 years away from the South Korean capital. (Yonhap)
Under an agreement when Ki first left the K League 1, FC Seoul reserved exclusive rights to negotiate with Ki if he wanted to play in South Korea again. And if Ki hoped to sign with another K League club, that team had to pay FC Seoul a hefty transfer fee, reportedly 2.6 billion won (US$2.2 million). With FC Seoul reluctant to sign Ki and also unwilling to let him go to another team, Ki said in February he didn't feel wanted by his original club.
But the tone has dramatically changed since. In a statement released by FC Seoul, Ki said it felt good to be back home.
"FC Seoul helped me become the player that I am today, and it's the club that I love the most," Ki said. "I'd like to thank our fans for their patience."
Ki will don No. 8 in his second tour of duty. Ki wore No. 40, No. 17 and No. 21 earlier in his K League career.
Ki will have his introductory press conference at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Seoul World Cup Stadium.
Internationally, Ki racked up 110 caps and played at three FIFA World Cups.
Stuck in 11th place among 12 clubs after a dozen matches this season, FC Seoul need all the outside help they can get. They've only managed to score 10 goals and given up a league-worst 26 goals.
FC Seoul midfielder Ki Sung-yueng poses in his uniform at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul after signing with the K League 1 club, in this photo provided by FC Seoul on July 21, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
FC Seoul said Ki will be the stabilizing force on and off the pitch, and called him a "difference maker" who brings strong fundamentals, superior vision and outstanding passing and defensive skills.
While Ki, a defensive midfielder, may not address the goal-scoring issue, he should at least bring some stability to the injury-plagued club.
During Saturday's 3-1 loss to Pohang Steelers, centerback Yun Young-sun was lifted for chest pains, and midfielder Osmar was taken out because of a calf injury.
In this file photo from Feb. 21, 2020, South Korean football player Ki Sung-yueng speaks to reporters at Incheon International Airport, just west of Seoul, before departing for Spain to finalize contract talks with RCD Mallorca. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--U.N. expert requests meeting with unification ministry amid concerns over leafleting

Tomas Ojea Quintana voiced concerns over the South Korean government 's measures against North Korean defector groups and said he @ @ @ @ @ Seoul to request information , in an interview with Voice of America and Radio Free @ @ @ @ @ time ) .

SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- A United Nations special rapporteur on North Korea's human rights situation has requested a meeting with the unification ministry, a ministry official said Wednesday, amid reports the rapporteur is concerned about South Korea's measures to restrict the activities of defector groups.
Tomas Ojea Quintana voiced concerns over the South Korean government's measures against North Korean defector groups and said he would get in touch with Seoul to request information, in an interview with Voice of America and Radio Free Asia on Wednesday (local time).
The United Nations may also "issue a formal communication with the government of South Korea, calling for a balanced management of the regulation and control of civil society organizations," he was quoted as saying.
"They have not told us to submit information but there has been a request for a meeting," Yoh Sang-key, the unification ministry's spokesperson, told reporters during a regular press briefing.
"We will explain the government's stance in the meeting," he added, while declining to comment on how and when the meeting will be held.
Earlier, the unification ministry said it will launch an inspection into government-registered activist groups, starting with 25 entities, including 13 groups run by North Korean defectors. The probe is expected to start later this month.
Last week, the ministry also revoked the operation permits of two North Korean defector groups for sending leaflets to the communist state in defiance of the government's calls to refrain from such activity.
The government has advised the groups against sending leaflets, saying the launches violate an inter-Korean exchange and cooperation act and could jeopardize the safety of residents in border areas.
But the groups have ignored the appeal, citing their right to freedom of expression and emphasizing that their leafleting is aimed at providing information to people in the oppressive North Korean state.
This photo, provided by Fighters for Free North Korea, an organization of North Korean defectors advocating North Korean human rights, on June 23, 2020, shows a balloon containing anti-Pyongyang leaflets being sent toward North Korea. The group claimed it dispatched the leaflets in the border town of Paju, north of Seoul, the previous day, while evading police surveillance. The launch came amid mounting inter-Korean tensions caused by the organization's previous leaflet distribution and the Seoul government's declared crackdown on it. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--Ki Sung-yueng looks forward to fresh start in return to K League's FC Seoul

Under an agreement when Ki first left the K League 1 for Celtic in the Scottish Premier League , FC @ @ @ @ @ negotiate with Ki if he wanted to play in South Korea again .
And if @ @ @ @ @ another K League club , that team had to pay FC Seoul a hefty transfer @ @ @ @ @ won ( US $ 2.2 million ) .
With FC Seoul reluctant to sign Ki @ @ @ @ @ him go to another team , Ki said in February he did n't feel wanted @ @ @ @ @

SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- Ki Sung-yueng has come home again. And he believes he can regain the form that made him one of the top midfielders to come out of South Korea.
Ki was reintroduced as the member of FC Seoul in the K League 1 on Wednesday. He signed with them Tuesday, 11 years after leaving the nation's capital to embark on an international club career that took him to Scotland, Wales, England and Spain.
Ki Sung-yueng of FC Seoul poses in his new uniform at his introductory press conference at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul on July 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
He's signed through the 2023 season, though financial terms were not disclosed under a mutual agreement.
The veteran midfielder, known for his on-field vision and passing skills, will be called upon to be the savior for a downtrodden club stuck in 11th place among 12 teams in the top South Korean league.
But the initial excitement of Ki's arrival is mitigated by the fact that the 31-year-old has barely played any football since last fall.
His last appearance with Newcastle United in the Premier League came in September last year, and he only appeared in one match for RCD Mallorca in Spain this past spring before the coronavirus pandemic hit. He also suffered a minor ankle injury.
Ki said it was difficult to be spending so much idle time, but he tried to look on the brighter side.
"I've had such a hectic career that I barely had any time to reflect on myself," he said during a press conference at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul Wednesday. "Over in Spain, I took some time to recharge my battery."
He said he has no regrets over the decade-plus he spent in Europe.
Ki Sung-yueng of FC Seoul speaks at his introductory press conference at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul on July 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
"I've experienced things that few others get to experience, and I am gratified with that," Ki said. "After I retired from international play (in 2019), I may have been stuck in a rut. I think returning to the K League will motivate me again. I believe I can kick into another gear here."
FC Seoul's acquisition also closes the book on an ugly feud from February, when Ki, following the end of his stint with Newcastle United, sought to return to FC Seoul, only to be met with a lukewarm response from the club.
Under an agreement when Ki first left the K League 1 for Celtic in the Scottish Premier League, FC Seoul reserved exclusive rights to negotiate with Ki if he wanted to play in South Korea again. And if Ki hoped to sign with another K League club, that team had to pay FC Seoul a hefty transfer fee, reportedly 2.6 billion won (US$2.2 million). With FC Seoul reluctant to sign Ki and also unwilling to let him go to another team, Ki said in February he didn't feel wanted by his original club.
Ki said Tuesday he has buried the hatchet with the club.
"I think everyone knows feelings were hurt back then," Ki acknowledged. "I know fans must have been frustrated with the situation, and I made life difficult for a lot of people, though it wasn't intentional. I'll be competing with a strong sense of responsibility."
Ki Sung-yueng of FC Seoul (R) poses in his new uniform next to the club mascot at his introductory press conference at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul on July 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
Ki said the COVID-19 pandemic compelled him to think more about his young family and how tough it would be to continue his career overseas away from them at this juncture.
"Playing in the K League again had always been in the back of my mind," he said. "FC Seoul officials made it possible for me to come in with a renewed sense of purpose."
Ki will don No. 8 in his second tour of duty. Ki wore No. 40, No. 17 and No. 21 earlier in his K League career.
Internationally, Ki racked up 110 caps and played at three FIFA World Cups and served as the national team captain at the 2018 World Cup.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--(2nd LD) Cluster infections, imported cases push new virus cases above 60

New virus cases spiked to 45 on Tuesday after falling below the threshold of 30 for the first time in @ @ @ @ @ Monday , due mainly to an uptick in the number of local infections led by @ @ @ @ @ .

(ATTN: ADDS details throughout; CHANGES photo)
SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new daily virus cases rebounded to over 60 on Wednesday due to a rise in locally transmitted infections and imported cases, with the greater Seoul seeing a sharp increase in virus cases tied to a nursing home and a front-line military unit.
The country identified 63 new cases, raising the total caseload to 13,879, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Of the newly added cases, 29 were local infections.
New virus cases spiked to 45 on Tuesday after falling below the threshold of 30 for the first time in more than three weeks on Monday, due mainly to an uptick in the number of local infections led by a nursing home in Seoul.
Of the locally transmitted cases reported Wednesday, 16 were from Seoul.
A nursing home in western Seoul reported three new COVID-19 cases the previous day, raising the total number of related cases to 12.
Staff members check passengers at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, west of Seoul, on July 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
Gyeonggi Province surrounding the capital city reported eight new infections.
An Army unit near the inter-Korean border reported a cluster infection. At least 13 soldiers have been confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 so far, according to military officials. Not all of them were included in the daily tally.
Gwangju, located 330 kilometers southwest of Seoul, added one new case. Incheon, just west of Seoul, added four new infections.
Imported cases continued to increase, rising by double-digit figures for 27 consecutive days. Related cases may further rise down the road as the country plans to bring home nationals from the virus-hit Iraq.
The country plans to bring 290 South Korean nationals from the Middle East nation on Friday by sending two chartered flights.
"To prevent the spread of the virus, we plan to separate seats among those with symptoms of COVID-19 and those with none," Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip said during a regular briefing.
South Korea has been requesting foreign arrivals from six high-risk nations to hand in virus test results. They are still put under a two-week quarantine and go through separate COVID-19 tests.
So far, eight arrivals from the countries later tested positive for the virus here despite handing in the proof. Health authorities, however, said it is not likely for such cases to lead to local infections.
Of the 34 imported cases reported Wednesday, 11 of them were from Uzbekistan, followed by the Philippines with seven cases and the United States with five.
Health authorities said another Russian sailor aboard a ship docked in the southeastern port city of Busan tested positive for COVID-19. Health authorities carried out tests on 22 people on board the ship on Tuesday.
Over the past month, South Korea has detected 43 virus cases from Russian ships docked in Busan.
A visitor wearing a protective mask takes a photo at Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul on July 22, 2020. The country reopened public facilities, such as museums and libraries, on the day. (Yonhap)
In the latest efforts to normalize everyday lives of South Koreans, the country started to reopen public facilities, such as museums and libraries, in the greater Seoul area this week.
South Korea has never adopted a full nationwide lockdown, and instead opted to persuade its people to follow strict social distancing rules while minimizing disruptions to business activities. Limited restrictions have been implemented on vulnerable places, such as clubs and churches.
Starting Friday, local churches will also be allowed to hold gatherings other than regular worship services. Health authorities have banned organizing other prayer services and meetings since July 10 as a growing number of cases was tied to religious gatherings.
"South Korea will continue to experience ups and downs in the number of new COVID-19 cases down the road," Kim said. "We need to keep in mind that the country can suffer a massive outbreak as observed from (the nightlife district of) Itaewon in May anytime."
Local authorities, meanwhile, are on alert over the summer vacation season when more people are likely to make short trips home.
The country's death toll came to 297, up one the previous day, according to the KCDC. The fatality rate was 2.14 percent.
The number of patients being fully cured of the virus reached 12,698, up 55 from the previous day.
South Korea, which holds a population of around 51 million, carried out 1,492,071 COVID-19 tests since Jan. 3.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--More universities endorse case for tuition refunds for classes disrupted by pandemic

It has followed in the footsteps of Konkuk University in Seoul , which became the country 's first higher education @ @ @ @ @ an agreement with students on a refund plan .
The school has recently decided to @ @ @ @ @ tuition for the fall semester , meaning students will receive up to 390,000 won .

SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- More South Korean universities are positively responding to the demand for partial tuition refunds to compensate students for disrupted learning due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The National Korea Maritime & Ocean University recently became the first school in the southern port city of Busan to decide to offer refunds. The school said it will pay back 10 percent of the tuition for the spring semester to each student, which amounts to approximately 209,000 won (US$175).
"The school's income has dropped and we have spent more on quarantine programs and preparation for online classes, so the financial conditions have worsened," President Doh Deog-hee said. "Nevertheless, we will save our budget to make resources (for the refund) in light of sharing the pain with students."
It has followed in the footsteps of Konkuk University in Seoul, which became the country's first higher education institute in June to reach an agreement with students on a refund plan. The school has recently decided to refund 8.3 percent of the tuition for the fall semester, meaning students will receive up to 390,000 won.
Students at Korea University in Seoul stage a protest for a tuition refund at its campus on July 3, 2020. (Yonhap)
The move by some universities to partially refund tuition fees has been accelerated by a class action lawsuit filed earlier this month by a student group against the Ministry of Education and schools.
Also the ministry's recent decision to offer financial support to schools that join the campaign for tuition cuts has also encouraged more schools to participate.
The global crisis caused by the novel coronavirus has triggered a major disruption in the way higher education institutions offer classes. As campuses shut down and instructions are being offered remotely, there have been continuing complaints from students that online instructions are not good value for money.
Still, a majority of universities argue that it is hard for them to cough up tuition, citing a rise in pandemic-related costs for setting up online classes and running disinfection and quarantine programs on campus.
But a rising number of Korean schools are trying to find a compromise on the issue that would make both schools and students happy.
In Busan, other universities, including the Pusan National University and the Pukyong National University, are moving toward a similar refund plan. Private universities, such as Dongeui and Tongmyong, have doled out 100,000 won to each student under the name of "special scholarship."
In Daegu, once the epicenter of the country's coronavirus outbreak, Daegu University paid out 100,000 won each to its 17,000 students and another round of partial refund up to 430,000 won is scheduled for the fall semester.
Around the country, more universities are expected to follow suit as the case for tuition cuts has gained ground and schools are currently negotiating with their student bodies on the issue.
Students from five universities in and near Daejeon demand a tuition refund, at Chungnam National University in the city on July 13, 2020. (Yonhap)
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--(3rd LD) At least 13 Army soldiers infected with coronavirus at front-line unit

Two soldiers at the unit in Pocheon , some 45 kilometers north of Seoul , tested positive for the virus @ @ @ @ @ the previous day .
All other members of the unit then went through testing and @ @ @ @ @ the virus after contact with the confirmed patients .

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES throughout with latest figures)
By Choi Soo-hyang
SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- At least 13 Army soldiers have tested positive for the new coronavirus at a front-line unit, officials said Wednesday, forcing all other members of the 220-strong unit to go into quarantine amid concerns over the possibility of more infections.
Two soldiers at the unit in Pocheon, some 45 kilometers north of Seoul, tested positive for the virus Tuesday after showing fever symptoms the previous day. All other members of the unit then went through testing and 11 were found to have the virus after contact with the confirmed patients.
The number of infections could increase as not all the results are out yet.
Around 50 soldiers have been put into strict one-person-one-room isolation after contact with the confirmed patients, while the other troops at the unit are in less restrictive quarantine as the entire base has been placed under so-called cohort isolation.
Authorities are looking into how the initial two soldiers contracted the new virus. Both went on vacation last month, and one of them also had an off-installation travel earlier this month, the officials said.
The latest cases raised the total number of infections among the military population to 71. The military reported its first COVID-19 case in February and had not reported an additional case since early June.
Nationwide, the total number of service members in quarantine in accordance with health authorities' guidelines stands at 84, and the military has put the other 944 service members in quarantine as a preventive step.
On Wednesday, South Korea reported 63 more cases of the new virus, raising the total caseload to 13,879.
This file photo, taken May 8, 2020, shows service members at Seoul Station in the capital. (Yonhap)
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--Seoul shares trade tad higher late Wednesday morning

The local currency was trading at 1,193.40 won to the U.S. dollar as of 11:20 a.m. , up 4.40 won @ @ @ @ @ close .

SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks traded in positive terrain late Wednesday morning, but upward momentum remained weak on investors' profit-taking following a sharp gain in the previous session over economic recovery hopes.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 6.36 points, or 0.29 percent, to 2,235.19 as of 11:20 a.m.
Seoul shares opened nearly flat after the KOSPI closed up 1.4 percent Tuesday, buoyed by a European Union economic stimulus deal and hopes for coronavirus vaccines.
Overnight, Wall Street closed mixed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.6 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite shed 0.81 percent.
In Seoul, most large caps traded mixed.
Market kingpin Samsung Electronics fell 0.18 percent, and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix declined 0.71 percent.
Top automaker Hyundai Motor shed 0.82 percent, and its affiliate Kia Motors lost 0.68 percent.
But power plant builder Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction jumped 19.44 percent on expectations that it may benefit from the government's Green New Deal initiative.
Top steelmaker POSCO gained 4.18 percent despite its weak second-quarter earnings.
The local currency was trading at 1,193.40 won to the U.S. dollar as of 11:20 a.m., up 4.40 won from the previous session's close.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--The Korea Interbank Offered Rates (KORIBOR)

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

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


yna--2020-07-22--(URGENT) 5 more soldiers test positive for coronavirus at frontline unit, bringing total to 13


yna--2020-07-22--Resumption of large indoor concerts deadlocked again due to COVID-19

The upcoming Seoul concert of `` Tomorrow Mister Trot , '' slated for Friday to Aug. 8 at the Olympic @ @ @ @ @ Dome , is subject to the ban .
About 5,200 people were expected to gather @ @ @ @ @ each of 15 rounds of concerts over the next three weeks .

SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- A recent spike in novel coronavirus cases in Seoul and its nearby cities has hindered the scheduled resumptions of large concerts in the capital, which have been on hold for months.
On Tuesday, Songpa Ward in southeastern Seoul prohibited all indoor events of more than 5,000 people from taking place at arenas and concert halls in the district, where large indoor sporting facilities, the legacy of 1988 Seoul Olympics, are located.
The measure came as the Seoul metropolitan area has been reporting tens of daily COVID-19 cases on cluster infections linked to small marketing events and religious gatherings over the few weeks.
In Songpa Ward, about nine residents have tested positive for the virus over the past five days.
The poster of the "Tomorrow Mister Trot" concert provided by Show Play (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The upcoming Seoul concert of "Tomorrow Mister Trot," slated for Friday to Aug. 8 at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena, or KSPO Dome, is subject to the ban. About 5,200 people were expected to gather in the 15,000-seat hall for each of 15 rounds of concerts over the next three weeks.
The opener of the national tour of TV Chosun's hit music show, "Mister Trot," if held as planned, might be the first large indoor music concert since the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea. The event has been postponed several times since it was first planned in February.
"We've received the order and we're discussing it," an official from the organizer, Show Play, said.
Moreover, the "Phantom Singer 3" concert, the gala show of JTBC's audition reality program, was canceled in compliance with Songpa Ward's ban. The event was to be held at the SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium on July 31-Aug. 1.
"We have received the order from the ward office to call off the concert," the event's organizers said in an online posting. "We apologize for causing disappointment and inconvenience to everyone who anticipated the concert and reserved tickets."
The poster of "Phantom Singer 3" concert by JTBC (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--Financial app users outpace e-commerce, game apps: data

According to the data by mobile big data platform IGAWorks , a total of 31.16 million people with Android devices @ @ @ @ @ , compared with 23.63 million people using e-commerce apps and 19.84 million mobile game users @

SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- The number of people using financial mobile apps, including for banking and stock trading, has surpassed users of apps for online shopping and games, industry data showed Wednesday.
According to the data by mobile big data platform IGAWorks, a total of 31.16 million people with Android devices used financial applications in June, compared with 23.63 million people using e-commerce apps and 19.84 million mobile game users.
"The number of financial app users greatly increased following the novel coronavirus outbreak, surpassing shopping and game apps," the firm said.
The data was based on analysis of major local mobile applications in 15 industries on Android devices.
A total of 37.5 million Android device owners used portal apps including Naver, the country's largest internet portal operator, and global search engine Google, the data showed.
A total of 37.25 million people used SNS apps including Instagram and Kakao Talk, the country's largest mobile messenger.
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--(LEAD) Cluster infections, imported cases push new virus cases above 60

(ATTN: CORRECTS figures in paras 6, 8; ADDS details throughout, photo)
SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new daily virus cases rebounded to over 60 on Wednesday due to a rise in locally transmitted infections and imported cases, with the greater Seoul seeing a sharp increase in virus cases tied to a nursing home and a front-line military unit.
The country identified 63 new cases, raising the total caseload to 13,879, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Of the newly added cases, 29 were local infections.
New virus cases spiked to 45 on Tuesday after falling below the threshold of 30 for the first time in more than three weeks on Monday, due mainly to an uptick in the number of local infections led by a nursing home in Seoul.
Of the locally transmitted cases reported Wednesday, 16 were from Seoul.
A nursing home in western Seoul reported three new COVID-19 cases the previous day, raising the total number of related cases to 12.
A visitor wearing a protective mask takes a photo at Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul on July 22, 2020. The country reopened public facilities, such as museums and libraries, on the day. (Yonhap)
Gyeonggi Province surrounding the capital city reported eight new infections.
An Army unit near the inter-Korean border reported a cluster infection. At least eight soldiers have been confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 so far, according to military officials.
Gwangju, located 330 kilometers southwest of Seoul, added one new case. Incheon, just west of Seoul, added four new infections.
Imported cases continued to increase, rising by double-digit figures for 27 consecutive days. Related cases may further rise down the road as the country plans to bring home nationals from the virus-hit Iraq.
South Korea has been requesting foreign arrivals from six high-risk nations to hand in virus test results. They are still put under a two-week quarantine and go through separate COVID-19 tests.
So far, eight arrivals from the countries later tested positive for the virus here despite handing in the proof. Health authorities, however, said it is not likely for such cases to lead to local infections.
Of the 34 imported cases reported Wednesday, 11 of them were from Uzbekistan, followed by the Philippines with seven cases and the United States with five.
A medical worker stands in the entrance of Seoul Medical Center in northern Seoul, where visitors wait in line to receive new coronavirus tests on July 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
In the latest efforts to normalize everyday lives of South Koreans, the country started to reopen public facilities, such as museums and libraries, in the greater Seoul area this week.
South Korea has never adopted a full nationwide lockdown, and instead opted to persuade its people to follow strict social distancing rules while minimizing disruptions to business activities. Limited restrictions have been implemented on vulnerable places, such as clubs and churches.
Local authorities, meanwhile, are alert over the summer vacation season when more people are likely to make short trips home.
The country's death toll came to 297, up one the previous day, according to the KCDC. The fatality rate was 2.14 percent.
The number of patients being fully cured of the virus reached 12,698, up 55 from the previous day.
South Korea, which holds a population of around 51 million, carried out 1,492,071 COVID-19 tests since Jan. 3.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--Samsung to host online event to unveil new gadgets, tech innovations in Sept.

`` The latest innovations within Samsung 's integrated ecosystem will offer solutions to consumer needs -- from maximizing in-home entertainment @ @ @ @ @ to efficiency with smart digital appliances , and enabling creativity for work and play , @ @ @ @ @ , '' it said .

SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. will stage its own event to introduce the company's new products in the upcoming months after it decided to skip the largest consumer electronics show in Europe.
Samsung said it will host an online event, titled "Life Unstoppable," on Sept. 2, to unveil its latest innovations in mobile phones, wearables, TV, audio and home appliance products.
"The brand will take guests through an interactive virtual world, unveiling new products and demonstrating how the 2020 lineup provides entertainment, creativity and efficiency for today's digitally connected lifestyles," the company said.
Samsung's latest event is its replacement for the Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) 2020 that is scheduled to take place from Sept. 3-5 in Berlin, Germany.
Samsung has been a regular exhibitor at the tech show since 1991, but this year it decided not to join the European event due to the pandemic.
This image provided by Samsung Electronics Co. on July 22, 2020, introduces the company's Life Unstoppable event. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
At Life Unstoppable, a 45-minute event, Samsung said people will be able to experience "human-centered innovations."
"The latest innovations within Samsung's integrated ecosystem will offer solutions to consumer needs -- from maximizing in-home entertainment and connected gaming experiences, to efficiency with smart digital appliances, and enabling creativity for work and play, both at home and on-the-go," it said.
The latest online event also follows Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event, where the company is scheduled to unveil five new mobile products on Aug. 5.
Samsung did not confirm which products will be unveiled at Galaxy Unpacked, which also will be an online event, but industry insiders expect the company will introduce the Galaxy Note 20 phablet, Galaxy Fold 2 foldable smartphone, Galaxy Z Flip 5G smartphone, Galaxy Buds Live wireless earbuds and Galaxy Watch 3 smartwatch.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--(2nd LD) At least 8 Army soldiers infected with coronavirus at front-line unit

The military has put around 50 soldiers who had contact with the confirmed patients -- around 40 enlistees and 10 @ @ @ @ @ and the other troops at the unit are also in quarantine as the entire base @ @ @ @ @ cohort isolation .

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 4, 7; UPDATES with new numbers at bottom, minor edits; CORRECTS figure in 2nd to last para)
By Choi Soo-hyang
SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- At least eight Army soldiers have tested positive for the new coronavirus at a front-line unit, officials said Wednesday, raising concerns over a possible cluster infection in barracks.
The latest cases raised the total number of infections among the military population to 66. The military reported its first COVID-19 case in February and had not reported an additional case since early June.
Two soldiers at the unit in Pocheon, some 45 kilometers north of Seoul, tested positive for the virus Tuesday after showing fever symptoms the previous day.
The military conducted virus tests on all 220 members at the unit and found six more infections among those who had contact with the confirmed patients.
The number of infections could increase as not all the results are out yet.
Authorities are looking into how the initial two soldiers contracted the new virus. Both went on vacation last month, and one of them also had an off-installation travel earlier this month, the officials said.
The military has put around 50 soldiers who had contact with the confirmed patients -- around 40 enlistees and 10 officers -- into isolation, and the other troops at the unit are also in quarantine as the entire base has been placed under so-called cohort isolation.
Nationwide, the total number of service members in quarantine in accordance with health authorities' guidelines stands at 84, and the military has put the other 944 service members in quarantine as a preventive step.
On Wednesday, South Korea reported 63 more cases of the new virus, raising the total caseload to 13,879.
This file photo, taken May 8, 2020, shows service members at Seoul Station in the capital. (Yonhap)
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--S. Korea to roll back ban on small church gatherings amid subsiding infections

Even after the central government-level removal of the ban , however , regional administrative bodies will remain entitled to issue @ @ @ @ @ prohibit church gatherings if that is necessary , according to the prime minister .

SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- The government will lift its ban on small church gatherings other than regular worship services this week as new COVID-19 cases linked to such gatherings have subsided in recent weeks, the prime minister said Wednesday.
The tougher anti-infection rules on Protestant churches will be cleared on Friday, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said during a regular government coronavirus response meeting.
Under the ban imposed on July 10 after a spike in cluster infections traced to small-scale church meetings, churches are barred from organizing small gatherings, including Bible classes, choir practices or prayer services, and offering group meals. They are also mandated to use quick response (QR) code-based entry logs for visitors.
"Thanks to many Christian orders and worshipers who faithfully abided by quarantine guidelines, there have been few infection cases stemming from small gatherings involving churches," the prime minister said during the meeting.
Even after the central government-level removal of the ban, however, regional administrative bodies will remain entitled to issue their own administrative orders to prohibit church gatherings if that is necessary, according to the prime minister.
"I thank the religious communities for leading the quarantine efforts ... and believe they will continue to play a leading role in practicing everyday quarantine guidelines," Chung noted.
The prime minister also said the government will send a military plane to Iraq on Thursday to bring home some 300 more South Korean nationals from the Middle Eastern country where COVID-19 cases are spiking.
Worshipers enter a Christian church for a Sunday service on July 12, 2020, while small church gatherings were prohibited under an executive order to curb COVID-19 infections. (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--(URGENT) 55 more released from coronavirus treatment, total now at 12,698: KCDC


yna--2020-07-22--Cluster infections, imported cases push new virus cases above 60

SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new daily virus cases rebounded to over 60 on Wednesday due to a rise in locally transmitted infections and imported cases, with the greater Seoul seeing a sharp increase in virus cases tied to a nursing home and a front-line military unit.
The country identified 63 new cases, raising the total caseload to 13,879, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Of the newly added cases, 29 were local infections.
New virus cases spiked to 45 on Tuesday after falling below the threshold of 30 for the first time in more than three weeks on Monday, due mainly to an uptick in the number of local infections led by a nursing home in Seoul.
Of the locally transmitted cases reported Wednesday, 16 were from Seoul.
A nursing home in western Seoul reported three new COVID-19 cases the previous day, raising the total number of related cases to 12.
Gyeonggi Province surrounding the capital city reported 15 new infections.
An Army unit near the inter-Korean border reported a cluster infection. At least eight soldiers have been confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 so far, according to military officials.
A medical worker stands in the entrance of Seoul Medical Center in northern Seoul, where visitors stand in line to receive new coronavirus tests on July 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
Gwangju, located 330 kilometers southwest of Seoul, added four cases.
Imported cases continued to increase, rising by double-digit figures for 27 consecutive days. Related cases may further rise down the road as the country plans to bring home nationals from the virus-hit Iraq.
South Korea has been requesting foreign arrivals from six high-risk nations to hand in virus test results. They are still put under a two-week quarantine and go through separate COVID-19 tests.
So far, eight arrivals from the countries later tested positive for the virus here despite handing in the proof. Health authorities, however, said it is not likely for such cases to lead to local infections.
In the latest efforts to normalize everyday lives of South Koreans, the country started to reopen public facilities, such as museums and libraries, in the greater Seoul area this week.
South Korea has never adopted a full nationwide lockdown, and instead opted to persuade its people to follow strict social distancing rules while minimizing disruptions to business activities. Limited restrictions have been implemented on vulnerable places, such as clubs and churches.
Local authorities, meanwhile, are alert over the summer vacation season when more people are likely to make short trips home.
The country's death toll came to 297, up one the previous day, according to the KCDC.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--N. Korea loses 210,000 hectares of forest area over decade: report

North Korea is known for severe deforestation , which accelerated in the 1990s when a severe famine battered the impoverished @ @ @ @ @ cut down trees for fuel and farmland .

SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has lost around 210,000 hectares of forest area over the past decade, a U.N. agency's report showed Wednesday, pointing to the worsening deforestation problem in the communist state.
According to the report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), North Korea's forest area stood at 6.03 million hectares this year, down from 6.24 million hectares in 2010.
The decline is in line with a steady shrinkage in forest area in North Korea over the past three decades.
Forest area in the North was estimated at 6.91 million hectares in 1990 when the report was first compiled. The size fell to 6.46 million hectares in 2000.
North Korea is known for severe deforestation, which accelerated in the 1990s when a severe famine battered the impoverished nation and forced people to cut down trees for fuel and farmland.
South and North Korea agreed on forestry cooperation in 2018, including joint efforts to combat deforestation, but little progress has been made as inter-Korean relations stalled amid a stalemate in denuclearization talks.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 1 additional coronavirus-related death, total now at 297: KCDC


yna--2020-07-22--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 63 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 13,879: KCDC


yna--2020-07-22--N. Korea's main paper urges ideological education for youth

The North has stressed discipline and ideological education to its people as efforts to prevent an outbreak of the COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ been ongoing for nearly six months in an economy already faltering under international sanctions .

SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's main newspaper on Wednesday stressed the importance of ideological education for the younger generations, saying that "class consciousness can never be inherited."
The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the North's ruling Worker's Party, made the appeal in an editorial, referring to the youth as "a new generation that has neither been exploited or suppressed nor experienced the harsh realities of war."
"Raising class awareness among the younger generations and training them is a matter of life or death in passing down the achievements of socialism," the paper said, stressing that ideological education is crucial to protecting the communist regime.
"The reason why countries failed to build a socialist state was not because of their economic or military weakness, but because the youth -- successors to our revolution -- have lost their revolutionary consciousness and class consciousness," the paper said.
The article appears to reflect the country's concern that young North Koreans may be overly exposed to foreign cultures and the principles of a market economy amid the North's increasing trade with neighboring countries.
The North has stressed discipline and ideological education to its people as efforts to prevent an outbreak of the COVID-19 virus in the North have been ongoing for nearly six months in an economy already faltering under international sanctions.
North Korean youth and students attend a dance party in Pyongyang on Aug. 28, 2018, to mark the country's Youth Day, in this photo provided by the Korean Central News Agency the next day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--Regulator approves BC Card's plan to become largest shareholder of internet-only bank

KT sought approval for its additional acquisition of K-Bank shares in March .
But the eligibility review was suspended , @ @ @ @ @ probe over its alleged violations of the antitrust law .

SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korean regulators on Wednesday allowed BC Card, a credit card company, to become the largest shareholder of K-Bank, raising hopes for the normalization of the country's first internet-only bank.
The Financial Services Commission (FSC) approved BC Card's plan to purchase additional shares of K-Bank to raise its stake to 34 percent.
BC Card, affiliated with KT Corp., acquired the telecom carrier's 10 percent stake in the cash-strapped bank on July 7.
The authorities also gave the green light to Woori Bank's bid to obtain a 19.9 percent stake in K-Bank.
The approval came as KT's plan to have a controlling stake in the online bank faltered.
KT sought approval for its additional acquisition of K-Bank shares in March. But the eligibility review was suspended, as the company faced a probe over its alleged violations of the antitrust law.
According to a law revised in April, information technology firms can hold up to 34 percent of internet-only banks. Such an acquisition is subject to the financial regulator's approval.
Wednesday's approval is expected to help K bank secure capital and normalize its operation.
K-Bank virtually ceased its lending business for a year due to cash shortages.
As of the end of last year, K-Bank accumulated a total deficit of 292 billion won (US$244 million) since its launch in 2017.
jwc@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--(2nd LD) Top envoys of U.S., China hold talks

According to a statement on the website of the Chinese Embassy in Seoul , Xing said the stable development of @ @ @ @ @ serves the fundamental interests of China and the U.S. but is also the `` common @ @ @ @ @ the world . ''

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 7-9)
By Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- The ambassadors of the United States and China to South Korea met one-on-one Wednesday and discussed the two countries' bilateral relations and other issues, embassy officials said.
The meeting between Ambassadors Harry Harris and Xing Haiming took place at the U.S. envoy's residence in central Seoul earlier in the day, an embassy official said. The meeting lasted for about an hour.
Harris later tweeted about their meeting, along with a selfie they took together -- with broad smiles.
"Good meeting with PRC Ambassador to ROK, H.E. Xing Haiming. We discussed the important USA-PRC relationship," Harris wrote, referring to China and South Korea by the acronyms of the countries' official names: the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Korea.
It was their first one-on-one meeting since Xing took office in late January.
"Ambassador Harris commented afterward that he enjoyed the productive discussion with Ambassador Xing on a broad range of diplomatic issues," a U.S. Embassy spokesperson said on the customary condition of anonymity.
According to a statement on the website of the Chinese Embassy in Seoul, Xing said the stable development of the Sino-U.S. relations not only serves the fundamental interests of China and the U.S. but is also the "common hope of the people of the world."
Xing added that China has "no intention of replacing the U.S." while voicing hope that the U.S. will respect China's "core interests."
Harris expressed Washington's hope for the strengthening of cooperation with Beijing on the Korean Peninsula issue, the Chinese Embassy said.
A spokesperson from the Chinese Embassy said the meeting came as a courtesy call by Xing, who became the ambassador to South Korea early this year, and they discussed various issues, including topics of mutual concern.
U.S. and Chinese ambassadors to South Korea -- Harry Harris (R) and Xing Haiming -- pose for a selfie during their talks at Harris' residence in central Seoul on July 22, 2020, in this photo captured from Harris' Twitter post. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--(2nd LD) Civic groups call on rights commission to probe alleged sex abuse by late mayor

The victim , who worked for late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon as a secretary , filed a complaint with the @ @ @ @ @ claiming that the mayor sexually harassed her over four years and that her repeated calls @ @ @ @ @ The police launched a probe into the case , but Park was found dead at @ @ @ @ @ apparent suicide two days later .

(ATTN: ADDS more info in last 4 paras)
By Lee Minji
SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- Civic groups representing the victim of the alleged sexual harassment by the late mayor of Seoul called on the national rights commission Wednesday to conduct an independent probe of the incident, rejecting the Seoul government's proposal to launch a joint probe team.
They also urged city officials to take responsibility for contributing to what they claimed was a hierarchical work culture that turned a blind eye to the case.
The victim, who worked for late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon as a secretary, filed a complaint with the police on July 8, claiming that the mayor sexually harassed her over four years and that her repeated calls for help went unanswered. The police launched a probe into the case, but Park was found dead at a Seoul mountain in an apparent suicide two days later.
A few days later, the city government proposed launching an independent investigative committee, including civic groups and legal experts, amid mounting pressure to determine the truth of what was widely viewed as a typical case of power-based sexual abuse.
"Our stance is that an external state organization should investigate the case, not the Seoul city government," said Lee Mi-kyoung, Director Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center, one of the two civic groups helping the victim, in a press conference held Wednesday.
"We believe an emergency measure, a direct investigation by the National Human Rights Commission, is the best way at this moment," she said, adding that they have decided not to take part in the city government's investigative committee.
The investigation should encompass not only the case itself, but whether and how the city government's work environment and culture worsened the situation, Lee emphasized.
Officials from Korea Women's Hot Line and Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center and Kim Jae-ryun (2nd from L), a lawyer representing a victim who accused late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon of sexually harrasing her, hold a press conference at a venue in central Seoul on July 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
Participants at the press conference urged relevant city officials to take responsibility, saying that the case "goes beyond issues personally related to Park" and is actually "an organized crime that was sustained by power."
The fact that the victim's repeated request for help went unanswered was proof of such structure, they said.
"Based on the victim's memory, she (asked) 17 people (for help) while she was working as a secretary and three more people after she moved posts. These people naturally include those in higher positions and those in charge of human resources, who should have notified people with more responsibility," said Kim Jae-ryun, a lawyer representing the victim.
Regarding views that the case has effectively been terminated due to Park's death, Kim stressed that it should be still possible to legally punish those who ignored requests for help.
The victim did not attend the press conference, but shared a statement that a civic group official read aloud.
"It is a case that took a long time to realize there was a problem, and a longer time to raise the issue," the victim's statement said.
"I'll wait so that the (investigation) will shed light on what happened through a legally appropriate and reasonable process, without any prejudice."
This July 13, 2020, photo shows a portrait of late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon that was carried during his funeral in Seoul. (Yonhap)
The civic groups and the victim's lawyer plan to raise a formal complaint with the human rights commission next week.
They urged the city government to fully comply with the rights commission's probe results and take punitive measure against relevant former and incumbent employees. It also asked the gender equality ministry to look into other possible sexual misconduct cases that result from disparity in power and help bring about political and policy changes to prevent more victimization.
In a separate press conference, the city's spokesperson, Hwang In-sik, said the city government is regretful about the decision but that it will "actively cooperate" if the victim files a complaint with the rights commission.
"As the main entity that holds responsibility for the current incident, Seoul city will actively cooperate in all questionings and investigative processes, and will simultaneously take measures to fix a sexually discriminative work culture," Hwang said.
Meanwhile, the police unlocked Park's mobile phone as part of their probe into his death.
"In the presence of the representatives of the bereaved family and the Seoul city government, the police task force began digital forensic procedures, including unlocking his mobile phone," a police official said.
The police said that someone had tipped them off about the password of Park's phone, but they did not identify who that person was.
The police probe currently focuses solely on verifying the cause of Park's death. They need additional warrants if they want to gather information related to the allegations of his sexual misconduct.
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--(LEAD) Fresh allegations made against coach, athlete in triathlon abuse scandal

Kim , Jang , another triathlete , Kim Do-hwan , and former team therapist Ahn Joo-hyeon are all being accused @ @ @ @ @ Gyeongju athlete Choi Suk-hyeon .
Choi took her own life in late June after her @ @ @ @ @ by regional and national sports authorities .
She had left behind audio recordings of occasions @ @ @ @ @ and verbally abused by these four individuals , prompting legal and sports authorities to belatedly @ @ @ @ @

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 7-14)
SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- New allegations of physical and verbal abuse emerged Wednesday against a coach and an athlete in an ongoing triathlon scandal, with the latter maintaining that she had done nothing wrong.
During a parliamentary hearing, Rep. Lim O-kyeong of the ruling Democratic Party presented new pieces of evidence of abuse against Kim Gyu-bong, head coach of the semi-pro club at Gyeongju City Hall, and his athlete, surnamed Jang.
South Korean triathlete Kim Do-hwan speaks during a parliamentary hearing convened by the sports committee at the National Assembly in Seoul on July 22, 2020. Kim has admitted to allegations that he had physically and verbally assaulted his former teammate Choi Suk-hyeon, who took her own life after enduring years of abuse. (Yonhap)
Kim, Jang, another triathlete, Kim Do-hwan, and former team therapist Ahn Joo-hyeon are all being accused of having abused the late Gyeongju athlete Choi Suk-hyeon. Choi took her own life in late June after her pleas for help went unanswered by regional and national sports authorities. She had left behind audio recordings of occasions when she was apparently struck and verbally abused by these four individuals, prompting legal and sports authorities to belatedly begin investigating the case.
The National Assembly's committee on sports convened the hearing, but only Kim Do-hwan attended the session. Coach Kim was arrested Tuesday.
At the hearing, Lim brought written testimonies that Choi submitted to Gyeongju officials during their preliminary probe in March. The lawmaker also gathered statements from other triathletes from Gyeongju who said they, too, had been abused.
Kim Do-hwan, who has admitted to his wrongdoing and apologized to Choi's family, said Wednesday he was also abused by his coach and he saw the instructor strike his teammates.
Choi Young-hee, father of the late triathlete Choi Suk-hyeon, speaks during a parliamentary hearing convened by the sports committee at the National Assembly in Seoul on July 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
According to Rep. Lim, former and current Gyeongju triathletes had been coerced into speaking favorably about coach Kim and Jang and testifying against Choi during preliminary police investigations in May.
Lim said those athletes told police that Kim and Jang had always taken good care of them and Choi was a habitual liar.
But one of the athletes acknowledged Wednesday that the coach had threatened retaliation against anyone who supported Choi's claims.
"The coach said he'll go after anyone who stabbed him in the back," the athlete said. "He also said, 'So I hit people, but you shouldn't try to ruin my livelihood and career.'"
Other athletes testified that they all met with Kim before writing testimonies for police, and the coach reviewed each one of them.
"Coach Kim didn't just commit verbal and physical abuse. He tried to cover up the whole thing and threatened his own athletes," Lim said.
Choi's father, Choi Young-hee, said he had heard that alleged abusers were trying to destroy evidence and that they were forcing younger athletes to lie to police.
"The toughest thing for Suk-hyeon was that there wasn't anyone who would listen to her," the father added. "I think she made the choice that she did because she was willing to sacrifice herself if that's what it took to have the truth come out."
Coach Kim has pointed to Ahn as the only abuser and argued he had to restrain the therapist on occasions.
Also during Wednesday's hearing, Choi's former teammates testified that Jang had physically and verbally abused many athletes and that she even ordered one younger teammate to hit others with a piece of lumber.
That athlete attended the hearing and said, "If I hadn't followed her order, she would have bullied me and driven me insane, too. I am really ashamed that I trusted and followed someone like her."
He added that it was "ridiculous" that Jang is still denying all allegations against her despite mounting evidence.
Another athlete said Jang kept hitting younger athletes randomly.
"We had to apologize to her for no reason. She basically ran the whole team at Gyeongju and there wasn't anything we could do," the athlete said. "Those people hit us every day, so they may not remember much. But we've been traumatized for our whole lives."
The athlete added, "I still have nightmares with Jang in them. I hope she will offer a sincere apology and receive her due punishment."
Participants of a parliamentary hearing convened by the sports committee at the National Assembly in Seoul bow their heads in respect to the late triathlete Choi Suk-hyeon on July 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
In a written statement submitted to the hearing, Jang claimed that she was the biggest victim in this scandal and that Ahn was the only person at fault.
"Coach Kim once asked me why I had hit my teammates, and I kept telling him I didn't do anything wrong," Jang wrote. "I even told him that if I had struck other athletes, I'd just quit on the spot."
Jang added that she had been on good terms with Choi and that she had also been abused by Ahn.
With allegations and denials flying, members of the parliamentary sports committee also grilled the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) and the sports ministry over their inadequate handling of the preliminary investigation into Choi's claims.
About two months before her death, Choi filed a petition with the KSOC, seeking punishments for her alleged abusers, but the sports body took no action.
It was only after Choi's passing that sports officials began moving, and the Korea Triathlon Federation banned coach Kim and Jang for life and suspended Kim Do-hwan for 10 years. All three have appealed those penalties.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--Samsung tipped to rank 3rd in 5G smartphone production this year: report

`` The Chinese government 's 5G commercialization efforts have been particularly aggressive , leading the country 's 5G base station @ @ @ @ @ each score first place in the global 5G industry , '' it said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ , which were ahead of their competitors in 5G strategies , occupied a 75 percent @ @ @ @ @ smartphone market in 1H20 . ''

By Joo Kyung-don
SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co., South Korea's leading tech firm, is expected to rank third in terms of 5G smartphone production this year, a report showed Wednesday.
Samsung's 5G smartphone production for the year is estimated at 29 million units, placing the company in third place globally, according to market researcher TrendForce.
"Samsung has been experiencing setbacks in the Chinese market in recent years," it said. "Although these setbacks have not seriously affected its global market share and revenue, they have considerably slowed Samsung's growth in the 5G smartphone market."
China's Huawei was forecast to lead 5G smartphone production this year with 74 million units, followed by U.S. tech titan Apple with 70 million units in 2020, TrendForce added.
This photo, taken on April 2, 2020, shows Samsung Electronics Co.'s 5G smartphone, the Galaxy S20, displayed at a store in Seoul. (Yonhap)
Chinese brands Vivo, OPPO and Xiaomi were estimated to vie for fourth place as their 5G smartphone production volumes are estimated at about 21 million, 20 million, and 19 million units, respectively, TrendForce said.
"The Chinese government's 5G commercialization efforts have been particularly aggressive, leading the country's 5G base station deployment and network coverage to each score first place in the global 5G industry," it said. "As such, Chinese brands, which were ahead of their competitors in 5G strategies, occupied a 75 percent share in the global 5G smartphone market in 1H20."
TrendForce said 5G handset production is expected to reach 235 million units this year, accounting for 18.9 percent of the total smartphone production forecast of 1.24 billion units in 2020.
The market tracker added the penetration rate of 5G smartphones will sharply increase next year on the back of mid-to-low end 5G chipsets released by mobile application processor suppliers.
It predicted that global 5G smartphone production would surpass 500 million units in 2021, accounting for about 40 percent of the total smartphone market.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--Addressing 'unconstitutionality' issue needed before reviewing capital relocation again: PM

Roh sought to move the country 's administrative capital from Seoul to what is now the administrative city of Sejong @ @ @ @ @ economic and political decentralization .
It was a source of heated debate then among politicians @ @ @ @ @ public .

SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- The prime minister on Wednesday said the government can review a plan to relocate the administrative capital to a city south of Seoul again only after tackling legal problems.
"(The plan to make) Sejong the administrative capital was judged unconstitutional a long time ago by the Constitutional Court. This should first be settled in order for (the government) to review the complete relocation of the capital," Chung said during a parliamentary interpellation session.
"Personally, I hold the position that the city of Sejong needs to play its original role (as the administrative city)."
His remarks came amid growing calls among ruling party lawmakers to resurrect a botched capital relocation plan by the former liberal government led by President Roh Moo-hyun.
Roh sought to move the country's administrative capital from Seoul to what is now the administrative city of Sejong, with an eye to economic and political decentralization. It was a source of heated debate then among politicians, as well as the public.
Turning down the vision as unconstitutional in 2014, however, the Constitutional Court said Seoul has conventionally been the capital of the country and the envisioned capital relocation should be preceded by an amendment to the Constitution.
Following the court decision, only some Cabinet ministries and other government bodies were relocated to Sejong, now serving as an administrative city.
The government office complex in Sejong (Yonhap)
The prime minister said opening a branch of the National Assembly in Sejong could be a "desirable" option for the time being in terms of saving taxpayers' money and raising efficiency.
The option of the capital relocation is gaining ground after Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon, floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party, proposed it as a solution to soaring real estate prices in Seoul and its nearby cities during his parliamentary speech Monday.
Since then, influential ruling party politicians, such as former Prime Minister Rep. Lee Nak-yon and Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung threw their support behind the plan.
Some opposition lawmakers, including Rep. Chung Jin-suk, also voiced support, but the main opposition United Future Party is against the plan.
Capitalizing on the growing calls, a ruling party heavyweight, Rep. Kim Doo-gwan, said in a Facebook post Wednesday that he plans to submit a bill to his party for review, calling for the relocation of Cheong Wa Dae, parliament, the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court to Sejong.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun speaks during a parliamentary interpellation session on July 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--13 more USFK-affiliated Americans test positive for new coronavirus

Two service personnel arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek , some 70 kilometers south of Seoul , on U.S. @ @ @ @ @ country on July 8 and 20 .
Ten service members and one dependent arrived at @ @ @ @ @ of Seoul , from the United States on separate commercial flights on July 8 , @ @ @ @ @ added .

SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- A dozen more American service members and one dependant tested positive for the new coronavirus upon arrival in South Korea, the U.S. Forces Korea said Wednesday.
Two service personnel arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul, on U.S. government-chartered flights from their home country on July 8 and 20. Ten service members and one dependent arrived at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, from the United States on separate commercial flights on July 8, 9 and 19, it added.
Two of them tested positive on their first mandatory COVID-19 test prior to entering quarantine. One individual who initially tested negative on his first test later developed symptoms and retested positive.
The remaining 10 initially tested negative on their first test but tested positive on the second mandatory test required to exit quarantine, the military noted.
"All individuals were transferred to an isolation facility designated for confirmed COVID-19 cases on Camp Humphreys upon testing positive. Thorough cleaning of all transportation assets and quarantine rooms has been completed," USFK said in a statement.
The latest COVID-19 cases brought the total number of USFK-related infections to 111. Of them, 75 were reported in July and all of them were newly arriving service members, dependents and others.
All USFK-affiliated individuals arriving in South Korea are required to undergo the virus test and are quarantined for 14 days. Medical personnel administer a second test prior to their release.
South Korea has been working hard to prevent the possible spread of the virus from overseas as it has seen a surge in imported cases in recent weeks.
On Wednesday, South Korea added 63 more COVID-19 patients. Of them, 29 were local infections and 34 were imported cases, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). The country's total caseload came to 13,879.
A strict quarantine procedure is under way at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on July 8, 2020. (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--(LEAD) LG Innotek swings to black on increased sales

Meanwhile , the company said it will invest 127.4 billion won by the end of June 2021 to expand the @ @ @ @ @ for mobile communication devices at its plant in Gumi , some 260 kilometers southeast of @ @

(CHANGES headline, lead; UPDATES throughout; ADDS photo)
SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- LG Innotek Co., a major electronics components maker in South Korea, said Wednesday it swung to the black in the second quarter from a year earlier on increased sales of its main products and reduced debts.
The company reported a net profit of 7.6 billion won (US$ 6.4 million) in the second quarter of the year, shifting from a loss of 5.2 billion won a year ago.
Operating income for the April-June period was 42.9 billion won, up 128.7 percent from a year ago, the company said in a regulatory filing. Sales rose 1.2 percent to 1.53 trillion won over the cited period.
This undated image, provided by LG Innotek Co., shows the company's headquarters building in Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
LG Innotek said the sales increase at its optical solutions business, which makes camera modules, and substrates business helped improve its performance amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Revenue from its optical solutions unit jumped 12 percent on-year to 929.6 billion won, while that of its substrates business increased 7 percent on-year to 295.7 billion won.
However, its automotive components unit suffered a 12 percent on-year decline in sales at 233 billion won in the second quarter of the year due to a global slump in the auto industry.
LG Innotek said decreased borrowings also improved its bottom line. Its debt totaled 1.8 trillion won in the second quarter of the year, down 200 billion won from a year earlier.
Meanwhile, the company said it will invest 127.4 billion won by the end of June 2021 to expand the production of its package substrates for mobile communication devices at its plant in Gumi, some 260 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
Package substrate is a board of fine circuit that transmits a semiconductor's electrical signals to the mainboard.
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--(LEAD) U.N. expert requests meeting with unification ministry amid concerns over leafleting

`` Conducting inspections of activists groups registered at the unification ministry , particularly those working for the human rights of @ @ @ @ @ of defectors , and checking if they meet the requirements is discrimination and oppression , @ @ @ @ @ in a statement released Wednesday .

(ATTN: ADDS statement from activist groups in paras 7-8)
By Yi Wonju
SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- A United Nations special rapporteur on North Korea's human rights situation has requested a meeting with the unification ministry, a ministry official said Wednesday, amid reports the rapporteur is concerned about South Korea's measures to restrict the activities of defector groups.
Tomas Ojea Quintana voiced concerns over the South Korean government's measures against North Korean defector groups and said he would get in touch with Seoul to request information, in an interview with Voice of America and Radio Free Asia on Wednesday (local time).
The United Nations may also "issue a formal communication with the government of South Korea, calling for a balanced management of the regulation and control of civil society organizations," he was quoted as saying.
"They have not told us to submit information but there has been a request for a meeting," Yoh Sang-key, the unification ministry's spokesperson, told reporters during a regular press briefing.
"We will explain the government's stance in the meeting," he added, while declining to comment on how and when the meeting will be held.
Earlier, the unification ministry said it will launch an inspection into government-registered activist groups, starting with 25 entities, including 13 groups run by North Korean defectors. The probe is expected to start later this month.
Activist groups protested the ministry's plan, calling on Seoul to halt the inspection.
"Conducting inspections of activists groups registered at the unification ministry, particularly those working for the human rights of North Koreans and the resettlement of defectors, and checking if they meet the requirements is discrimination and oppression," the activist groups said in a statement released Wednesday.
Last week, the ministry also revoked the operation permits of two North Korean defector groups for sending leaflets to the communist state in defiance of the government's calls to refrain from such activity.
The government has advised the groups against sending leaflets, saying the launches violate an inter-Korean exchange and cooperation act and could jeopardize the safety of residents in border areas.
But the groups have ignored the appeal, citing their right to freedom of expression and emphasizing that their leafleting is aimed at providing information to people in the oppressive North Korean state.
This photo, provided by Fighters for Free North Korea, an organization of North Korean defectors advocating North Korean human rights, on June 23, 2020, shows a balloon containing anti-Pyongyang leaflets being sent toward North Korea. The group claimed it dispatched the leaflets in the border town of Paju, north of Seoul, the previous day, while evading police surveillance. The launch came amid mounting inter-Korean tensions caused by the organization's previous leaflet distribution and the Seoul government's declared crackdown on it. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--S. Korea re-elected to UNICEF's executive board for sixth straight time

`` Based on its experience at the executive board , the government will actively participate in discussions within UNICEF over @ @ @ @ @ the world and the enhancement of their welfare , '' the ministry said in a @ @ @

SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has been reelected to the executive board of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for the sixth consecutive time, for the 2021-23 period, the foreign ministry said Wednesday.
In Tuesday's election at a session of the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), South Korea retained its seat on UNICEF's 36-member executive board. The country has been a member of UNICEF's governing body since 2006.
"Based on its experience at the executive board, the government will actively participate in discussions within UNICEF over the protection of children around the world and the enhancement of their welfare," the ministry said in a press release.
The executive board reviews UNICEF activities and approves its policies and budgetary decisions.
South Korea has been an active member of UNICEF. Recently, it provided quarantine items to children vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic through the organization.
The country has also held annual policy consultations with UNICEF on children's welfare since 2004.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--Owners of fire-prone Galaxy Note 7 smartphones lose another class action suit against Samsung

Ko said Galaxy Note 7 owners who did n't agreed to the company 's recall offers could not receive repairs @ @ @ @ @ of them had to exchange their phones or get a refund against their will , @ @ @ @ @ rights .

SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- A Seoul court on Wednesday ruled in favor of Samsung Electronics Co. in a class action suit filed by more than 500 consumers over battery explosions of the tech giant's ill-fated Galaxy Note 7 smartphones released in 2016.
The Seoul Central District Court said it rejected the indemnity claim by some 520 consumers, who argued they experienced psychological damage due to the explosions of Galaxy Note 7 batteries.
The ruling is in line with a similar verdict issued by the Supreme Court in May, which concluded the plaintiffs' anxiety and fear felt prior to the recall of Galaxy Note 7 handsets did not amount to mental damage warranting legal compensation.
The Samsung smartphone model, released in August 2016, drew fierce criticism globally due to reports of handsets catching fire while being charged. In September of the same year, Samsung announced a global recall of Galaxy Note 7 after admitting that the fires were caused by faulty battery cells.
The plaintiffs in the latest class action suit, including lawyer Ko Young-yeel, demanded compensation of 500,000 won (US$418) per person for the psychological damage they suffered from the faulty batteries.
Ko said Galaxy Note 7 owners who didn't agreed to the company's recall offers could not receive repairs or other services while some of them had to exchange their phones or get a refund against their will, which are infringements of consumer rights.
This file photo, taken in 2016, shows lawyer Ko Young-yeel speaking outside of a court in Seoul about a class action over Samsung's fire-prone Galaxy Note 7 smartphones. (Yonhap)
nyway@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--Fresh allegations made against coach, athlete in triathlon abuse scandal

SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- New allegations of physical and verbal abuse emerged Wednesday against a coach and an athlete in an ongoing triathlon scandal, with the latter maintaining that she had done nothing wrong.
During a parliamentary hearing, Rep. Lim O-kyeong of the ruling Democratic Party presented new pieces of evidence of abuse against Kim Gyu-bong, head coach of the semi-pro club at Gyeongju City Hall, and his athlete, surnamed Jang.
South Korean triathlete Kim Do-hwan speaks during a parliamentary hearing convened by the sports committee at the National Assembly in Seoul on July 22, 2020. Kim has admitted to allegations that he had physically and verbally assaulted his former teammate Choi Suk-hyeon, who took her own life after enduring years of abuse. (Yonhap)
Kim, Jang, another triathlete, Kim Do-hwan, and former team therapist Ahn Joo-hyeon are all being accused of having abused the late Gyeongju athlete Choi Suk-hyeon. Choi took her own life in late June after her pleas for help went unanswered by regional and national sports authorities. She had left behind audio recordings of occasions when she was apparently struck and verbally abused by these four individuals, prompting legal and sports authorities to belatedly begin investigating the case.
The National Assembly's committee on sports convened the hearing, but only Kim Do-hwan attended the session. Coach Kim was arrested Tuesday.
At the hearing, Lim brought written testimonies that Choi submitted to Gyeongju officials during their preliminary probe in March. The lawmaker also gathered statements from other triathletes from Gyeongju who said they, too, had been abused.
Choi Young-hee, father of the late triathlete Choi Suk-hyeon, speaks during a parliamentary hearing convened by the sports committee at the National Assembly in Seoul on July 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
Kim Do-hwan, who has admitted to his wrongdoing and apologized to Choi's family, said Wednesday he was also abused by his coach and he saw the instructor strike his teammates.
Coach Kim has pointed to Ahn as the only abuser and argued he had to restrain the therapist on occasions.
Also during Wednesday's hearing, Choi's former teammates testified that Jang had physically and verbally abused many athletes and that she even ordered one younger teammate to hit others with a piece of lumber.
That athlete attended the hearing and said, "If I hadn't followed her order, she would have bullied me and driven me insane, too. I am really ashamed that I trusted and followed someone like her."
He added that it was "ridiculous" that Jang is still denying all allegations against her despite mounting evidence.
Another athlete said Jang kept hitting younger athletes randomly.
"We had to apologize to her for no reason. She basically ran the whole team at Gyeongju and there wasn't anything we could do," the athlete said. "Those people hit us every day, so they may not remember much. But we've been traumatized for our whole lives."
The athlete added, "I still have nightmares with Jang in them. I hope she will offer a sincere apology and receive her due punishment."
Participants of a parliamentary hearing convened by the sports committee at the National Assembly in Seoul bow their heads in respect to the late triathlete Choi Suk-hyeon on July 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
In a written statement submitted to the hearing, Jang claimed that she was the biggest victim in this scandal and that Ahn was the only person at fault.
"Coach Kim once asked me why I had hit my teammates, and I kept telling him I didn't do anything wrong," Jang wrote. "I even told him that if I had struck other athletes, I'd just quit on the spot."
Jang added that she had been on good terms with Choi and that she had also been abused by Ahn.
With allegations and denials flying, members of the parliamentary sports committee also grilled the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) and the sports ministry over their inadequate handling of the preliminary investigation into Choi's claims.
About two months before her death, Choi filed a petition with the KSOC, seeking punishments for her alleged abusers, but the sports body took no action.
It was only after Choi's passing that sports officials began moving, and the Korea Triathlon Federation banned coach Kim and Jang for life and suspended Kim Do-hwan for 10 years. All three have appealed those penalties.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--BOK to end 'unlimited' repo operations this month

The special program was launched in April , under which the South Korean central bank offered to purchase an `` @ @ @ @ @ from local financial firms .
The program was initially designed to be run for three @ @ @ @ @ a month into July .

SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- The Bank of Korea (BOK) on Wednesday said it will end its repurchase agreement operations aimed at injecting additional funds into the financial market reeling from the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The special program was launched in April, under which the South Korean central bank offered to purchase an "unlimited" amount of bonds from local financial firms. The program was initially designed to be run for three months and was extended by a month into July.
"The Bank of Korea plans to terminate the repo program at the end of July, considering improved market liquidity conditions and reduced demands," it said in a press release.
In case market conditions for financing worsen or market volatility expands, the BOK plans to actively supply additional liquidity to the market by either resuming the special repo operations or through irregular repo operations, it said.
Worsening economic conditions earlier forced businesses here to boost their borrowing.
Non-financial firms in South Korea took out an additional 27.9 trillion won (US$23.3 billion) in bank loans in April alone, followed by a 16 trillion-won net increase in May.
With BOK support for direct financing, they sharply cut their fresh loans to a net 1.5 trillion-won increase in June, according to earlier reports.
To further support local businesses, the BOK is set to launch a separate program, together with policy lender KDB, to purchase up to 10 trillion won in bonds or commercial papers from firms with subprime credit ratings.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-07-22--Seoul denies trying to broker U.S.-N.K. nuke talks during Biegun's visit

The South first suggested that it would try to persuade the North to give up not only its Yongbyon nuclear @ @ @ @ @ nuclear facility , but the U.S. demanded it wanted Pyongyang to do more , including @ @ @ @ @ centers , according to the paper .

By Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea denied a news report Wednesday that it tried unsuccessfully to broker fresh nuclear talks between the United States and North Korea when U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun visited Seoul earlier this month.
Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun reported earlier that South Korean and U.S. officials discussed conditions for another summit between the U.S. and the North, ahead of Biegun's trip to Seoul from July 7-9 for talks with the South Korean nuclear envoy.
The South first suggested that it would try to persuade the North to give up not only its Yongbyon nuclear complex but also an additional nuclear facility, but the U.S. demanded it wanted Pyongyang to do more, including declaring intercontinental ballistic missile research centers, according to the paper.
Seoul then delivered the demand to Pyongyang via an unofficial channel, but the North rejected it.
The foreign ministry in Seoul denied having made such an offer.
"The news report is groundless. The government has never made such a proposal," a ministry official said.
The nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have remained stalled since their second summit in Hanoi early last year broke down due to differences over the scope of the North's denuclearization and concessions by Washington.
In the Hanoi summit, Pyongyang offered to abandon the Yongbyon nuclear facility in return for U.S. easing of major sanctions that have crippled its economy. But Washington demanded it surrender other undisclosed nuclear weapons and missile manufacturing facilities as well.
During his visit to Seoul, Biegun stressed that he did not request a visit with North Koreans and that his trip was to meet with his friends and allies while repeating the U.S. position that it is always ready to resume nuclear dialogue with the North.
In this AP file photo from June 30, 2019, President Donald Trump (L), meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) and South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone. (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)