yna--2020-08-21--(2nd LD) S. Korea's exports fall 7 pct in first 20 days of August

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ( OECD ) has predicted that South Korea 's economy will shrink 1.2 @ @ @ @ @ global economy is expected to have its worst year since the Great Depression of the @ @ @ @ @ .

(ATTN: ADDS details in para 4, last 3 paras)
SEJONG, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's exports fell by a single digit from a year earlier in the first 20 days of August amid the economic fallout from the new coronavirus, customs data showed Friday.
The country's outbound shipments declined 7 percent in the Aug. 1-20 period from the same period last year, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service.
The nation's outbound shipments stood at US$23.1 billion in the Aug. 1-20 period, the data showed.
The daily average exports during the 20-day period also declined 3.7 percent.
The country's exports dropped for the fifth consecutive month in July due to the growing economic fallout from the pandemic. Outbound shipments declined 7 percent to $42.8 billion last month.
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted trade and halted production around the globe, with a rising number of countries fully closing their borders.
By segment, exports of memory chips, a key item, rose 2.9 percent and those of automobiles declined 10.1 percent on-year in the 20-day period.
By country, shipments to China fell 0.2 percent on-year and shipments to the United States rose 6.2 percent.
South Korea's imports in the 20-day period slipped 12.8 percent on-year to $23.3 billion during the 20-day period, according to the data.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has predicted that South Korea's economy will shrink 1.2 percent this year as the global economy is expected to have its worst year since the Great Depression of the 1930s due to the pandemic.
The world economy is expected to contract 6 percent this year, the OECD said.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-21--Samsung Bioepis gets nod for sale of anticancer biosimilar drug in Europe

Following the patent expiration on Avastin in Europe and the United States last year , global pharmaceutical giants have been @ @ @ @ @

By Kim Han-joo
SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korean biopharmaceutical firm Samsung Bioepis Co. said Friday it has won approval from European authorities for the sale of its anticancer biosimilar drug, Aybintio.
The European Commission (EC) accepted Samsung Bioepis' application to sell the bevacizumab biosimilar, also known as SB8, which references Switzerland-based Roche Holding's blockbuster pill Avastin.
The drug was authorized for use by patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and metastatic breast cancer, the company said.
This undated photo, provided by Samsung Bioepis Co., shows its plant in South Korea. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
In 2019, Avastin raked in sales of 7.07 billion Swiss francs (US$7.5 billion) globally, with 1.79 billion Swiss franc sales coming from Europe.
Following the patent expiration on Avastin in Europe and the United States last year, global pharmaceutical giants have been racing to release biosimilars.
Aybintio, Samsung Bioepis' fifth biosimilar in Europe, will join other authorized biosimilar bevacizumab products, including Amgen Inc.'s Mvasi and Pfizer Inc.'s Zirabev, in Europe.
Samsung Bioepis, established in 2012, is a joint venture between Samsung Biologics and Biogen Inc. Samsung BioLogics is a biopharmaceutical unit of South Korea's top conglomerate, Samsung Group.
Other biosimilars under development by Samsung Bioepis are SB11, a biosimilar ranibizumab referencing Lucentis, and SB12, a biosimilar eculizumab referencing Soliris.
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-21--5 police officers test positive for coronavirus after mass rally in Seoul

SEOUL , Aug. 21 ( Yonhap ) -- Five police officers who were dispatched to a mass weekend rally site @ @ @ @ @ new coronavirus as of Friday , the National Police Agency ( NPA ) said .

SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- Five police officers who were dispatched to a mass weekend rally site have tested positive for the new coronavirus as of Friday, the National Police Agency (NPA) said.
They were among 9,536 police officers who were mobilized to maintain safety at areas near Gwanghwamun and the Gyeongbok Palace station in central Seoul on Saturday.
Four officers were confirmed to be infected Thursday and another was diagnosed with coronavirus infection on Friday, the agency said.
The health authorities have tested all of the officers as of 6 p.m. Friday. There may be more confirmed cases depending on test results.
Thousands of people, mostly elderly participants, gathered in the areas to attend anti-government rallies that were held in line with Liberation Day.
Early on Friday, the NPA closed the 13th floor of its building in Seoul after an officer tested positive.
Disinfection work is underway at the National Police Agency in Seoul on Aug. 21, 2020, as a police officer there tested positive for COVID-19. (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-08-21--(2nd LD) Police raid church at center of coronavirus spike

Pastor Jun Kwang-hoon of the church took part in a massive anti-government rally attended by approximately 20,000 people at Gwanghwamun @ @ @ @ @ on Saturday , leading church members and his political followers from around the country .
@ @ @ @ @ how many of the church congregants participated in the event .
Jun and several of @ @ @ @ @ the rally .

(ATTN: CHANGES headline; UPDATES paras 1-3 with police raid; ADDS photo)
SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- Police on Friday raided the church at the center of the recent spike in coronavirus outbreaks following a failed attempt to secure a full list of its members.
A court issued a warrant for search and seizure for Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul. Police began the operation after two attorneys for the church arrived, police officers said.
On late Thursday, officials from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention visited the church to obtain a list of its congregant but failed to do so due to a strong protest by church officials and followers.
Police officers wearing protective gear head toward Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul on Aug. 21, 2020, for a search and seizure operation. A court issued a warrant after health authorities failed to secure the full list of the members of the church at the center of recent spikes in coronavirus infections in the country. (Yonhap)
The move comes as a recent spike in COVID-19 infection cases in Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province is tied to the church.
Pastor Jun Kwang-hoon of the church took part in a massive anti-government rally attended by approximately 20,000 people at Gwanghwamun Square, central Seoul, on Saturday, leading church members and his political followers from around the country. It is not known exactly how many of the church congregants participated in the event. Jun and several of his aides tested positive after the rally.
The officials arrived at the church, located in the northern ward of Seongbuk, at around 5 p.m. Thursday, after they tried unsuccessfully in their first attempt in the morning.
Once they entered the church compound, they initially faced strong protest from church officials who demanded a search and seizure warrant. The search began at 8 p.m. and finished around 3:30 a.m.
Around 30 congregants gathered in front of the church while the search operation was going on. Some right-wing YouTubers who were at the scene spread misinformation that police were trying to tear down the church, which provoked angry responses from worshipers.
An official from the ward office said the original list of 900 congregants was not "correct."
Lawyers of Sarang Jeil Church hold a press conference in front of the organization in northern Seoul on Aug. 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
But lawyers of the church claimed that they have already submitted the full list of the congregation to the authorities but they trespassed on the church compound without legal grounds.
"I checked the official document issued by the Seoul municipal government, but our church was not subject to the epidemiological examination," lawyer Kang Yeon-jae, who represents pastor Jun, said in a press conference on Friday. "But city officials demanded us to open the gate and police officers dragged citizens out from the church compound."
She said the church will take legal steps against the illegal execution, suing Seoul city's acting Mayor Seo Jeong-hyup for employing violence.
Pastor Jun released a statement on a YouTube channel earlier in the day, blaming "virus terrors by outside forces" for the massive outbreak in his church. He has been admitted to a Seoul hospital since he was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19.
"I'm sorry that I have caused health concerns," he wrote. "My church has fully complied with the anti-virus guidelines ... I am curious about the origin of the virus."
It is considered hard to know the exact size of its congregation. According to a person who is familiar with the church, the total number is estimated to be around 2,000-3,000. In one text message that the church sent out outside, the number was 4,000.
The church and pastor Jun have been magnets for conservatives critical of the Moon Jae-in government who flock to the church from around the country to attend Jun's sermons and political rallies.
As of Friday morning, 732 coronavirus infections have been tied to the church, and transmissions have continued through religious facilities and workplaces around the country, according to the KCDC.
The KCDC has been contact tracing and doing epidemiological studies in some 150 places linked to the church cluster, the country's second biggest since the outbreak in the Shincheonji Church of Jesus earlier this year.
The country reported 324 new cases Friday, the eighth straight day of triple-digit jumps and the first time that the number passed the 300 mark since March 8 when it recorded 367 infection cases. The country's total caseload is 16,670.
Police stand guard in front of Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul on Aug. 20, 2020, as its members protest during the government's epidemiological survey. (Yonhap)
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-21--Eastar to cut workforce to find new owner

SEOUL , Aug. 21 ( Yonhap ) -- Eastar Jet Co. will cut down on its workforce as part of @ @ @ @ @ owner after Jeju Air Co. scrapped its plan to acquire the smaller budget carrier amid @ @ @ @ @ the airline business , industry sources said Friday .

SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- Eastar Jet Co. will cut down on its workforce as part of efforts to find a new owner after Jeju Air Co. scrapped its plan to acquire the smaller budget carrier amid the coronavirus' impact on the airline business, industry sources said Friday.
Eastar plans to lay off nearly 70 percent of its 1,200 employees in restructuring before it begins the process to find a new investor, Eastar Senior Vice President Kim You-sang said over the phone.
"Our lead managers and two private equity funds (that have an interest in investing in Eastar) want the company to reduce our fleet and workforce among other things," he said.
This file photo, taken July 1, 2020, shows Jeju Air and Eastar Jet's planes at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. (Yonhap)
Eastar currently has 18 planes, including two 737 MAX aircraft, and plans to reduce the fleet to five to seven planes, the executive said.
Last week, Eastar selected Deloitte Anjin LLC, Yulchon LLC and Heungkuk Securities Co. as lead managers to handle the deal to sell its 51.17 percent stake.
"We are also looking for a strategic investor, or a company, that has an interest in the majority stake in Eastar," he said.
Eastar faces bankruptcy after Jeju Air scrapped the deal in late July due to rising COVID-19 pandemic-related uncertainties.
In response to the decision, Eastar said Jeju Air violated terms of the deal and will seek every possible measure to make Jeju Air take responsibility for the deal's collapse.
"There is no progress in resolving the dispute with Jeju Air," Kim said.
Analysts expect Eastar will go bankrupt if there are no viable investors to take over the carrier, which has suspended all flights since March.
In March, Jeju Air signed a deal to acquire the controlling stake in Eastar Jet from Eastar Holdings for 54.5 billion won (US$45.53 million) as part of its expansion strategy despite the pandemic.
The deal had been at risk of falling through despite the government's intention to support it as the two sides failed to narrow differences on terms of the contract.
On July 1, Jeju Air sent an ultimatum demanding Eastar Jet pay off all of its debts, estimated at up to 170 billion won, including unpaid wages to its employees, delayed payments to subcontractors and office operating expenses, by July 15.
But Eastar failed to meet the demands. The company said the debt payment is not part of the deal and that it is not Eastar's duty, but Jeju Air's.
AK Holdings, the holding firm of South Korean retail conglomerate Aekyung Group, holds a 56.94 percent stake in Jeju Air.
On July 23, the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB) and the Export-Import Bank of Korea said they will withdraw their plan to extend loans worth 170 billion won to Jeju Air following the deal's collapse.
The state lenders were planning to inject the capital into Jeju Air to help it take over Eastar and ride out the virus crisis.
As for possible loans to Eastar, the KDB said on July 23 that it was not considering providing financial support for Eastar.
This photo taken on July 14, 2020, shows Eastar Jet's headquarters in western Seoul. (Yonhap)
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-21--(6th LD) Despite virus spread, doctors stage strike over plan to increase medical students

`` Increasing the number of medical students has been under consideration for a long time and had been the center @ @ @ @ @ community , '' said ministry spokesman Son Young-rae .
He said demands being made by @ @ @ @ @ the social consensus built up so far on this issue and can not be accepted @ @ @ @ @ respect discussions that have taken place so far .

(ATTN: ADDS details in paras 9-10)
SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- Thousands of trainee doctors in South Korea went on strike Friday to protest the government's plan to increase the number of medical students, drawing public criticism amid fears of nationwide spread of the new coronavirus.
Trainee doctors have staged a limited strike since early this month after the government announced its plan to boost the number of medical students by 4,000 over the next decade to better cope with public health crises.
Despite the growing calls to return to work amid the pandemic, the Korea Medical Association (KMA) made clear the government must first scrap its reform plans before the strikes are called off. The KMA said doctors will stage the three-day walkout set for next week as planned.
Trainee doctors holding signs denouncing the government medical reform plan take part in a strike at Ajou University Hospital in Suwon, south of Seoul, on Aug. 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip criticized doctors for continuing strikes despite the steep jump in virus infections in the greater capital area, which showed signs of spreading nationwide.
The government will sternly deal with the strike by doctors "in accordance with law and principle," Kim said.
Kim reiterated that the government is ready to start talks with doctors to discuss the plan to boost the number of medical students if doctors return to their duties and cancel the strike, although the health ministry said it too can't abandon its policy.
"Increasing the number of medical students has been under consideration for a long time and had been the center of talks with the medical community," said ministry spokesman Son Young-rae. He said demands being made by doctors call for nullifying all the social consensus built up so far on this issue and cannot be accepted as the government has to respect discussions that have taken place so far.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun speaks during an interagency meeting on the new coronavirus response at the government office complex in Seoul on Aug. 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun also expressed regret earlier in the day, saying that, "The doctors, who should protect the lives of the people in the serious situation as COVID-19 is spreading again, have begun the collective action."
The government may consider ordering striking doctors to go back to work under medical laws if a prolonged strike threatens the life and safety of patients, the health ministry said.
If striking doctors do not follow the order, they could have their licenses cancelled or receive up to three years in jail or a penalty of up to 30 million won (US$25,240), it said.
A petition calling for the striking doctors to stop their action has gathered nearly 200,000 signatures.
The Korean Intern and Resident Association (KIRA) said the latest protest took place with fourth-year residents working at large hospitals going on strike first, followed by third-year trainee doctors Saturday and first- and second-year residents Sunday.
All trainee doctors working at emergency rooms will also all go on strike starting Friday for an indefinite period of time, it said.
Major hospitals, such as Seoul Asan Medical Center and Samsung Medical Center, put off non-critical surgery.
In addition to regular medical treatment, coronavirus screening centers around the country may have to cut back on the number of people they can check, as trainee doctors have been assigned to such facilities.
The country added 324 more COVID-19 cases, including 315 local infections, raising the total caseload to 16,670, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The tally was the highest since March 8 when the daily virus cases reached 367.
The number of daily infections has been in the triple digits since Aug. 14, when 103 cases were reported, About 1,900 cases have been newly identified in the past eight days.
A doctor walks through a hallway at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital on Aug. 21, 2020, as trainee doctors start a walkout to protest the government's medical sector reform measures. (Yonhap)
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-21--Top Chinese official in Busan for talks on Xi's visit plan, N. Korea issue

It marks Yang 's first visit to South Korea in more than two years .
He doubles as director of @ @ @ @ @ Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee .
He worked as foreign minister and state @ @

SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- Yang Jiechi, a top Chinese official in charge of diplomatic affairs, arrived in Busan on Friday for talks with President Moon Jae-in's top security advisor on President Xi Jinping's plan to visit South Korea, North Korea and other pending issues.
Yang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, is scheduled to meet with Suh Hoon, director of national security at Cheong Wa Dae, in the southern port city on Saturday morning.
Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, arrives at Gimhae International Airport in the southeastern city of Busan on Aug. 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
They plan to "exchange opinions on issues of mutual concern, such as South Korea-China coronavirus response cooperation, bilateral relations, including high-level exchanges, as well as the Korean Peninsula and international security situations," Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok said at a press briefing.
A Cheong Wa Dae official later told reporters that "the issue of President Xi's visit to South Korea is expected to be among major agenda items as well."
This file photo shows South Korean President Moon Jae-in (R) shaking hands with Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on March 30, 2018. (Yonhap)
Xi earlier agreed to visit South Korea within this year, but there has been no announcement of the schedule, apparently due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It marks Yang's first visit to South Korea in more than two years. He doubles as director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee. He worked as foreign minister and state councilor.
He is slated to leave Busan after having lunch with Suh on Saturday, as he reportedly has no plan to pay a courtesy call on Moon.
China has a consulate general in the city, 325 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-21--Justice ministry committee recommends repealing anti-abortion law

According to two articles of the country 's Criminal Act , which was made into law in 1953 , a @ @ @ @ @ own miscarriage through the use of drugs or other means '' shall be punished by @ @ @ @ @ year or by a fine of up to two million won ( US $ 1,685 @ @ @ @ @ who performs an abortion with a patient 's consent can be slapped with imprisonment of @ @ @ @ @ up to three years if performed without permission .

By Woo Jae-yeon
SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's justice ministry said Friday it is working on revising a 67-year-old criminal law that made abortion a crime punishable by up to three years in prison.
The Committee of Gender Equality under the ministry made its first policy recommendation that the ministry should recognize women's right to choose as a basic human right and move closer to repealing the decades-old law.
"Women's voices and experiences should be actively considered (in policymaking)," the committee said in a press release. It added that the right to choose is guaranteed "by the Constitution, the Framework Act of Gender Equality and the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women."
The belated move came more than a year after the country's Constitutional Court declared in April last year in a landmark ruling that the anti-abortion law is unconstitutional by violating a woman's right to choose.
At that time, the court gave the National Assembly until the end of this year time to revise the law. The law will become null and void if the deadline is not met.
According to two articles of the country's Criminal Act, which was made into law in 1953, a woman who "procures her own miscarriage through the use of drugs or other means" shall be punished by imprisonment of up to one year or by a fine of up to two million won (US$1,685). Also a doctor who performs an abortion with a patient's consent can be slapped with imprisonment of up to two years and up to three years if performed without permission.
A coalition of women's rights groups holds a press conference on April 10, 2020, in front of the National Assembly in commemoration of the one-year anniversary of the Constitutional Court's ruling that the country's anti-abortion law is unconstitutional. (Yonhap)
Abortions are only legally allowed in case of rape or when carrying the pregnancy is likely to put the expectant mother's health at great risk.
The same court in 2012 ruled that the law is constitutional, citing that a fetus' right to life is as important as that of a woman and that allowing abortion would make it rampant.
But women's rights activists have been arduously calling for abolishment, arguing that making it a criminal offense only deteriorates situations in which a medical procedure to terminate a pregnancy takes place anyway and that many women face greater health risks during the illegal process.
In April, a coalition of women's groups held a press conference in front of the National Assembly in commemoration of the first anniversary of the court's ruling, calling for swift action to repeal the law.
"The reality facing (South Korean) women who have to endure violence and stigma (associated with abortion) did not change," said Na Young, the head of Share, a women's rights group. "The government and the National Assembly should act to protect women who undergo an abortion, and not let them suffer alone."
The ministry said the government's final stance on the issue has yet to be finalized and that it will make efforts to hear more opinions and complete a revision of the law by the end of this year.
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-21--(LEAD) S. Korea provides additional emergency relief items to explosion-hit Lebanon

A total of 4,000 sets of medical supplies and 17,000 face masks were handed over by the Dongmyung Unit to @ @ @ @ @ to the ministry .
Earlier this month , the unit provided 6,000 sets of medical @ @ @ @ @ to Lebanon .

(ATTN: CHANGES photo)
SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's military unit based in Lebanon provided additional emergency relief items to the Middle Eastern country on Friday to help with recovery efforts in the wake of a recent deadly explosion, Seoul's defense ministry said.
A total of 4,000 sets of medical supplies and 17,000 face masks were handed over by the Dongmyung Unit to Lebanese military authorities, according to the ministry. Earlier this month, the unit provided 6,000 sets of medical supplies and other relief items to Lebanon.
On Aug. 4, a massive blast occurred at a waterfront warehouse in Beirut, killing more than 200 people, according to news reports.
If the Lebanese government makes a request, the South Korean unit will proactively review additional support, including equipment and other supplies for recovery, according to the military.
The 280-strong Dongmyung unit, based in the southern city of Tyre, close to the border with Israel, has been operating as part of the U.N. Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) since 2007.
South Korea's Dongmyung Unit in Lebanon delivers emergency relief items to Lebanese officers on Aug. 21, 2020, to help the country recover from a recent massive explosion, in this photo provided by South Korea's defense ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
This EPA photo taken on Aug. 4, 2020, shows smoke billowing from the site of a large explosion that rocked the harbor of Beirut, Lebanon. (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-21--(2nd LD) District judge in Jeonju infected with coronavirus

`` I dropped by the court to deal with some property registry work but was asked to swiftly leave the @ @ @ @ @ infection of a court official , '' a Jeonju citizen said .
`` I feel @ @ @ @ @ to be few places safe from the coronavirus . ''

(ATTN: UPDATES with recommendation for court closures in last three paras)
SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- A senior district judge in the southwestern city of Jeonju has been diagnosed with the coronavirus disease, local quarantine authorities said Friday, marking the nation's first infection of an incumbent justice.
The 40-something at the Jeonju District Court in Jeonju, about 250 kilometers south of Seoul, tested positive for the new coronavirus Friday morning, the authorities said, without revealing his or her identity.
Quarantine officials disinfect a courtroom at the Jeonju District Court in Jeonju, southwestern South Korea, on Aug. 21, 2020, after one of its judges tested positive for the coronavirus. (Yonhap)
Quarantine officials disinfect a courtroom at the Jeonju District Court in Jeonju, southwestern South Korea, on Aug. 21, 2020, after one of its judges tested positive for the coronavirus. (Yonhap)
It is the first time in South Korea that a court judge has been found to be infected with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
The quarantine authorities are now conducting an epidemiological investigation to determine how and where the judge's infection occurred.
The judge is said to have visited Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province last weekend before staying at his home in Daejeon, a central city 150 km south of Seoul, on Monday, a temporary national holiday, according to the provincial officials.
The judge then returned to Jeonju on Tuesday and took the coronavirus test Thursday after displaying symptoms, such as chills and fever the previous day, they said.
According to the court, the infected judge had not presided over any trial this week and always wore a face mask while on duty at his office.
The judge is now receiving medical treatment at the Gunsan Medical Center, a North Jeolla Province city west of Jeonju.
North Jeolla Province, to which Jeonju belongs, has been one of the least coronavirus-affected regions in the country, with its cumulative caseload rising by five to 63 as of Friday morning.
Officials and visitors leave the Jeonju District Court in Jeonju, southwestern South Korea, on Aug. 21, 2020, after one of its judges tested positive for the coronavirus. (Yonhap)
The Jeonju court postponed all trials scheduled for Friday, and authorities conducted an emergency disinfection for all 11 floors of the court building.
Almost all other court officials and employees were asked to return home and remain on standby, while visitors were told to leave the court building before 11 a.m.
The seventh floor where the infected judge's office is located was completely sealed off.
"I dropped by the court to deal with some property registry work but was asked to swiftly leave the building due to a coronavirus infection of a court official," a Jeonju citizen said. "I feel really troubled as there seems to be few places safe from the coronavirus."
In a related development, the Office of Court Administration on Friday recommended that all courts nationwide suspend trials for two weeks, beginning Monday, to help stem the spread of COVID-19.
The organ of the Supreme Court asked heads of local courts to postpone all court trials, except for those involving arrests of criminals, preliminary injunction order and probation decision, over the next two weeks to help join the national fight against the pandemic.
The office also asked that the operations of all court-affiliated facilities, such as gyms, wedding halls, cafes and restaurants, be halted during the period.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-21--Ex-TV anchor gets suspended sentence for illicit filming of woman

Kim admitted to the criminal charges but argued that his right to participate in the evidence confiscation process was not @ @ @ @ @ that the search and seizure process was illegal because evidence was collected beyond the scope @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- A former anchor of a major TV station in South Korea received a suspended prison sentence from a Seoul court on Friday for secretly photographing a woman's body at a subway station a year ago.
The Seoul Southern District Court sentenced Kim Sung-joon, the former host of a primetime news show for SBS, to six months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered him to complete 40 hours of sex offender treatment course, finding him guilty of illicit filming.
The 56-year-old Kim was indicted in December last year for secretly taking pictures of a woman's legs with his mobile phone at the Yeongdeungpo Ward Office subway station in southwestern Seoul, late at night on July 3.
The prosecution had demanded a one-year jail term for Kim last month.
법원 나서는 김성준 전 앵커 Kim Sung-joon, a former news anchor of broadcaster SBS, leaves a court in Seoul in this file photo taken on Jan. 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
Kim admitted to the criminal charges but argued that his right to participate in the evidence confiscation process was not guaranteed. He also claimed that the search and seizure process was illegal because evidence was collected beyond the scope of the warrant.
But the court dismissed his claim, saying all the evidence was legitimately secured by prosecutors.
Following the ruling, Kim offered his apology to the victim and those who have supported him in the past and said he will decide whether to appeal after consulting with his lawyer.
nyway@yna.co.kr
(END)


Yonhap News Summary

And that 's exactly what global K-pop sensation BTS had in mind when preparing to bring out its latest single @ @ @ @ @ a bright , upbeat disco-pop track that 's sung entirely in English -- a first @ @ @ @ @ has produced music primarily in Korean even after its global breakout .

The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Friday.
----------------
(2nd LD) S. Korea warns of stern law enforcement to prevent quarantine interference
SEOUL -- South Korea's government on Friday called on health authorities to act strongly against any move to impede their efforts to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.
President Moon Jae-in called for "stern measures," including criminal charges, for anyone who tries to "hamper epidemiological studies" while visiting Seoul city government's office to check the city's quarantine operations.
----------------
S. Korea provides additional emergency relief items to explosion-hit Lebanon
SEOUL -- South Korea's military unit based in Lebanon provided additional emergency relief items to the Middle Eastern country on Friday to help with recovery efforts in the wake of a recent deadly explosion, Seoul's defense ministry said.
A total of 4,000 sets of medical supplies and 17,000 face masks were handed over by the Dongmyung Unit to Lebanese military authorities, according to the ministry. Earlier this month, the unit provided 6,000 sets of medical supplies and other relief items to Lebanon.
----------------
(LEAD) Unification minister renews calls for inter-Korean cooperation against disasters
SEOUL -- Unification Minister Lee In-young vowed Friday to come up with concrete measures for inter-Korean anti-disaster cooperation as North Korea is making all efforts to prevent an outbreak of the coronavirus and recover from flood damage.
Lee made the remark during a speech at a forum celebrating the 75th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan, stressing the need to cooperate in humanitarian areas, including preventive measures against the coronavirus.
----------------
(LEAD) Health authorities fail to secure list of church's congregation, new hotbed of COVID-19
SEOUL -- South Korean health officials have tried to secure the full list of members of a church at the center of the recent spike in coronavirus outbreaks, but their overnight attempt failed due to a strong protest by church officials on Friday.
Officials from the Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (KCDC), accompanied by police officers, visited the headquarters of Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul on Thursday evening, citing what they deemed an incorrect list of 900 members the church submitted.
----------------
(LEAD) District judge in Jeonju infected with coronavirus
SEOUL -- A senior district judge in the southwestern city of Jeonju has been diagnosed with the coronavirus disease, local quarantine authorities said Friday, marking the nation's first infection of an incumbent justice.
The 40-something at the Jeonju District Court in Jeonju, about 250 kilometers south of Seoul, tested positive for the new coronavirus Friday morning, the authorities said, without revealing his or her identity.
----------------
(3rd LD) S. Korea may further tighten virus curbs as daily infections top 300
SEOUL -- South Korea's health authorities warned Friday they will consider upping the level of social distancing to the highest level if nationwide outbreaks of the new coronavirus continue after the weekend.
The country's virus fight has reached a critical phase as its daily new virus cases surpassed 300 for the first time since early March on Friday due largely to church-linked cluster infections in the wider capital area and other regions.
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(5th LD) Despite virus spread, doctors stage strike over plan to increase medical students
SEOUL -- Thousands of trainee doctors in South Korea went on strike Friday to protest the government's plan to increase the number of medical students, drawing public criticism amid fears of nationwide spread of the new coronavirus.
Trainee doctors have staged a limited strike since early this month after the government announced its plan to boost the number of medical students by 4,000 over the next decade to better cope with public health crises.
----------------
(LEAD) BTS' new single 'Dynamite' celebrates spirit of happiness, confidence in pandemic era
SEOUL -- Sometimes a small slice of comforting, feel-good entertainment, whether it be music, television or film, can go a long way in dealing with stress and fatigue, especially now more than ever amidst the raging COVID-19 pandemic.
And that's exactly what global K-pop sensation BTS had in mind when preparing to bring out its latest single album "Dynamite," a bright, upbeat disco-pop track that's sung entirely in English -- a first for the Korean septet that has produced music primarily in Korean even after its global breakout.
----------------
Spike in new infections causes 849 schools to shut down, biggest number since reopening
SEOUL -- As the coronavirus infections soared to a five-month high on Friday, a record number of schools nationwide were forced to shut down to protect children and educators from the novel coronavirus.
A total of 849 schools stopped their in-person classes, the Ministry of Education said, the biggest number since the country reopened schools on May 20.
(END)


yna--2020-08-21--Spike in new infections causes 849 schools to shut down, biggest number since reopening

In the capital Seoul , which took up nearly half of the country 's new infections on Friday , 10 @ @ @ @ @ three teachers and school officials -- were confirmed to have contracted the virus in the @ @ @ @ @ 6 p.m. Wednesday .

SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- As the coronavirus infections soared to a five-month high on Friday, a record number of schools nationwide were forced to shut down to protect children and educators from the novel coronavirus.
A total of 849 schools stopped their in-person classes, the Ministry of Education said, the biggest number since the country reopened schools on May 20.
The figure broke the previous record of 838 on May 28 when a cluster of infections popped up in a logistics center in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province.
In Seoul, the northern ward of Seongbuk, where the new COVID-19 hotbed Sarang Jeil Church is located, was the hardest hit with 79 schools affected, and the nearby ward of Gangbuk saw 40 schools shut down. As of Friday morning, 732 coronavirus infections have been tied to the church.
In Gyeonggi Province, 279 schools, including 207 in Yongin and 49 in Paju, couldn't run in-person classes, due to a pocket of infections tied to a local church and a Starbucks cafe.
The southern port city of Busan reported that 317 schools shut down, while Wonju of Gangwon Province recorded closures of 96 schools.
Since the country's schools started to reopen on May 20, 213 students and 48 faculty members and teachers have tested positive for the virus. All schools reopened by June 8.
In the capital Seoul, which took up nearly half of the country's new infections on Friday, 10 people -- seven students and three teachers and school officials -- were confirmed to have contracted the virus in the span of 24 hours from 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a cell of infections tied to a sports academy in Seongbuk Ward added three more cases, affecting 22 students from 14 schools.
The country reported 324 new cases Friday, the eighth straight day of triple-digit jumps and the first time that the number passed the 300 mark since March 8 when it recorded 367 infection cases. The country's total caseload is 16,670.
A sign that says school is closed due to COVID-19 is posted at the entrance of a high school in Nowon Ward in Seoul, on Aug. 18, 2020. (Yonhap)
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-21--Cheong Wa Dae to operate around the clock in contingency mode to combat COVID-19

The shift comes in line with a surge in new coronavirus infections in the greater Seoul area .
The country @ @ @ @ @ cases in the past eight days .

SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean presidential office was set to start running in around-the-clock contingency mode starting Friday to better counter the spiking coronavirus cases in the greater Seoul area.
"Cheong Wa Dae has (decided) to operate a contingency system in the face of a severe new coronavirus situation," Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok said in a written press briefing.
Under the plan, Presidential Chief of Staff Noh Young-min will preside over an emergency response meeting every morning.
The presidential office plans to monitor the nationwide situation and relevant departments will run weekend and night shifts, according to Cheong Wa Dae.
The shift comes in line with a surge in new coronavirus infections in the greater Seoul area. The country has reported some 1,900 new cases in the past eight days.
A health worker tests a visitor for the new coronavirus at a screening center in Wonju, Gangwon Province on Aug. 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-21--(5th LD) Despite virus spread, doctors stage strike over plan to increase medical students

(ATTN: UPDATES with gov't's formal response to doctors' demands in 6th para, minor edits in paras 5, 7)
SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- Thousands of trainee doctors in South Korea went on strike Friday to protest the government's plan to increase the number of medical students, drawing public criticism amid fears of nationwide spread of the new coronavirus.
Trainee doctors have staged a limited strike since early this month after the government announced its plan to boost the number of medical students by 4,000 over the next decade to better cope with public health crises.
Despite the growing calls to return to work amid the pandemic, the Korea Medical Association (KMA) made clear the government must first scrap its reform plans before the strikes are called off. The KMA said doctors will stage the three-day walkout set for next week as planned.
Trainee doctors holding signs denouncing the government medical reform plan take part in a strike at Ajou University Hospital in Suwon, south of Seoul, on Aug. 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip criticized doctors for continuing strikes despite the steep jump in virus infections in the greater capital area, which showed signs of spreading nationwide.
The government will sternly deal with the strike by doctors "in accordance with law and principle," Kim said.
Kim reiterated that the government is ready to start talks with doctors to discuss the plan to boost the number of medical students if doctors return to their duties and cancel the strike, although the health ministry said it too can't abandon its policy.
"Increasing the number of medical students has been under consideration for a long time and had been the center of talks with the medical community," said ministry spokesman Son Young-rae. He said demands being made by doctors call for nullifying all the social consensus built up so far on this issue and cannot be accepted as the government has to respect discussions that have taken place so far.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun speaks during an interagency meeting on the new coronavirus response at the government office complex in Seoul on Aug. 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun also expressed regret earlier in the day, saying that, "The doctors, who should protect the lives of the people in the serious situation as COVID-19 is spreading again, have begun the collective action."
A petition calling for the striking doctors to stop their action has gathered nearly 200,000 signatures.
The Korean Intern and Resident Association (KIRA) said the latest protest took place with fourth-year residents working at large hospitals going on strike first, followed by third-year trainee doctors Saturday and first- and second-year residents Sunday.
All trainee doctors working at emergency rooms will also all go on strike starting Friday for an indefinite period of time, it said.
Major hospitals, such as Seoul Asan Medical Center and Samsung Medical Center, put off non-critical surgery.
In addition to regular medical treatment, coronavirus screening centers around the country may have to cut back on the number of people they can check, as trainee doctors have been assigned to such facilities.
The country added 324 more COVID-19 cases, including 315 local infections, raising the total caseload to 16,670, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The tally was the highest since March 8 when the daily virus cases reached 367.
The number of daily infections has been in the triple digits since Aug. 14, when 103 cases were reported, About 1,900 cases have been newly identified in the past eight days.
A doctor walks through a hallway at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital on Aug. 21, 2020, as trainee doctors start a walkout to protest the government's medical sector reform measures. (Yonhap)
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-21--S. Korea provides additional emergency relief items to explosion-hit Lebanon

SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's military unit based in Lebanon provided additional emergency relief items to the Middle Eastern country on Friday to help with recovery efforts in the wake of a recent deadly explosion, Seoul's defense ministry said.
A total of 4,000 sets of medical supplies and 17,000 face masks were handed over by the Dongmyung Unit to Lebanese military authorities, according to the ministry. Earlier this month, the unit provided 6,000 sets of medical supplies and other relief items to Lebanon.
On Aug. 4, a massive blast occurred at a waterfront warehouse in Beirut, killing more than 200 people, according to news reports.
If the Lebanese government makes a request, the South Korean unit will proactively review additional support, including equipment and other supplies for recovery, according to the military.
The 280-strong Dongmyung unit, based in the southern city of Tyre, close to the border with Israel, has been operating as part of the U.N. Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) since 2007.
Col. Kim Do-young (R) who commands South Korea's Dongmyung Unit in Lebanon, delivers emergency relief items to Lebanese officers on Aug. 8, 2020, to help the country recover from a recent massive explosion, in this photo provided by South Korea's defense ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-21--(2nd LD) S. Korea warns of stern law enforcement to prevent quarantine interference

(ATTN: RECASTS 5th para to clarify time elements)
SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's government on Friday called on health authorities to act strongly against any move to impede their efforts to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.
President Moon Jae-in called for "stern measures," including criminal charges, for anyone who tries to "hamper epidemiological studies" while visiting Seoul city government's office to check the city's quarantine operations.
"If necessary, relevant laws should be enforced, including apprehension on site or seeking an arrest warrant," he said.
His comments came after some local churches were accused of not cooperating with the state efforts to trace and isolate potential COVID-19 patients.
Health officials visited the headquarters of the Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul on Thursday evening to secure the full list of its congregation. However, they returned empty-handed in the early hours of the following day after more than 10 hours of confrontation with church officials.
The church has emerged the second biggest cluster after the outbreak in the Shincheonji Church of Jesus this spring, with 732 cases traced to it. The authorities believe the list the church had given was not complete.
Pastor Jun Kwang-hoon of the church took part in a massive anti-government rally attended by approximately 20,000 people at Gwanghwamun Square, central Seoul, on Saturday, leading church members and his political followers from around the country. It is not known exactly how many of the church congregants participated in the event. Jun and several of his aides tested positive after the rally.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in talks during a meeting on the COVID-19 pandemic at the Seoul city government's office in central Seoul on Aug. 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
"The core principle" of the country's efforts to fight against COVID-19 is, the president said, "swiftly detecting and testing close contacts and isolating the confirmed patients, but things that interfere with (those efforts) have been done systematically."
He added, "Obstructive activities are done physically on the scene (of quarantine operations), or through all-out misinformation campaigns."
While he didn't specify what misinformation he was referring to, ultra-right commentators, including pastor Jun of Sarang Jeil, have been claiming on the internet that the virus has been purposely spread in the church as an act of terrorism to oppress freedom of religion.
The president also emphasized the need for the Seoul metropolitan government to take fast action by enforcing law and order in an "unflinching" and "preemptive" manner and by asking for cooperation from the police and the central government, if necessary.
When it comes to the fight against the pandemic, "state authority should be exercised in a way to protect people's lives" and safety, he said, while its use should be minimized in normal times not to "violate the people's basic human rights."
"This is the biggest crisis we've faced since the COVID-19 pandemic started in the country," he said, adding that "if quarantine efforts fail in Seoul, they will do so in the rest of the country."
The ministers of justice and interior held a separate press briefing in the afternoon, echoing the sense of urgency expressed by the president and detailing the enhanced policy guidelines on the matter.
Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae said the government will seek the maximum penalty allowed in the relevant laws to punish obstruction of justice on the quarantine front.
On the detailed behaviors that would bring stern actions from the government, the minister cited violating no-assembly orders, interfering with contact tracing efforts by submitting false information, assaulting health officials, purposely evading state contacts and running away, refusing to get tested and instigating anti-government sentiment.
"The whole country should work together to overcome this difficulty. We should not allow any more spread (of the virus)," she said. "I urge you to trust the government and health authorities and actively cooperate with the quarantine guidelines."
Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae speaks during a press briefing on the coronavirus pandemic at the government complex in Seoul on Aug. 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-21--(LEAD) Seoul stocks rebound on bargain hunting

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index ( KOSPI ) gained 30.37 points , or 1.34 percent , to close @ @ @ @ @ was high at about 855 million shares worth some 14 trillion won ( US $ @ @ @ @ @ gainers outnumbering losers 600 to 237 .

(ATTN: ADDS bond yields at bottom, photo)
SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korean shares rebounded Friday on bargain hunting after stock prices recently plunged amid fears over the fast-spreading coronavirus. The Korean won rose against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) gained 30.37 points, or 1.34 percent, to close at 2,304.59. Trading volume was high at about 855 million shares worth some 14 trillion won (US$11.8 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 600 to 237.
Foreigners bought a net 197 billion won, ending a two-day selling streak, while retail investors sold a net 136 billion won. Institutions offloaded a net 33 billion won.
Electronic signboards at a Hana Bank dealing room in Seoul show the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 2,304.59 on Aug. 21, 2020, up 30.37 points, or 1.34 percent, from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)
The index closed down 3.66 percent in the previous session, as a resurgence in COVID-19 infections since last weekend spooked investors.
"Yesterday's market plunge seems to have triggered counter-buying transactions among foreign and institutional investors," said Bookook Securities researcher Lee Won.
Most large caps closed higher.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics gained 0.9 percent to 55,900 won, with No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix jumping 3.76 percent to 74,500 won.
Top pharmaceutical company Samsung Biologics climbed 0.63 percent to 799,000 won, while Celltrion retreated 1.31 percent to 301,000 won.
Leading chemical maker LG Chem surged 4.8 percent to 699,000 won, and rechargeable battery maker Samsung SDI added 2.17 percent to 423,500 won.
Hyundai Motor, the country's largest automaker, rose 0.65 percent to 156,000 won, and top steelmaker POSCO advanced 2.05 percent to 199,000 won.
Internet portal company Naver gained 2.29 percent to 312,500 won, with its rival Kakao up 1.51 percent to 370,000 won.
The local currency closed at 1,186.3 won against the U.S. dollar, up 0.6 won from the previous session's close.
Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, closed lower. The yield on three-year Treasurys rose 4.1 basis points to 0.854 percent, and the return on the benchmark five-year government bond added 4.6 basis points to 1.126 percent.
jwc@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-21--S. Korean Bond Yields on Aug. 21, 2020

S. Korean Bond Yields on Aug. 21, 2020

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


yna--2020-08-21--(LEAD) Unification minister renews calls for inter-Korean cooperation against disasters

South Korea has offered joint efforts with North Korea against the virus , but the North has not responded amid @ @ @ @ @ deteriorated recently over the sending of anti-Pyongyang leaflets into the country by activists in the @ @

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 8-9; CHANGES photo)
By Yi Wonju
SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- Unification Minister Lee In-young vowed Friday to come up with concrete measures for inter-Korean anti-disaster cooperation as North Korea is making all efforts to prevent an outbreak of the coronavirus and recover from flood damage.
Lee made the remark during a speech at a forum celebrating the 75th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan, stressing the need to cooperate in humanitarian areas, including preventive measures against the coronavirus.
"The two Koreas must communicate and cooperate across the demarcation line in order to overcome disasters and catastrophes that have no boundaries," Lee said.
"The current pandemic teaches us a lesson that no agenda that has dominated the world, including politics, defense, diplomacy and security, can take precedence over or is stronger than 'life,'" he said.
"I will come up with concrete plans for inter-Korean cooperation in three areas, mainly in health, prevention of infections and climate," he added.
Lee has called for cross-border cooperation in the humanitarian area, saying issues, such as food and separated families, should be handled independently of political issues.
He also vowed to work with the international community to discuss sanctions exemptions in humanitarian areas to improve inter-Korean relations and to bring peace to the Korean peninsula.
Later in the day, Lee also vowed to resume the joint industrial complex in the North Korean border town of Kaesong, which was suspended in 2016 amid tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile provocations.
"I will actively seek ways to resume the Kaesong industrial complex," he said in a meeting with a group of businesspeople who own factories in the industrial park.
Since his appointment earlier this month, Lee has prioritized the resumption of talks with North Korea, saying it is the first step toward normalizing the chilled cross-border relations.
South Korea has offered joint efforts with North Korea against the virus, but the North has not responded amid strained inter-Korean relations that have deteriorated recently over the sending of anti-Pyongyang leaflets into the country by activists in the South.
Unification Minister Lee In-young (C), South Korea's point man on inter-Korean relations, talks with a group of businesspeople who have factories in the suspended inter-Korean industrial park in the North Korean border town of Kaesong during their meeting at the government complex in Seoul on Aug. 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-21--(LEAD) Health authorities fail to secure list of church's congregation, new hotbed of COVID-19

(ATTN: UPDATES with new info, press conference in paras 1-2, 9-13; CORRECTS number in 16th para)
SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korean health officials have tried to secure the full list of members of a church at the center of the recent spike in coronavirus outbreaks, but their overnight attempt failed due to a strong protest by church officials on Friday.
Officials from the Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (KCDC), accompanied by police officers, visited the headquarters of Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul on Thursday evening, citing what they deemed an incorrect list of 900 members the church submitted.
They, however, returned empty-handed on Friday morning after more than 10 hours of confrontation with church officials who refused to let them in.
The move comes as a recent spike in infection cases in Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province is tied to the church.
Pastor Jun Kwang-hoon of the church took part in a massive anti-government rally attended by approximately 20,000 people at Gwanghwamun Square, central Seoul, on Saturday, leading church members and his political followers from around the country. It is not known exactly how many of the church congregants participated in the event. Jun and several of his aides tested positive after the rally.
The officials arrived at the church, located in the northern ward of Seongbuk, at around 5 p.m. Thursday, after they tried unsuccessfully in their first attempt in the morning.
Once they entered the church compound, they initially faced strong protest from church officials who demanded a search and seizure warrant. The search began at 8 p.m. and finished around 3:30 a.m.
Around 30 congregants gathered in front of the church while the search operation was going on. Some right-wing YouTubers who were at the scene spread misinformation that police were trying to tear down the church, which provoked angry responses from worshipers.
An official from the ward office said the original list of 900 congregants was not "correct."
Lawyers of Sarang Jeil Church hold a press conference in front of the organization in northern Seoul on Aug. 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
But lawyers of the church claimed that they have already submitted the full list of the congregation to the authorities but they trespassed on the church compound without legal grounds.
"I checked the official document issued by the Seoul municipal government, but our church was not subject to the epidemiological examination," lawyer Kang Yeon-jae, who represents pastor Jun, said in a press conference on Friday. "But city officials demanded us to open the gate and police officers dragged citizens out from the church compound."
She said the church will take legal steps against the illegal execution, suing Seoul city's acting Mayor Seo Jeong-hyup for employing violence.
Pastor Jun released a statement on a YouTube channel earlier in the day, blaming "virus terrors by outside forces" for the massive outbreak in his church. He has been admitted to a Seoul hospital since he was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19.
"I'm sorry that I have caused health concerns," he wrote. "My church has fully complied with the anti-virus guidelines. ... I am curious about the origin of the virus."
It is considered hard to know the exact size of its congregation. According to a person who is familiar with the church, the total number is estimated to be around 2,000-3,000. In one text message that the church sent out outside, the number was 4,000.
The church and pastor Jun have been magnets for conservatives critical of the Moon Jae-in government who flock to the church from around the country to attend Jun's sermons and political rallies.
As of Friday morning, 732 coronavirus infections have been tied to the church, and transmissions have continued through religious facilities and workplaces around the country, according to the KCDC.
The KCDC has been contact tracing and doing epidemiological studies in some 150 places linked to the church cluster, the country's second biggest since the outbreak in the Shincheonji Church of Jesus earlier this year.
The country reported 324 new cases Friday, the eighth straight day of triple-digit jumps and the first time that the number passed the 300 mark since March 8 when it recorded 367 infection cases. The country's total caseload is 16,670.
Police stand guard in front of Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul on Aug. 20, 2020, as its members protest during the government's epidemiological survey. (Yonhap)
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-21--(LEAD) S. Korea warns of stern law enforcement to prevent quarantine interference

(ATTN: CHANGES headline, lead; ADDS more details in last 8 paras, photo)
SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's government on Friday called on health authorities to act strongly against any move to impede their efforts to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.
President Moon Jae-in called for "stern measures," including criminal charges, for anyone who tries to "hamper epidemiological studies" while visiting Seoul city government's office to check the city's quarantine operations.
"If necessary, relevant laws should be enforced, including apprehension on site or seeking an arrest warrant," he said.
His comments came after some local churches were accused of not cooperating with the state efforts to trace and isolate potential COVID-19 patients.
On Thursday, health officials visited the headquarters of the Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul to secure the full list of its congregation but returned empty-handed after more than 10 hours of confrontation with church officials.
The church has emerged the second biggest cluster after the outbreak in the Shincheonji Church of Jesus this spring, with 732 cases traced to it. The authorities believe the list the church had given was not complete.
Pastor Jun Kwang-hoon of the church took part in a massive anti-government rally attended by approximately 20,000 people at Gwanghwamun Square, central Seoul, on Saturday, leading church members and his political followers from around the country. It is not known exactly how many of the church congregants participated in the event. Jun and several of his aides tested positive after the rally.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in talks during a meeting on the COVID-19 pandemic at the Seoul city government's office in central Seoul on Aug. 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
"The core principle" of the country's efforts to fight against COVID-19 is, the president said, "swiftly detecting and testing close contacts and isolating the confirmed patients, but things that interfere with (those efforts) have been done systematically."
He added, "Obstructive activities are done physically on the scene (of quarantine operations), or through all-out misinformation campaigns."
While he didn't specify what misinformation he was referring to, ultra-right commentators, including pastor Jun of Sarang Jeil, have been claiming on the internet that the virus has been purposely spread in the church as an act of terrorism to oppress freedom of religion.
The president also emphasized the need for the Seoul metropolitan government to take fast action by enforcing law and order in an "unflinching" and "preemptive" manner and by asking for cooperation from the police and the central government, if necessary.
When it comes to the fight against the pandemic, "state authority should be exercised in a way to protect people's lives" and safety, he said, while its use should be minimized in normal times not to "violate the people's basic human rights."
"This is the biggest crisis we've faced since the COVID-19 pandemic started in the country," he said, adding that "if quarantine efforts fail in Seoul, they will do so in the rest of the country."
The ministers of justice and interior held a separate press briefing in the afternoon, echoing the sense of urgency expressed by the president and detailing the enhanced policy guidelines on the matter.
Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae said the government will seek the maximum penalty allowed in the relevant laws to punish obstruction of justice on the quarantine front.
On the detailed behaviors that would bring stern actions from the government, the minister cited violating no-assembly orders, interfering with contact tracing efforts by submitting false information, assaulting health officials, purposely evading state contacts and running away, refusing to get tested and instigating anti-government sentiment.
"The whole country should work together to overcome this difficulty. We should not allow any more spread (of the virus)," she said. "I urge you to trust the government and health authorities and actively cooperate with the quarantine guidelines."
Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae speaks during a press briefing on the coronavirus pandemic at the government complex in Seoul on Aug. 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-22--Nurse at one of Korea's largest hospitals tests positive for virus

The hospital has closed parts of the 10th floor of its New Building , where the infected nurse was on @ @ @ @ @ hospital staff as well as patients and their family members who came into contact with @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus test .

SEOUL, Aug. 22 (Yonhap) -- Seoul's Asan Medical Center, one of the largest hospitals in South Korea, was partially shut down on Saturday after one of its nurses tested positive for the new coronavirus, hospital officials said.
The nurse working in the southeastern Seoul hospital's otolaryngology ward was diagnosed with COVID-19 at 11:30 p.m. on Friday, they said.
This undated file photo shows the Asan Medical Center in southeastern Seoul. (Yonhap)
The hospital has closed parts of the 10th floor of its New Building, where the infected nurse was on duty, and asked all hospital staff as well as patients and their family members who came into contact with the nurse to take a coronavirus test.
The hospital speculates that the nurse, a resident of the southeastern ward of Gangdong, may have contracted the virus from her husband, who had previously come into contact with his mother already diagnosed with COVID-19.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-22--(LEAD) As virus cases pass 300 for 2nd day, S. Korea expands stricter social distancing nationwide

Health authorities also urged participants in the anti-government rally held last weekend to immediately take virus tests regardless of whether @ @ @ @ @ Infection cases linked to the rally rose to 71 .
A large number of Sarang @ @ @ @ @ in the rally .

(ATTN: CHANGES headline, lead; ADDS details throughout, photos; TRIMS)
SEOUL, Aug. 22 (Yonhap) -- As South Korea's daily new virus cases surpassed 300 again Saturday, with infections reported in all major cities and provinces, the government decided to expand strict social distancing guidelines to the rest of the country starting Sunday.
The move came amid concerns that the country is entering a new phase in the pandemic with infections rapidly spreading throughout the country.
The country reported 332 more COVID-19 cases on Saturday, including 315 local infections, raising the total caseload to 17,002, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). The figure marked the largest since March 8 when the country reported 367 new cases.
Also, all of the country's 17 major cities and provinces reported COVID-19 cases for the first time since the first case was confirmed on January 20.
Amid grim prospects of a nationwide epidemic, the government decided Saturday to impose a stricter social distancing scheme outside the greater Seoul area, starting Sunday.
Earlier this week, the government raised its social distancing guideline for Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon by a notch to Level Two of the three-tier system, following a surge in cluster infections at churches.
Under the enhanced guidelines, high-risk facilities, including karaoke rooms, clubs, PC cafes and buffets, have been ordered to shut down. Sunday church services are also banned.
The number of daily infections has been in the triple digits since last Friday when 103 additional cases were reported. Over the past nine days, 2,232 cases have been identified.
A resurgence in new coronavirus cases, mostly traced to churches, has been reported in Seoul and its surrounding Gyeonggi Province, home to half of the country's 51 million people.
Seoul reported 127 new local infections, followed by 91 in the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and 21 in Incheon. The tally took up some 72 percent of the total of 315 local infections.
This undated file photo shows South Koreans wearing face masks. (Yonhap)
Citizens wearing protective masks walk on a street in central Seoul on Aug. 18, 2020. (Yonhap)
Health authorities said a surge in cases traced to a church in northern Seoul and infections tied to a massive weekend rally in central Seoul appear to have served as a catalyst in spurring virus spread nationwide.
Cases tied to the Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul, a new hotbed of the latest flare-up in virus cases, came to 723 as of noon Friday.
The Sarang Jeil Church-linked cases mark the largest cluster infection since more than 5,000 virus cases traced to the minor religious sect of Shincheonji were reported in Daegu in late February and early March.
Health authorities also urged participants in the anti-government rally held last weekend to immediately take virus tests regardless of whether they are showing symptoms. Infection cases linked to the rally rose to 71. A large number of Sarang Jeil Church members took part in the rally.
Church-linked cluster infections continued to grow, with 174 at Woori Jeil Church in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, and 20 at Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul.
The KCDC remained on high alert over a potential explosive outbreak tied to the march as it is hard to trace the whereabouts of thousands of protesters who came to Seoul from other cities.
The country reported new clusters of infections popping up, including 17 infections tied to a Seoul-based theater company and another 17 linked to a group of friends who went to Sokcho in Gangwon Province for summer vacation.
The government said it is not yet the time to consider raising the level of social distancing to Level 3.
The highest anti-virus curbs can be issued when the number of daily virus cases reaches a two-week average of 100-200 and the doubling of new COVID-19 cases occurs more than twice a week.
If the level is raised, its impact on the economy and people's daily lives could be severe. Gatherings of 10 or more people would be banned, and offline school classes would be suspended.
South Korea reported 17 imported cases, including 4 each from the Philippines and India, 3 from the United States, 2 from Japan, and 1 each from Qatar, Egypt, Senegal and Ethiopia. Cases coming in from overseas rebounded back to double-digit numbers from mid-June for about a month, but such infections recently slowed.
South Korea, meanwhile, reported no additional deaths, with the total tally at 309.
The fatality rate was 1.82 percent.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 14,169, up 49 from the previous day.
The country has carried out more than 1.77 million coronavirus tests since Jan. 3.
Police officers head toward Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul on Aug. 21, 2020, for a search and seizure operation. A court issued a warrant after health authorities failed to secure the full list of the members of the church at the center of recent spikes in coronavirus infections in the country. (Yonhap)
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-22--2 S. Korean pitchers to start on same day for 2nd straight time

Kim has a 3.86 ERA over 4 2/3 innings , with one strikeout against three walks .
He opened the @ @ @ @ @ notched a save on Opening Day against the Pittsburgh Pirates .
Just five games into @ @ @ @ @ were forced into a two-week quarantine following an outbreak on the team .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Aug. 22 (Yonhap) -- For the second straight turn in their respective rotations, two South Korean pitchers will start on the same day in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Currently in Florida for a four-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Toronto Blue Jays announced Friday (local time) that left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin will start the second game of the series at Tropicana Field. The first pitch is 6:40 p.m. local time on Saturday, or 7:40 a.m. Sunday in South Korea.
The St. Louis Cardinals announced earlier this week that Kim Kwang-hyun will take the mound versus the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium in St. Louis at 7:15 p.m. Saturday, or 9:15 a.m. Sunday Korean time.
In this Getty Images photo, Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches against the Baltimore Orioles in the bottom of the first inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Aug. 17, 2020. (Yonhap)
The two South Korean left-handers both started on Monday. Ryu earned his second victory of the season by limiting the Baltimore Orioles to a run in six innings, while Kim, in his first big league start, got a no-decision after allowing a run in 3 2/3 innings against the Chicago Cubs.
That was the first time since 2007 that two South Korean starters pitched on the same day in MLB.
This will be Ryu's opportunity to redeem himself against the Rays after a mediocre outing against the American League (AL) East rivals on Opening Day on July 24. Ryu was charged with three runs in 4 2/3 innings in a no-decision, with Yoshi Tsutsugo providing the big blow with a two-run home run.
Ryu, 2-1 with a 3.46 ERA in five starts, will be pitching on four days' rest for the first time this season, with his previous starts following Opening Day having all come on five days of break.
Despite his injury history -- Ryu missed the entire 2015 season with a shoulder injury and made only one start in 2016 before shutting it down with an elbow issue -- Ryu has done better on four days' rest in his career.
In 42 career starts on four days' rest, Ryu is 19-11 with a 2.76 ERA with a 1.07 walks and hits per innings pitched (WHIP). He has made 55 starts after five days' rest and has gone 23-16 with a 3.62 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP.
In 2019 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ryu was 5-0 with a 0.71 in seven starts on four days' rest, but 5-4 with a 4.12 ERA in 14 starts on five days' rest. He led all of MLB with a 2.32 ERA.
The Blue Jays have won six in a row, their first six-game winning streak since 2016.
Kim has a 3.86 ERA over 4 2/3 innings, with one strikeout against three walks. He opened the season as the closer and notched a save on Opening Day against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Just five games into the season, the Cardinals were forced into a two-week quarantine following an outbreak on the team.
When they returned earlier this month, their starters were kept on a pitch count. Kim was pulled after just 57 pitches in his previous start.
Kim will likely be on a longer leash in terms of his workload this time around, which would allow him to go at least five innings and have a chance to pick up his first major league victory.
In this Associated Press photo, Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Chicago Cubs in the bottom of the first inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Aug. 17, 2020. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-22--(URGENT) S. Korea to enforce stricter Level 2 social distancing nationwide, effective from Sunday


yna--2020-08-22--(LEAD) Seoul's coronavirus positivity rate soars to record high

It said Seoul 's coronavirus positivity rate , which refers to the percentage of people who test positive for COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ been tested overall , surged to an all-time high of 4.27 percent in the third @ @ @ @

(ATTN: ADDS number of new daily infections at bottom)
SEOUL, Aug. 22 (Yonhap) -- Seoul's coronavirus positivity rate soared more than sevenfold this month due to the outbreak of cluster infections throughout the capital area, the municipal government said Saturday.
It said Seoul's coronavirus positivity rate, which refers to the percentage of people who test positive for COVID-19 out of those who have been tested overall, surged to an all-time high of 4.27 percent in the third week of August.
In this graph, the blue line shows changes in Seoul's coronavirus positivity rate and the yellow bar displays the number of people taking coronavirus tests in the capital. (Yonhap)
The latest statistics indicate one out of every 25 people taking the coronavirus test in Seoul yielded a positive result, it explained. The city's previous record positivity rate was set in the first week of February, when the figure stood at 2.04 percent.
The capital's coronavirus positivity rate jumped from 0.56 percent in the first week of August to 2.39 percent in the second week, it said, noting the latest result was about seven times higher than the city's positivity rate for the entire period.
In one instance of massive cluster infections, as many as 432 infections have been traced to members of a church in northern Seoul.
The coronavirus transmission rate, the number of new patients infected by a single virus carrier, has also marked a steep rise in Seoul.
The capital's transmission rate rose from 0.64 in the fifth week of July to 0.97 in the first week of August and 1.42 in the second week, the municipal government said.
Its transmission rate had remained below 1 for eight consecutive weeks from the third week of June.
The number of cases of the coronavirus in Seoul rose by 128 to 2,749 as of Saturday morning.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-22--Top S. Korean, Chinese officials discuss bilateral ties, N. Korea in Busan

Following the talks , they are scheduled to have lunch together .
Yang arrived in Busan on Friday afternoon for @ @ @ @ @ first visit to South Korea in more than two years .
He has no plan @ @ @ @ @ on Moon during the trip .

SEOUL, Aug. 22 (Yonhap) -- Senior South Korean and Chinese government officials had talks in Busan on Saturday, with President Xi Jinping's possible visit here and the North Korea issue on the agenda.
The meeting between Suh Hoon, director of Cheong Wa Dae's national security office, and Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China's (CPC) Central Committee, represents the highest-profile face-to-face consultations between the neighbors since President Moon Jae-in's summit with Xi in Beijing last December.
Xi had agreed to make a reciprocal trip to South Korea in the first half of 2020, but it has been postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Yang gave no answer when asked by a pool reporter just ahead of the meeting at a Busan seaside hotel about the likelihood of Xi travelling to South Korea within this year.
Suh Hoon (L), director of Cheong Wa Dae's national security office, and Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China's (CPC) Central Committee, walk toward their meeting room at the Westin Chosun Busan hotel in the southern port city of Busan on Aug. 22, 2020, in this combined photo. (Yonhap)
Cheong Wa Dae earlier said Suh and Yang would discuss the matter along with bilateral cooperation against the coronavirus as well as security situations on the Korean Peninsula and elsewhere.
South Korea expects China's constructive role in efforts to revitalize the Korea peace process.
Beijing apparently wants to explain about its position on rifts with Washington and the controversial Hong Kong national security law.
It marks Suh's first meeting with Yang since he became Moon's national security adviser in early July.
Following the talks, they are scheduled to have lunch together. Yang arrived in Busan on Friday afternoon for a two-day stay, his first visit to South Korea in more than two years. He has no plan to pay a courtesy call on Moon during the trip.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-22--As virus cases pass 300 for 2nd day, Korea braces for stricter social distancing

SEOUL , Aug. 22 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korea 's daily new virus cases surpassed 300 again Saturday , @ @ @ @ @ all major cities and provinces , as concerns are growing that the country is entering @ @ @ @ @ pandemic with infections spreading throughout the country .

SEOUL, Aug. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's daily new virus cases surpassed 300 again Saturday, and infections were reported in all major cities and provinces, as concerns are growing that the country is entering a new phase in the pandemic with infections spreading throughout the country.
The country added 332 more COVID-19 cases, including 315 local infections, raising the total caseload to 17,002, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
For the first time since the first case was confirmed in January, all of the country's 17 major cities and provinces reported COVID-19 cases.
Saturday's tally marked the largest since March 8 when the country reported 367 new cases.
The number of daily infections has been in the triple digits since last Friday when 103 additional cases were reported. Over the past nine days, 2,232 cases have been identified.
A resurgence in new coronavirus cases, mostly traced to churches, has been reported in Seoul and its surrounding Gyeonggi Province, home to half of the country's 51 million people.
Citizens wearing protective masks walk on a street in central Seoul on Aug. 18, 2020. (Yonhap)
Health authorities warned that the wider capital region should brace for another wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and that the country stands on the cusp of a nationwide outbreak.
South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Saturday the government is considering enforcing stricter social distancing guidelines outside the greater Seoul area.
Earlier this week, the government raised its social distancing guideline for Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon by a notch to Level Two, following a surge in cluster infections at churches.
Under the enhanced guidelines, high-risk facilities, including karaoke rooms, clubs, PC cafes and buffets, have been ordered to shut down. Sunday church services are also banned.
In a sign that the virus is spreading across the nation, more virus cases have been newly added outside the greater Seoul over the past week. Excluding the southern resort island of Jeju, 16 cities and provinces reported new virus infections.
Of the newly identified local infections, 128 cases were reported in the capital city of Seoul, 95 from Gyeonggi Province and 22 from Incheon, just west of Seoul.
Health authorities said a surge in cases traced to a church in northern Seoul and infections tied to a massive weekend rally in central Seoul appear to have served as a catalyst in spurring virus spread nationwide.
Cases tied to the Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul, a new hotbed of the latest flare-up in virus cases, came to 676 as of noon Thursday, up 53 from a day earlier.
The Sarang Jeil Church-linked cases mark the largest cluster infection since more than 5,000 virus cases traced to the minor religious sect of Shincheonji were reported in Daegu in late February and early March.
Health authorities also urged participants in the anti-government rally held last weekend to immediately take virus tests regardless of whether they are showing symptoms. A large number of Sarang Jeil Church members took part in the rally.
The KCDC remained on high alert over a potential explosive outbreak tied to the march as it is hard to trace the whereabouts of thousands of protesters who came to Seoul from other cities.
The government said it is not yet the time to consider raising the level of social distancing to Level 3.
The highest anti-virus curbs can be issued when the number of daily virus cases reaches a two-week average of 100-200 and the doubling of new COVID-19 cases occurs more than twice a week.
If the level is raised, its impact on the economy and people's daily lives could be severe. Gatherings of 10 or more people would be banned, and offline school classes would be suspended.
South Korea reported 17 imported cases. Cases coming in from overseas rebounded back to double-digit numbers from mid-June for about a month, but such infections recently slowed.
South Korea, meanwhile, reported no additional deaths, with the total tally at 309.
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-22--(URGENT) 49 more patients released from coronavirus treatment, total now at 14,169: KCDC


yna--2020-08-22--(URGENT) S. Korea reports no additional coronavirus death, total at 309: KCDC


yna--2020-08-22--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 332 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 17,002


yna--2020-08-22--GCF approves US$5 million to help fund KOICA's solar power plant project in Fiji

Since 2018 , KOICA has pushed for the Fiji Agrophotovoltaic Program in cooperation with other related agencies .
It seeks @ @ @ @ @ power plants on the island of Ovalau in Fiji and offer technical support for enhancing @ @ @

SEOUL, Aug. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's overseas aid agency said Saturday that the Green Climate Fund (GCF), an international institution on fighting climate change, has approved US$5 million to help bankroll its solar power plant project for the Pacific island country of Fiji.
The GCF, headquartered in Songdo of Incheon, west of Seoul, endorsed the funding plan on Wednesday, giving a boost to the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA)-led project to support Fiji's shift towards renewable energy sources.
Since 2018, KOICA has pushed for the Fiji Agrophotovoltaic Program in cooperation with other related agencies. It seeks to build and manage solar power plants on the island of Ovalau in Fiji and offer technical support for enhancing agricultural productivity.
The project came as Fiji has been beefing up efforts to overcome climate change-related challenges, such as droughts and floods, which have threatened the nation's food security.
"In the future, KOICA will work with the GCF to promote various climate change projects to support developing countries in responding to climate change," KOICA President Lee Mi-Kyung was quoted as saying in a press release.
The total budget for the Fiji project is expected to stand at $20 million. The GCF will offer a total of $9 million, including the $5 million funding that it has already approved. KOICA will offer $8 million.
This image, provided by Korea International Cooperation Agency, depicts the Fiji Agrophotovoltaic Program. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-22--Seoul's coronavirus positivity rate soars to record high

SEOUL, Aug. 22 (Yonhap) -- Seoul's coronavirus positivity rate soared more than sevenfold this month due to the outbreak of cluster infections throughout the capital area, the municipal government said Saturday.
It said Seoul's coronavirus positivity rate, which refers to the percentage of people who test positive for COVID-19 out of those who have been tested overall, surged to an all-time high of 4.27 percent in the third week of August.
In this graph, the blue line shows changes in Seoul's coronavirus positivity rate and the yellow bar displays the number of people taking coronavirus tests in the capital. (Yonhap)
The latest statistics indicate one out of every 25 people taking the coronavirus test in Seoul yielded a positive result, it explained. The city's previous record positivity rate was set in the first week of February, when the figure stood at 2.04 percent.
The capital's coronavirus positivity rate jumped from 0.56 percent in the first week of August to 2.39 percent in the second week, it said, noting the latest result was about seven times higher than the city's positivity rate for the entire period.
In one instance of massive cluster infections, as many as 432 infections have been traced to members of a church in northern Seoul.
The coronavirus transmission rate, the number of new patients infected by a single virus carrier, has also marked a steep rise in Seoul.
The capital's transmission rate rose from 0.64 in the fifth week of July to 0.97 in the first week of August and 1.42 in the second week, the municipal government said.
Its transmission rate had remained below 1 for eight consecutive weeks from the third week of June.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-22--Gov't considers expanding strict social distancing nationwide

`` As infection cases of unknown routes have grown , it became hard to predict how many infections the country @ @ @ @ @ road ) , '' he said .
`` We need a special , urgent measure @ @ @ @ @ of the virus outside the capital . ''

SEOUL, Aug. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Saturday the government is considering enforcing stricter social distancing guidelines outside the greater Seoul area, as infections tied to church clusters are spreading around the nation.
"The spread of COVID-19 in the capital area does not show any sign of subsiding and it is rapidly spreading around the country," he said during a coronavirus response meeting at the government complex in Seoul.
"As infection cases of unknown routes have grown, it became hard to predict how many infections the country will report (down the road)," he said. "We need a special, urgent measure to stop the rapid spread of the virus outside the capital."
Earlier this week, the government raised its social distancing guideline for Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon by a notch to Level Two following a surge in cluster infections at churches.
The move effectively restricted operation of high-risk facilities and banned on-site Sunday services at churches. Separately, the Seoul city government also banned street rallies of 10 or more people, which is equivalent to a Level Three measure.
The country added 324 more COVID-19 cases Friday, including 315 local infections, raising the total caseload to 16,670, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Friday's tally marked the most since March 8 when the daily virus cases reached 367.
Medical workers wearing protective gear prepare to carry out tests for the new coronavirus at a makeshift clinic of Konyang University Hospital in the central city of Daejeon on Aug. 20, 2020. (Yonhap)
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


Saturday's weather forecast

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


yna--2020-08-22--Top headlines in major S. Korean newspapers

Korean-language dailies -- COVID-19 spread at critical juncture with daily infections passing 300 ( Kyunghyang Shinmun ) -- Anyone who @ @ @ @ @ be arrested on scene ( Kookmin Daily ) -- Quarantine interference can lead to arrest @ @ @ @ @ ) -- Daily infection cases reported at 324 , found nationwide ( Chosun Ilbo ) @ @ @ @ @ ticking , nervousness palpable on weekends ( JoongAng Ilbo ) -- Stern state authority to @ @ @ @ @ ( Hankyoreh ) -- Community safety at risk if looking idly on quarantine interference ( @ @ @ @ @ country under virus attack , President Moon warns of stern measures including arrest in case @ @ @ @ @ Business Newspaper ) -- If spread continues during weekend , Level 3 social distancing could @ @ @ @ @ Daily ) ( END )

SEOUL, Aug. 22 (Yonhap) -- The following are the top headlines in major South Korean newspapers on Aug. 22.
Korean-language dailies
-- COVID-19 spread at critical juncture with daily infections passing 300 (Kyunghyang Shinmun)
-- Anyone who interferes with quarantine efforts could be arrested on scene (Kookmin Daily)
-- Quarantine interference can lead to arrest on scene (Donga Ilbo)
-- Daily infection cases reported at 324, found nationwide (Chosun Ilbo)
-- Bombs from Gwanghwamun Square ticking, nervousness palpable on weekends (JoongAng Ilbo)
-- Stern state authority to those who impede quarantine efforts (Hankyoreh)
-- Community safety at risk if looking idly on quarantine interference (Hankook Ilbo)
-- Whole country under virus attack, President Moon warns of stern measures including arrest in case of quarantine interference (Maeil Business Newspaper)
-- If spread continues during weekend, Level 3 social distancing could be imposed (Korea Economic Daily)
(END)


yna--2020-08-22--Man fined for neglecting some 30 cats in tiny, dirty home

Choi is accused of failing to remove the remains of three stray cats , which died of diseases after being @ @ @ @ @ May 2019 , for about two weeks .
During the same period , nine other @ @ @ @ @ one after another .

SEOUL, Aug. 22 (Yonhap) -- A Seoul man was fined for abusing animal rights by raising nearly 30 cats in his cramped and filthy home, court officials said Saturday.
The Seoul Western District Court fined the 48-year-old man, only known by his surname Choi, 3 million won (US$2,530) for having neglected 27 stray cats adopted from streets in an unclean environment of his 33-square-meter home in violation of the Animal Protection Act.
Choi, known previously as an animal rescue activist, was indicted for failing to carry out animal management and breeding obligations by leaving the remains and feces of some of his cats, which died from diseases and other causes, abandoned at his home.
Choi is accused of failing to remove the remains of three stray cats, which died of diseases after being brought to his home in May 2019, for about two weeks. During the same period, nine other cats raised by Choi died one after another.
The court concluded that Choi's such behaviors constitute acts of animal abuse.
The court chastised the defendant for keeping carcasses of dead cats on bookselves or other indoor places without separating them from living cats. He reportedly buried all his dead cats together later in a park in the western ward of Mapo.
"The defendant himself stated that his house was dirty because he had not done cleaning for about one month. Public officials who visited Choi's home also testified that they saw old cat feces stuck to the floor," the court said, ruling he breached his duty of animal protection.
The court also convicted Choi of defaming a person he got to know during his animal rescue activities by writing on social media that the victim has not returned some money borrowed from another person.
This file photo, taken Aug. 13, 2020, shows a stray cat resting under a car in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, 237 km east of Seoul. (Yonhap)
nyway@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-22--S. Korea's net foreign assets contract in Q2

`` The government will closely monitor the external debt situation as there are pandemic-related uncertainties in the global financial market @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The government will also work for the indicators to recover to the pre-crisis @ @ @ @ @ gone . ''

SEOUL, Aug. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's net external assets in debt instruments shrank in the second quarter, according to government data on Saturday, with its external assets growing at a slower pace than its external debt.
The nation's net external assets in debt instruments, which are considered reserve assets, stood at US$449.8 billion at the end of June, compared with $464.2 billion three months earlier, according to the data from the finance ministry.
The figure refers to the difference between Korea's total external assets in debt instruments and total external debt. It serves as a measure of a country's solvency.
The nation's total external debt stood at $503.1 billion at the end of June, up $17.2 billion from three months earlier, the data showed.
Short-term external debt -- with a maturity of one year or less -- totaled $154.4 billion as of the end of June, a gain of $5.7 billion from three months ago.
The figure for the end of June accounted for 30.7 percent of the country's total external debt, an increase from 30.6 percent three months earlier.
"The government will closely monitor the external debt situation as there are pandemic-related uncertainties in the global financial market," the ministry said. "The government will also work for the indicators to recover to the pre-crisis level when the pandemic has gone."
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


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(END)


yna--2020-08-21--Petition against judge who allowed weekend rallies garners close to 200,000 signatures

The rallies were attended by about 20,000 people , including members of Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul , which is @ @ @ @ @ recent spike in virus infection cases .

SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- A petition against a judge who approved mass rallies despite concerns of coronavirus outbreaks attracted nearly 200,000 signatures on Friday.
The petition was filed Thursday on the website of the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, calling for the dismissal of a Seoul Administrative Court judge.
Last Friday, the judge accepted three conservative civic groups' requests to invalidate the Seoul city government's ban on their assemblies in Gwanghwamun, downtown Seoul, for last Saturday.
More than 70 COVID-19 cases linked to the rallies have been confirmed as of Friday.
Any petition that garners support from more than 200,000 people mandates an official response from the presidential office within a month.
Protestors with anti-government signs hold a rally at Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul on Aug. 15, 2020. (Yonhap)
The rallies were attended by about 20,000 people, including members of Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul, which is at the center of the recent spike in virus infection cases.
More than 730 cases traced to the church have been confirmed as of Friday. They include pastor Jun Kwang-hoon who heads the church.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)