yna--2020-06-06--S. Korea reports 51 new virus cases, most in 8 days

The new infections raised the country 's total caseload to 11,719 , the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention @ @ @ @ @ This is the highest number of daily infections since the 58 reported May 29 .

SEOUL, June 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported 51 more cases of the new coronavirus Saturday, the most in eight days, raising the alert over new cluster infections popping up across the densely populated greater Seoul area.
The new infections raised the country's total caseload to 11,719, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said. This is the highest number of daily infections since the 58 reported May 29.
The death toll remained flat at 273, while the number of people released from quarantine after fully recovering totaled 10,531, up 25 from the previous day, according to health authorities.
This June 5, 2020, photo shows health workers waiting to carry out virus checks of business owners and employees on a street in Euljiro, which is known for outdoors bars, in central Seoul. The test was conducted as part of precautionary measures to resume outdoor seating. (Yonhap)
Of the 43 non-imported cases, all but three were reported in Seoul and adjacent areas.
Seoul added 23 cases, while Incheon, west of Seoul, and Gyeonggi Province, surrounding the capital, each reported 10 and seven cases.
The latest data comes as South Korea is grappling with a string of group infections linked to religious gatherings, nightclubs and a distribution center in the metropolitan area since relaxing its social distancing scheme on May 6.
Also among the most recently identified clusters was a Seoul-based health product retailer, which specializes in door-to-door sales for mostly elderly consumers.
Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip said that cases traced to the company have reached 34, with 73 percent of them being elderly patients who are more vulnerable to the virus.
The sharp increase is widely expected to heighten concerns ahead of the fourth and final round of school reopening scheduled for Monday.
It is also expected to put health authorities on heightened alert over containing the further spread of the infectious virus.
Earlier, health authorities decided to reinforce social distancing guidelines for the metropolitan area, shuttering public facilities again and ordering entertainment establishments to refrain from opening until June 14.
If the figures from the metropolitan area rise, South Korea will have to consider a return to strict social distancing.
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-07--(LEAD) Head of shelter for S. Korean 'comfort women' found dead: police

The former leader , Yoon Mee-hyang , won a seat in the National Assembly in April .
Prosecutors have launched @ @ @ @ @ and raided the shelter , as well as the KCJR office and its affiliated museum @ @ @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details at bottom)
PAJU, South Korea, June 7 (Yonhap) -- The head of a shelter for surviving victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery has been found dead, police said Sunday.
The 60-year-old head of the shelter run by the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance (KCJR), a NGO working for South Korea's "comfort women," was found dead at her apartment in Paju, north of Seoul, according to police officials.
Comfort women is a euphemism for the victims who were forced to work in Japanese front-line brothels during World War II when Korea was a Japanese colony. The shelter in question is located in the district of Mapo, western Seoul.
The death comes amid an on-going controversy at the KCJR, sparked by a prominent victim's allegation last month that a former chief of the group misused donations and exploited the victims for her political ambitions.
The former leader, Yoon Mee-hyang, won a seat in the National Assembly in April. Prosecutors have launched an investigation into the scandal and raided the shelter, as well as the KCJR office and its affiliated museum, last month.
The head of the shelter reportedly told those close to her that she was going through a hard time after the prosecution raid.
"There was no evidence of breach from outside. At this point, there are no suspicions of homicide," police said.
Investigators said they will decide whether to do an autopsy after consulting with the family.
South Korea currently has 17 surviving victims of the wartime sex slavery. Historians say that around 200,000 Asian women, mostly Koreans, were forcibly sent to front-line brothels to provide sex services for Japanese soldiers.
This file photo from May 21, 2020, shows prosecutors carrying out evidence from a shelter in Mapo, western Seoul, run by the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance, a NGO working for South Korea's 'comfort women, as part of an investigation over allegations that former chief of the group, Rep. Yoon Mee-hyang, misused donations and exploited the victims for her political ambitions. (Yonhap)
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-07--(URGENT) S. Korea releases 21 coronavirus patients after full recovery, total cured people at 10,552

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


yna--2020-06-07--(URGENT) S. Korea's death toll from coronavirus remains unchanged at 273


yna--2020-06-07--(URGENT) S. Korea adds 57 more cases to new coronavirus outbreak, total now at 11,776


yna--2020-06-07--Head of shelter for S. Korean 'comfort women' found dead: police

The former leader , Yoon Mi-hyang , won a seat in the National Assembly in April .
Prosecutors have launched @ @ @ @ @ and raided the shelter , as well as the KCJR office and its affiliated museum @ @ @ @

PAJU, South Korea, June 7 (Yonhap) -- The head of a shelter for surviving victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery has been found dead, police said Sunday.
The 60-year-old head of the shelter run by the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance (KCJR), a NGO working for South Korea's "comfort women," was found dead at his apartment in Paju, north of Seoul, according to police officials.
Comfort women is a euphemism for the victims who were forced to work in Japanese front-line brothels during World War II when Korea was a Japanese colony. The shelter in question is located in the district of Mapo, western Seoul.
The death comes amid an on-going controversy at the KCJR, sparked by a prominent victim's allegation last month that a former chief of the group misused donations and exploited the victims for her political ambitions.
The former leader, Yoon Mi-hyang, won a seat in the National Assembly in April. Prosecutors have launched an investigation into the scandal and raided the shelter, as well as the KCJR office and its affiliated museum, last month.
This file photo from May 21, 2020, shows prosecutors carrying out evidence from a shelter in Mapo, western Seoul, run by the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance, a NGO working for South Korea's 'comfort women, as part of an investigation over allegations that former chief of the group, Rep. Yoon Mi-hyang, misused donations and exploited the victims for her political ambitions. (Yonhap)
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-07--Asiana transports 218 S. Korean students to Vietnam

`` The transportation of Korean students is a one-off event , but we hope it will help normalize flights between @ @ @ @ @ as possible , '' a company spokesman said .

SEOUL, June 7 (Yonhap) -- Asiana Airlines Inc. said Sunday it has transported over 200 South Korean students to Vietnam as the Southeast Asian country issued a one-off permit for the transportation.
Asiana flight OZ733 left Incheon International Airport at 9:20 a.m. Sunday with 218 Korean students on board and will arrive at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi at 12 p.m., the company said in a statement.
All the students will be placed under self-quarantine for two weeks under the guidance of the local health authorities, it said.
"The transportation of Korean students is a one-off event, but we hope it will help normalize flights between the two countries as soon as possible," a company spokesman said.
On March 22, Vietnam banned all foreigners from entering its territory and all multinational airlines from flying through the Hanoi airport to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the statement said.
To enter the Southeast Asian country, foreign carriers have to use the Van Don International Airport, about 140 kilometers away from the Noi Bai airport, it said.
This file photo provided by Asiana Airlines shows an A330 plane flying in the sky. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-07--(URGENT) Head of shelter for S. Korean 'comfort women' found dead


Sunday's weather forecast

SEOUL , June 7 ( Yonhap ) -- The following is the weather forecast for South Korea 's 12 major @ @ @ @ @ .


(Copyright)

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(END)


yna--2020-06-07--(LEAD) KBO club manager resigns after 14th straight loss

But they finished in ninth place among 10 clubs in 2019 , finding themselves in the familiar territory near the @ @ @ @ @ In 2020 , they hung tough for a 7-9 start through May 22 despite injuries @ @ @ @ @ slumps for veteran hitters .

(ATTN: ADDS details from para 4, photos)
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, June 7 (Yonhap) -- Hanwha Eagles' manager Han Yong-duk resigned from his post Sunday, moments after his Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) team lost its 14th consecutive game.
The Eagles fell to the NC Dinos 8-2 at home in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, to tie their franchise mark for the longest losing slide.
The worst losing skid in KBO history belongs to the now-defunct Sammi Superstars, which lost 18 in a row in 1985.
Han Yong-duk, former manager of the Hanwha Eagles, greets Roh Si-hwan in the dugout after Roh scored a run during a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game against the NC Dinos at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, on June 7, 2020. The Eagles lost the game 8-2 for their 14th straight defeat, and Han resigned as manager afterward. (Yonhap)
The Eagles said Han told the team he would step down following Sunday's loss. The 55-year-old is the first KBO managerial casualty in 2020. He was in the final season of his three-year contract.
The former pitcher spent his entire 17-year playing career with the Eagles, and then landed his first post-playing job as the Eagles' pitching coach in 2005. He briefly served as the team's interim manager in 2012.
After a stint on the Doosan Bears' coaching staff, Han returned to the Eagles as their full-time manager in late 2017.
Han Yong-duk, former manager of the Hanwha Eagles, leaves Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, on June 7, 2020, after resigning from his post following an 8-2 loss to the NC Dinos in their Korea Baseball Organization regular season game. It was the Eagles' 14th straight loss, tying the franchise record. (Yonhap)
The Eagles reached the postseason in Han's first year in 2018, ending an 11-year playoff drought in the process.
But they finished in ninth place among 10 clubs in 2019, finding themselves in the familiar territory near the bottom of the standings. In 2020, they hung tough for a 7-9 start through May 22 despite injuries to key players and protracted slumps for veteran hitters.
Then the costly slide began on May 23 with a 3-0 loss to the Dinos.
During the 14-game slide, the Eagles were outscored 120-36 and were blanked three times.
In a major shakeup prior to Saturday's game, the Eagles relieved five coaches on Han's staff of their duties and replaced them with their minor league instructors. That didn't stop the bleeding, and Han ended up taking the fall for the mess Sunday.
Members of the Hanwha Eagles take a bow after losing to the NC Dinos 8-2 in their Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, on June 7, 2020. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-07--KBO club manager resigns after 14th straight loss

The Eagles fell to the NC Dinos 8-2 at home in Daejeon , 160 kilometers south of Seoul , to @ @ @ @ @ the longest losing slide .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, June 7 (Yonhap) -- Hanwha Eagles' manager Han Yong-duk resigned from his post Sunday, moments after his Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) team lost its 14th consecutive game.
The Eagles fell to the NC Dinos 8-2 at home in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, to tie their franchise mark for the longest losing slide.
The worst losing skid in KBO history belongs to the now-defunct Sammi Superstars, which lost 18 in a row in 1985.
Members of the Hanwha Eagles take a bow after losing to the NC Dinos 8-2 in their Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, on June 7, 2020. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-07--Seoul theme park closed following virus patient's visit

Officials said visitors were admitted to the theme park with their masks on and they were also required to wear @ @ @ @ @ with distance kept between seats .
Hand bars were sanitized by the staff after each @ @

SEOUL, June 7 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's largest indoor theme park was forced to close early Sunday after health authorities confirmed that a virus patient had visited the entertainment facility.
Lotte World Adventure, an amusement park in Songpa Ward, southern Seoul, suspended its operation around 1 p.m. for the safety of visitors and workers.
According to health officials, a virus-infected high school student was at the urban theme park between 12 p.m. and 9 p.m. Friday. Health authorities confirmed the student had contracted COVID-19 on Sunday morning.
This signage at Lotte World Adventure in Seoul shows that the facility is closed on June 7, 2020, due to a virus patient's visit. (Yonhap)
Lotte World Adventure said around 2,000 people had visited the theme park Friday, but about 690 people were at the facility when the virus patient was there.
The theme park's officials said there were about 4,700 visitors on Saturday and 1,100 guests on Sunday before its early closure was announced.
Officials said visitors were admitted to the theme park with their masks on and they were also required to wear masks when boarding rides, with distance kept between seats. Hand bars were sanitized by the staff after each use.
The theme park's officials said so far no workers have reported symptoms of COVID-19.
Lotte World Adventure said it plans to reopen the theme park Tuesday after completing disinfection work.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-07--(3rd LD) Head of shelter for S. Korean 'comfort women' found dead: police

The former leader , Yoon Mee-hyang , won a seat in the National Assembly in April .
Prosecutors have launched @ @ @ @ @ and raided the shelter , as well as the KCJR office and its affiliated museum @ @ @ @ @ head of the shelter reportedly told those close to her that she was going through @ @ @ @ @ prosecution raid .

(ATTN: ADDS comments in paras 8-9)
PAJU, South Korea, June 7 (Yonhap) -- The head of a shelter for surviving victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery has been found dead, police said Sunday.
The 60-year-old head of the shelter run by the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance (KCJR), a NGO working for South Korea's "comfort women," was found dead at her apartment in Paju, north of Seoul, according to police officials.
Comfort women is a euphemism for the victims who were forced to work in Japanese front-line brothels during World War II when Korea was a Japanese colony. The shelter in question is located in the district of Mapo, western Seoul.
The death comes amid an on-going controversy at the KCJR, sparked by a prominent victim's allegation last month that a former chief of the group misused donations and exploited the victims for her political ambitions.
The former leader, Yoon Mee-hyang, won a seat in the National Assembly in April. Prosecutors have launched an investigation into the scandal and raided the shelter, as well as the KCJR office and its affiliated museum, last month. The head of the shelter reportedly told those close to her that she was going through a hard time after the prosecution raid.
"There was no evidence of breach from outside. At this point, there are no suspicions of homicide," police said.
Investigators said they will decide whether to do an autopsy after consulting with the family.
Yoon later expressed her anger toward prosecutors and reporters on her Facebook page. She visited the shelter after hearing about the death of her KCJR co-worker.
"Reporters broadcast live with cameras and reported as if the shelter is a den of thieves," she wrote. "It would have been really exhausting for her to deal with that pressure and feeling of guilt even though she was never a criminal."
Rep. Yoon Mee-hyang of the ruling Democratic Party sobs upon arriving at a shelter for surviving victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery on June 7, 2020. The head of the shelter was found dead by the police the previous day amid an investigation into the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance, which runs the shelter, sparked by a prominent victim's allegation last month that Yoon, the group's former chief, misused donations and exploited the victims for her political ambitions. (Yonhap)
Lee Na-young, current head of the KCJR, made a statement regarding the death of the shelter's head.
Lee explained that the shelter's late chief was with the place since 2004 and had worked selflessly for the heath and well being of the surviving victims.
"After the sudden raid by prosecutors, she felt as if her entire life was being denied and had confided to those close by of the mental pain she was suffering. She had been living day by day anxiously amid the phone calls pouring in, ringing of doorbells and constant camera flashes," Lee told reporters in front of the shelter in Mapo.
Lee then asked reporters to stop what she described as "indiscriminate coverage competition" and to calmly reflect on the life of the deceased.
Lee Na-young (C), head of the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance (KCJR), a NGO working for South Korea's comfort women, speaks to reporters on June 7, 2020, in Mapo, western Seoul, on the sudden death of the head of the KCJR's shelter for surviving victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery. (Yonhap)
Hwang Sun-hee, a 61-year-old priest and son of surviving victim Gil Won-ok, said he was distressed by the death of the shelter's head, who took care of his mother for 16 years.
Seoul Western District Prosecutors Office, in charge of the KCJR case, expressed its condolences.
The office also said it was looking into the details surrounding the death, explaining that the deceased was not a subject of the investigation nor was she summoned by prosecutors.
South Korea currently has 17 surviving victims of the wartime sex slavery. Historians say that around 200,000 Asian women, mostly Koreans, were forcibly sent to front-line brothels to provide sex services for Japanese soldiers.
This file photo, from May 21, 2020, shows prosecutors carrying out evidence from a shelter in Mapo, western Seoul, run by the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance, a NGO working for South Korea's 'comfort women, as part of an investigation over allegations that former chief of the group, Rep. Yoon Mee-hyang, misused donations and exploited the victims for her political ambitions. (Yonhap)
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-07--(3rd LD) New virus cases above 50 for 2nd day, infections in greater Seoul area in focus

The KCDC said cases traced to online retailer Coupang 's warehouse in Bucheon , west of Seoul , increased by @ @ @ @ @ noon , while those linked to the small churches and religious sessions in Incheon and @ @ @ @ @ to 82 .
Cases linked to the Richway cluster rose by three to 45 .

(ATTN: CHANGES headline, 1st photo; ADDS more info in paras 5, 15, 18-24, 3rd photo)
SEOUL, June 7 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported 57 additional cases of the new coronavirus Sunday, marking the second consecutive day the number was above 50, raising concerns over new cluster infections in the densely populated greater Seoul area ahead of the final phase of school reopening.
The new infections raised the country's total caseload to 11,776, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said. This is the highest number of daily infections since the 58 reported May 29.
The recent spike is mainly due to growth in new clusters at table tennis clubs and health product retailer Richway specialized in door-to-door sales for mostly elderly consumers, both based in Seoul, while group infections from nightclubs, a distribution center and religious gatherings continue to pose problems.
Health workers collect a saliva sample from a citizen for a coronavirus test at a public medical center in Yangcheon Ward, western Seoul, on June 7, 2020. (Yonhap)
The Richway cluster is considered especially risky as a majority of the cases are elderly patients who are more vulnerable to the virus than the younger age groups.
To prevent similar cluster infections, the government said it will conduct health inspections on nearly 17,000 door-to-door business establishments through June 19.
Of the 57 new cases, 53 were community transmissions and four were from abroad, the KCDC said
Of the 53 local cases, all but one were reported in Seoul and adjacent areas. Seoul added 27 cases, while Incheon, west of Seoul, and Gyeonggi Province, surrounding the capital, reported six and 19 cases, respectively, it said.
The KCDC said cases traced to online retailer Coupang's warehouse in Bucheon, west of Seoul, increased by three to 133 as of noon, while those linked to the small churches and religious sessions in Incheon and Gyeonggi Province rose by two to 82. Cases linked to the Richway cluster rose by three to 45.
South Korea's caseload peaked in late February and early March when hundreds of new cases were reported each day. But the outbreak appeared to be flattening after hitting 79 on May 28 helped by authorities' aggressive tracing, testing and treatment.
New cases started to rise again due to infections reported at small group meetings of Protestant churchgoers and door-to-door sellers in the capital area.
In the first five days of June, new cases remained at around 30-40 per day but rose above 50 on Saturday, sparking worries that the country may have to return to strict social distancing to stem the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This photo, taken June 7, 2020, shows a table tennis club where a person diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus visited recently in Yangcheon, Seoul. (Yonhap)
The authorities remain on high alert as more South Korean pupils are set to return to classes Monday in the final phase of the government's reopening plan.
Prime Minister Chung Se-kyun said Sunday the week ahead will be critical for the quarantine measures of the greater Seoul area due to the full-fledged school reopening.
"Provincial governments will closely monitor whether small community gatherings take place and will take legal action against any violations of the quarantine rules," Chung said.
Health authorities said the country's quarantine measures for schools are working well so far, as there have been no massive infections at schools.
Accumulated confirmed cases in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province are closing in on 1,000, reporting 974 and 934, respectively, as of Sunday due to the recent cluster infections in the capital area.
Health authorities previously decided to reinforce social distancing guidelines for the metropolitan area, shuttering public facilities again and ordering entertainment establishments to refrain from opening until June 14.
There have been growing calls that South Korea needs to consider returning to strict social distancing, but health authorities have reiterated that the country's quarantine capabilities are sufficient to handle the recent virus situation.
As for the Seoul metropolitan area, health authorities said they have secured 1,711 beds and 37 percent of them are currently occupied.
Health Minister Park Neung-hoo urged people to follow virus prevention guidelines in their daily lives, as recent cluster outbreaks all stemmed from breaches of hygiene measures.
"This may be the last chance for us to improve our quarantine system against the virus," Park said at a press briefing. "If transmissions occur at confined areas with massive crowds, we may have to worry about quick, wide spread of the virus."
Officials disinfect hallways at the COEX convention center in southern Seoul on June 7, 2020. (Yonhap)
Health authorities warned that virus infection risks remain, as sporadic outbreaks continue to occur.
Between May 24 and June 6, the daily average of new virus cases was 39.6, up from 23.2 reported between May 10 and 23, the KCDC data showed.
Of the cases confirmed in the previous two weeks, 8.7 percent were infections with unknown transmission routes, up 2.2 percentage points from two weeks earlier.
The death toll remained flat at 273. The number of people released from quarantine after fully recovering totaled 10,552, up 21 from the previous day, while 951 others remain in treatment, according to authorities.
The pandemic, which surfaced in China late last year, has killed nearly 400,000 people worldwide and infected nearly 6.9 million in just a few months, a tally from Johns Hopkins University showed.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-07--(2nd LD) S. Korea's coronavirus cases above 50 for 2nd day

(ATTN: CHANGES headline; ADDS prime minister's comment in paras 12-13, details in paras 7, 17-18)
SEOUL, June 7 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported 57 additional cases of the new coronavirus Sunday, marking the second consecutive day the number was above 50, raising concerns over new cluster infections in the densely populated greater Seoul area ahead of the final phase of school reopening.
The new infections raised the country's total caseload to 11,776, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said. This is the highest number of daily infections since the 58 reported May 29.
The recent spike is mainly due to growth in new clusters at table tennis clubs and health product retailer Richway specialized in door-to-door sales for mostly elderly consumers, both based in Seoul, while group infections from nightclubs, a distribution center and religious gatherings continue to pose problems.
This photo, taken June 6, 2020, shows medical workers collecting individual samples from students at Incheon Beauty Arts High School in Incheon, west of Seoul, after one of the school's students tested positive for the coronavirus a day earlier. (Yonhap)
The Richway cluster is considered especially risky as a majority of the cases are elderly patients who are more vulnerable to the virus than the younger age groups.
Of the 57 new cases, 53 were community transmissions and four were from abroad, the KCDC said
Of the 53 local cases, all but one were reported in Seoul and adjacent areas. Seoul added 27 cases, while Incheon, west of Seoul, and Gyeonggi Province, surrounding the capital, reported six and 19 cases, respectively, it said.
The KCDC said cases traced to online retailer Coupang's warehouse in Bucheon, west of Seoul, increased by three to 133 as of noon, while those linked to the small churches and religious sessions in Incheon and Gyeonggi Province rose by two to 82. Cases linked to the Richway cluster rose by three to 45.
South Korea's caseload peaked in late February and early March when hundreds of new cases were reported each day. But the outbreak appeared to be flattening after hitting 79 on May 28 helped by authorities' aggressive tracing, testing and treatment.
New cases started to rise again due to infections reported at small group meetings of Protestant churchgoers and door-to-door sellers in the capital area.
In the first five days of June, new cases remained at around 30-40 per day but rose above 50 on Saturday, sparking worries that the country may have to return to strict social distancing to stem the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The authorities remain on high alert as more South Korean pupils are set to return to classes Monday in the final phase of the government's reopening plan.
Prime Minister Chung Se-kyun said Sunday the week ahead will be critical for the quarantine measures of the greater Seoul area due to the full-fledged school reopening.
"Provincial governments will closely monitor whether small community gatherings take place and will take legal action against any violations of the quarantine rules," Chung said.
Accumulated confirmed cases in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province are closing in on 1,000, reporting 974 and 934, respectively, as of Sunday due to the recent cluster infections in the capital city.
Health authorities plan to reinforce social distancing guidelines for the metropolitan area, shuttering public facilities again and ordering entertainment establishments to refrain from opening until June 14.
If the figures from the metropolitan area rise, South Korea will have to consider returning to strict social distancing.
The death toll remained flat at 273. The number of people released from quarantine after fully recovering totaled 10,552, up 21 from the previous day, while 951 others remain in treatment, according to authorities.
The pandemic, which surfaced in China late last year, has killed nearly 400,000 people worldwide and infected nearly 6.9 million in just a few months, a tally from Johns Hopkins University showed.
This photo, taken June 7, 2020, shows a table tennis club where a person diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus visited recently in Yangcheon, Seoul. (Yonhap)
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-07--(2nd LD) Head of shelter for S. Korean 'comfort women' found dead: police

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details at paras 8-14; ADDS photos)
PAJU, South Korea, June 7 (Yonhap) -- The head of a shelter for surviving victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery has been found dead, police said Sunday.
The 60-year-old head of the shelter run by the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance (KCJR), a NGO working for South Korea's "comfort women," was found dead at her apartment in Paju, north of Seoul, according to police officials.
Comfort women is a euphemism for the victims who were forced to work in Japanese front-line brothels during World War II when Korea was a Japanese colony. The shelter in question is located in the district of Mapo, western Seoul.
The death comes amid an on-going controversy at the KCJR, sparked by a prominent victim's allegation last month that a former chief of the group misused donations and exploited the victims for her political ambitions.
The former leader, Yoon Mee-hyang, won a seat in the National Assembly in April. Prosecutors have launched an investigation into the scandal and raided the shelter, as well as the KCJR office and its affiliated museum, last month. The head of the shelter reportedly told those close to her that she was going through a hard time after the prosecution raid.
"There was no evidence of breach from outside. At this point, there are no suspicions of homicide," police said.
Investigators said they will decide whether to do an autopsy after consulting with the family.
Rep. Yoon Mee-hyang of the ruling Democratic Party sobs upon arriving at a shelter for surviving victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery on June 7, 2020. The head of the shelter was found dead by the police the previous day amid an investigation into the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance, which runs the shelter, sparked by a prominent victim's allegation last month that Yoon, the group's former chief, misused donations and exploited the victims for her political ambitions. (Yonhap)
Lee Na-young, current head of the KCJR, made a statement regarding the death of the shelter's head.
Lee explained that the shelter's late chief was with the place since 2004 and had worked selflessly for the heath and well being of the surviving victims.
"After the sudden raid by prosecutors, she felt as if her entire life was being denied and had confided to those close by of the mental pain she was suffering. She had been living day by day anxiously amid the phone calls pouring in, ringing of doorbells and constant camera flashes," Lee told reporters in front of the shelter in Mapo.
Lee then asked reporters to stop what she described as "indiscriminate coverage competition" and to calmly reflect on the life of the deceased.
Lee Na-young (C), head of the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance (KCJR), a NGO working for South Korea's comfort women, speaks to reporters on June 7, 2020, in Mapo, western Seoul, on the sudden death of the head of the KCJR's shelter for surviving victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery. (Yonhap)
Hwang Sun-hee, a 61-year-old priest and son of surviving victim Gil Won-ok, said he was distressed by the death of the shelter's head, who took care of his mother for 16 years.
Seoul Western District Prosecutors Office, in charge of the KCJR case, expressed its condolences.
The office also said it was looking into the details surrounding the death, explaining that the deceased was not a subject of the investigation nor was she summoned by prosecutors.
South Korea currently has 17 surviving victims of the wartime sex slavery. Historians say that around 200,000 Asian women, mostly Koreans, were forcibly sent to front-line brothels to provide sex services for Japanese soldiers.
This file photo, from May 21, 2020, shows prosecutors carrying out evidence from a shelter in Mapo, western Seoul, run by the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance, a NGO working for South Korea's 'comfort women, as part of an investigation over allegations that former chief of the group, Rep. Yoon Mee-hyang, misused donations and exploited the victims for her political ambitions. (Yonhap)
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-07--(LEAD) Asiana transports 218 S. Korean students to Vietnam

To enter the Southeast Asian country , foreign carriers have to use the Van Don International Airport , about 140 @ @ @ @ @ Bai airport , it said .
On Feb. 29 , Asiana 's OZ729 flight turned @ @ @ @ @ Vietnam after the Vietnamese authorities prevented it from landing in Hanoi amid growing virus fears @

(ATTN: CHANGES photo; ADDS background in paras 5, 8-9)
SEOUL, June 7 (Yonhap) -- Asiana Airlines Inc. said Sunday it has transported over 200 South Korean students to Vietnam as the Southeast Asian country issued a one-off permit for the transportation.
Asiana flight OZ733 left Incheon International Airport at 9:20 a.m. Sunday with 218 Korean students on board and arrived at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi at 12 p.m., the company said in a statement.
All the students have been placed under self-quarantine for two weeks under the guidance of the local health authorities, it said.
This photo, taken on June 7, 2020, shows South Korean students arriving at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi amid the coronavirus outbreak. (Yonhap)
"The transportation of Korean students is a one-off event, but we hope it will help normalize flights between the two countries as soon as possible," a company spokesman said.
It is the first time that Vietnam has allowed foreigners to enter the country through the main Noi Bai airport, Asiana said.
On March 22, Vietnam banned all foreigners from entering its territory and all multinational airlines from flying through the Hanoi airport to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the statement said.
To enter the Southeast Asian country, foreign carriers have to use the Van Don International Airport, about 140 kilometers away from the Noi Bai airport, it said.
On Feb. 29, Asiana's OZ729 flight turned back while en route to Vietnam after the Vietnamese authorities prevented it from landing in Hanoi amid growing virus fears.
Asiana decided to return the flight to Incheon International Airport when the Vietnamese authorities requested the plane land at the Van Don airport.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-07--BTS, Big Hit donate US$1 mln to Black Lives Matter movement

`` We stand against racial discrimination .
We condemn violence .
You , I and we all have the right @ @ @ @ @ will stand together , '' the boy band wrote on its official Twitter account , @ @ @ @ @ .

SEOUL, June 7 (Yonhap) -- K-pop superstars BTS and their label-management agency Big Hit Entertainment have donated US$1 million to the cause of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in the United States, according to a company representative Sunday.
"It is true that a donation of $1 million was made in the name of BTS and Big Hit towards the Black Lives Matter cause," a representative at Big Hit told Yonhap News Agency.
American entertainment publication Variety first reported Saturday (local time) that the K-pop septet and Big Hit made the donation.
BTS on Thursday expressed support for the Black Lives Matter, joining the globally spreading initiative to protest against racism and violence.
"We stand against racial discrimination. We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together," the boy band wrote on its official Twitter account, with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter.
BTS' message came as the BLM movement has been spreading across the U.S. and the world, following the death of African American George Floyd from a police officer last month.
Global pop stars, like Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande and Beyonce, have paid tribute to Floyd and pledged solidarity with the African-American community on their social media as well. K-pop artists, such as Crush, Jay Park have also raised their voices via social media as part of their homage to African-American culture.
The septet on Monday (Korea time) will join ex-U.S. President Barack Obama, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Lady Gaga as speakers on YouTube's "Dear Class of 2020" live-stream event, an online commencement celebration for college graduates of 2020.
The event was rescheduled from Sunday because of the memorial event for Floyd on the same day.
This image, captured on June 4, 2020, from BTS' Twitter account, shows the K-pop band's message on the Black Lives Matter movement. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-07--Global economy seen to contract 4 pct this year: poll

In FKI 's poll of economic associations in 18 countries , including the United States and Japan , more than @ @ @ @ @ another worldwide economic lockdown due to a possible second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic later @ @ @ @ @ said .

SEOUL, June 7 (Yonhap) -- Business lobby groups in 18 countries forecast the global economy to contract 4 percent this year due to the impact of the new coronavirus outbreak, a South Korean industry association said Sunday.
The 4 percent negative growth outlook is worse than the International Monetary Fund's forecast of a 3 percent contraction for the year and better than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's 5.1 percent contraction, the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) said in a statement.
In FKI's poll of economic associations in 18 countries, including the United States and Japan, more than 50 percent of them expected another worldwide economic lockdown due to a possible second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic later this year, the statement said.
Half the countries expected the global economy to rebound in April 2021 and return to normal in late 2022.
They also said manufacturers are expected to reduce production in China and other emerging countries to avoid any major disruptions in supply chains that took place due to the coronavirus outbreak this year.
The pandemic, which surfaced in China late last year, has killed more than 390,000 people worldwide and infected nearly 6.7 million in just a few months, a tally from Johns Hopkins University showed.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-07--Seoul committed to inter-Korean agreement despite harsh rhetoric from North

`` Our basic position is to comply with the agreements made by the leaders of the South and North , @ @ @ @ @ , '' the South 's unification ministry said in a statement , referring to the @ @ @ @ @ Moon Jae-in and his Northern counterpart , Kim Jong-un , from a summit at the @ @ @ @ @ on April 2018 .

SEOUL, June 7 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government said Sunday it remains committed toward upholding the agreements between the leaders of the two Koreas amid threats from the North to shut down an inter-Korean liaison office in protest of anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent from the South.
"Our basic position is to comply with the agreements made by the leaders of the South and North, such as the Panmunjom Declaration," the South's unification ministry said in a statement, referring to the agreement between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his Northern counterpart, Kim Jong-un, from a summit at the DMZ truce village of Panmunjom on April 2018.
It was the first official response from Seoul after the North's United Front Department (UFD), which handles inter-Korean affairs, on Friday vowed to abolish an inter-Korean liaison office in the North's border town of Kaesong, in the first of a series of measures in anger over anti-North Korean leaflets sent from across the border.
The unification ministry did not mention UFD or its threat of closing down the liaison office in its statement.
The UFD on Friday stated that Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, ordered officials to look into implementing a series of measures she threatened to take earlier unless Seoul stops North Korean defectors from sending such leaflets.
Closing the liaison office was one of the measures that Kim Yo-jong, a first vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party, threatened to take, along with scrapping an inter-Korean military tension reduction agreement and completely dismantling a now-shuttered joint industrial park.
The hard-line statement came despite South Korea's promise to take legislative measures to ban the sending of propaganda leaflets and appears to be aimed at increasing pressure on Seoul to make sure to follow through with its pledge.
North Korean defectors and anti-Pyongyang activists have occasionally sent a large number of leaflets via giant balloons sharply criticizing the communist regime and its leader. These are often sent with US$1 bills and USB memory sticks to get more North Koreans to pick up the leaflets.
This file photo shows members of conservative groups in South Korea launching large balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang leaflets into the air in their bid to send them into North Korea in the border town of Paju on March 28, 2016, a campaign that is strongly opposed by the North. (Yonhap)
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-07--Today in Korean history

Today in Korean history

2006 -- France agrees to lease to South Korea a collection of Korean royal texts that were looted by French @ @ @ @ @ archive of Korea 's Joseon Dynasty ( 1392-1910 ) .
The texts are now being @ @ @ @ @ library in Paris , but Seoul wants them to be returned .

June 8
1953 -- The U.N. Command signs a treaty with the North Korean and Chinese forces to exchange prisoners captured during the 1950-53 Korean War. The parties signed an armistice in July that year.
1967 -- South Korea's seventh general elections take place. The ruling Democratic Republic Party earned a majority in the National Assembly by winning 50.6 percent of the vote.
2000 -- President Kim Dae-jung attends the funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi during his visit to Tokyo and holds summit talks with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and U.S. President Bill Clinton after the ceremony.
2006 -- France agrees to lease to South Korea a collection of Korean royal texts that were looted by French forces in 1866 from an archive of Korea's Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). The texts are now being kept at France's national library in Paris, but Seoul wants them to be returned.
2009 -- North Korea's highest court sentences two detained U.S. journalists to 12 years in labor camps for a "grave crime" and illegal entry.
2010 -- Samsung Electronics Co., the world's No. 2 handset maker, discloses a new smartphone, the Galaxy S, in South Korea in an attempt to develop it into a competitor to Apple Inc.'s iconic iPhone.
2011 -- South Korea's chief nuclear envoy heads to China to discuss ways to revive nuclear disarmament negotiations with North Korea, including a three-step approach calling for inter-Korean dialogue as a first step toward resuming the negotiations.
2012 -- North Korea announces it will field 49 athletes in 11 sports at the London Summer Olympics.
2013 -- South and North Korea appoint their delegations for working-level talks at the truce village of Panmunjom to arrange their first Cabinet minister-level meeting in six years.
2016 -- South Korea's government and central bank announce they will jointly create a 12 trillion-won (US$10.38 billion) recapitalization fund to help creditor banks rehabilitate the nation's debt-stricken shipping and shipbuilding companies.
(END)


yna--2020-06-07--Samsung asks media to refrain from speculative reporting amid merger probe

The appeal was made as the prosecutors were intensifying their investigation into the merger of Samsung C & T Corp. @ @ @ @ @ 2015 , specifically on whether Lee Jae-yong , the Samsung Group heir , was involved @ @ @ @ @ lower the value of Samsung C & T to facilitate his succession from his ailing @ @ @ @ @

SEOUL, June 7 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Group on Sunday asked the media to refrain from publishing speculative reports related to the prosecution's investigation of a controversial merger of two affiliates.
"Speculative or unconfirmed reports with questionable sources are continuing to come out as of late. Of those, some stories are based on the impression of guilt," the group said in a statement released through the communication team of Samsung Electronics Co.
Samsung commented that "(speculative) reports raise concerns of the distorting decisions by the judiciary" and asked the media to refrain from making unfair or groundless reports.
The appeal was made as the prosecutors were intensifying their investigation into the merger of Samsung C&T Corp. and Cheil Industries Inc. in 2015, specifically on whether Lee Jae-yong, the Samsung Group heir, was involved in a scheme to intentionally lower the value of Samsung C&T to facilitate his succession from his ailing father, Lee Kun-hee.
Prosecutors have also been looking into suspected window dressing by Samsung Biologics, a subsidiary of Cheil Industries in 2015.
On Thursday, prosecutors sought an arrest warrant for Lee. A Seoul court will hold a hearing Monday to decide whether to issue the arrest warrant. If the warrant is approved, it will be the first time since 2017 that Lee will be arrested on criminal charges.
Lee has asked the prosecution to have its outside experts review the ongoing probe and determine the validity of a potenial indictment.
Samsung said it will respect the decision made by the court and from the review of outside experts on Lee's indictment regardless of what conclusion the prosecution reaches.
The group also reiterated that the merger in question was handled in accordance with the law. It also stressed that accounting of Samsung Biologics was done in accordance with international accounting standards.
The group said its latest statement was aimed at helping the court and the review board make an "objective and rational judgment."
Samsung also stated it was facing unprecedented business woes over the prosecution's investigation, the COVID-19 situation and from worsening business conditions caused by the trade war between the United States and China.
"It is regretful that we have raised concerns due to our management crisis at a time when Samsung should be the leader in overcoming the economic crisis stemmed from the prolonged COVID-19 situation," Samsung said.
The group further asked the media to help the company "so that Samsung can take on the role in overcoming South Korea's economic crisis."
This file photo, dated May 6, 2020, shows Samsung Electronics Co. Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, the heir of Samsung Group, attending a press conference at the company's office building in Seoul to make a rare public apology over controversies related to his succession. Prosecutors sought an arrest warrant for Lee on June 4, 2020, as part of an investigation into a controversial merger between two Samsung units. (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-06-07--S. Korea's economy seen deteriorating over coronavirus pandemic: KDI

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

SEJONG, June 7 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's economy shows signs of deteriorating as the negative impact from the coronavirus pandemic has spread across all business sectors, a state-run think tank said Sunday.
"The Korean economy is fast contracting as the negative impact of COVID-19 spreads across all industries," the Korea Development Institute (KDI) said in its English-language Monthly Economic Trends publication.
The country's overall industrial production fell 2.5 percent in April, as the pandemic hit exports and private consumption.
In March, the nation's overall industrial output fell 0.3 percent on-month, marking the sharpest decline since February 2011.
"April's all industry production dropped sharply on shrinking domestic and foreign demand," it said.
This file photo shows the Korea Development Institute's headquarters in Sejong, an administrative hub about 130 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)
South Korea's exports sank 23.7 percent in May in the face of the growing economic fallout from the pandemic that has disrupted the global supply chain.
Outbound shipments came to US$34.8 billion last month, compared with $45.7 billion posted a year earlier.
"May's exports continued to rapidly decrease as external uncertainties mount on intensifying political and economic tensions between the U.S. and China," the KDI said.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has predicted that South Korea's economy will shrink 1.2 percent this year, as the global economy is expected to hit its worst year since the Great Depression of the 1930s due to the pandemic.
The world economy is expected to contract 3 percent this year, the IMF said.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-07--(LEAD) S. Korea reports 57 new virus cases, above 50 for 2nd consecutive day

In the first five days of June , new cases remained at around 30-40 per day but rose above 50 @ @ @ @ @ that the country may have to return to strict social distancing to stem the spread @ @ @ @ @

(ATTN: ADDS 2nd photo and details in paras 3-4, 7)
SEOUL, June 7 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported 57 more cases of the new coronavirus Sunday, marking the second straight day the number was above 50, raising concerns over new cluster infections in the densely populated greater Seoul area ahead of the final phase of school reopening.
The new infections raised the country's total caseload to 11,776, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said. This is the highest number of daily infections since the 58 reported May 29.
The recent spike is mainly due to growth in new clusters at table tennis clubs and health product retailer Richway specialized in door-to-door sales for mostly elderly consumers, both based in Seoul, while group infections from nightclubs, a distribution center and religious gatherings continue to pose problems.
The Richway cluster is considered especially risky as a majority of the cases are elderly patients who are more vulnerable to the virus than the younger age groups.
Of the 57 new cases, 53 were community transmissions and four were from abroad.
Of the 53 local cases, all but one were reported in Seoul and adjacent areas. Seoul added 27 cases, while Incheon, west of Seoul, and Gyeonggi Province, surrounding the capital, reported six and 19 cases, respectively, the KCDC said.
The number of new cases appeared to be flattening after hitting 79 on May 28. But the figure started to rise again due to infections reported at small group meetings of Protestant churchgoers in the capital area.
In the first five days of June, new cases remained at around 30-40 per day but rose above 50 on Saturday, sparking worries that the country may have to return to strict social distancing to stem the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This photo taken June 6, 2020, shows medical workers collecting individual samples from students at Incheon Beauty Arts High School in Incheon, west of Seoul, after one of the school's students tested positive for the coronavirus a day earlier. (Yonhap)
The authorities remain on high alert as more South Korean pupils are set to return to classes Monday in the final phase of the government's reopening plan.
Accumulated confirmed cases in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province are closing in on 1,000, reporting 974 and 934, respectively, as of Sunday due to the recent cluster infections in the capital city.
Health authorities plan to reinforce social distancing guidelines for the metropolitan area, shuttering public facilities again and ordering entertainment establishments to refrain from opening until June 14.
If the figures from the metropolitan area rise, South Korea will have to consider returning to strict social distancing.
The death toll remained flat at 273, while the number of people released from quarantine after fully recovering totaled 10,552, up 21 from the previous day, according to health authorities.
This photo taken June 7, 2020, shows a table tennis club where a person diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus visited recently in Yangcheon, Seoul. (Yonhap)
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-07--Last group of pupils to return to school Monday in final phase of reopening amid pandemic

Asked if it is worth taking the trouble and feeling anxious about her daughter going to school once a week @ @ @ @ @ I think it is still very important for them to meet friends and teachers in @ @ @ @ @ to them and solidarity . ''

By Woo Jae-yeon
SEOUL, June 7 (Yonhap) -- More South Korean pupils are set to return to classes Monday in the final phase of the government's reopening plan amid growing anxiety over a second wave of new coronavirus infections in Seoul and the adjacent cities.
A total of 57 new coronavirus cases were added Sunday, the most in nine days, bringing the total caseload to 11,776. Among the new patients, 52 were from the greater Seoul area where nearly half of the country's total population of 52 million live.
The country will wrap up its four-phased reopening of schools nationwide Monday with 5.95 million pupils attending in-person classes.
The reopening of schools has been testing the government's pandemic response and quarantine system in the face of the highly infectious disease after the country began to ease social distancing guidelines in early May.
And schools seem to be less affected by COVID-19 than expected.
Data from the education ministry released Friday showed that only a handful of infections have been reported at schools -- six students and four school officials -- since schools began to reopen on May 20.
The ministry said none of them contracted the virus at school. They either found out they had been infected with the virus only after coming to school, or they showed COVID-19 symptoms at school and subsequently tested positive.
Students exchange greetings with their teacher while seated in a zigzag arrangement at Samsung Elementary School in Gimhae, 449 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on June 3, 2020. (Yonhap)
The bigger concern seems to come from outside of school boundaries, according to state data.
While schools shut down for nearly three months to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus, the country's sprawling private educational institutes, such as cram schools, or "hagwon" in Korean, largely stayed open despite the government's repeated warnings against it.
According to the ministry, 78 COVID-19 patients have been confirmed at 42 private institutes since February. Some of them were found to have lax quarantine measures in place, putting young students and teachers there at risk.
That the country continues to see small infection clusters traced to religious gatherings, nightclubs and a distribution center in Seoul and its surrounding area is also raising a red flag for the potential spread at schools.
Also among the most recently identified clusters was a Seoul-based health product retailer, which specializes in door-to-door sales for mostly elderly citizens.
To prevent an outbreak at schools, the ministry has allowed each school to run a different -- sometimes rather complex -- schedule designed to maintain social distancing.
They have implemented staggered lunches, adjustments to student attendance, split sessions, reduced class time and a mix of online and offline classes.
As of 10 a.m. Friday, 514 schools, or 2.5 percent of the country's 20,902, closed as a precautionary measure. The figure was 838 on May 28, a day after schools reopened for more than 2.3 million pupils in the second phase of reopening.
Students attend physical education class while wearing masks at Gwacheon High School in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, on June 3, 2020. (Yonhap)
Oh Kyung-hee, a mother of two girls in Seoul, said her oldest daughter will be on a one-week-on, two-weeks-off schedule, while her younger one will go to school once a week.
Her 13-year-old eldest daughter is a first-year middle school student, and the younger, 12, a sixth grader in elementary school. They are among the year groups, alongside fifth graders at elementary school, that belong to the fourth phase of reopening.
Asked if it is worth taking the trouble and feeling anxious about her daughter going to school once a week, she said, "I think it is still very important for them to meet friends and teachers in person and to feel connected to them and solidarity."
"Staying at home all day and watching online classes sometimes feel like just killing time for them," she said, adding, "Schools are safer than hagwon. They are less crowded, more spacious, and teachers and school officials stay highly alert over the danger posed by the virus."
The government recognizes parental concerns over safety in hagwon and has moved to tighten its grip.
It plans to revise a relevant law, based on which the education ministry can punish a private academy that fails to abide by strict quarantine measures with a fine or a forcible business closure.
It is also mulling introducing quick response (QR) code-based entry logs there to allow easy tracing of potential COVID-19 patients. It has already been running the pilot program at risky venues, including karaoke facilities, bars and churches.
"There will come a time when kids can go to school five days a week," Oh said, "if everyone tries their best to stay vigilant."
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-07--S. Korea reports 57 new virus cases, above 50 for 2nd consecutive day

Of the 53 non-imported cases , all but four were reported in Seoul and adjacent areas .
Seoul added 27 @ @ @ @ @ west of Seoul , and Gyeonggi Province , surrounding the capital , each reported six @ @ @ @ @ KCDC said .

SEOUL, June 7 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported 57 more cases of the new coronavirus Sunday, marking the second straight day the number was above 50, raising concerns over new cluster infections in the densely populated greater Seoul area ahead of the final phase of school reopening.
The new infections raised the country's total caseload to 11,776, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said. This is the highest number of daily infections since the 58 reported May 29.
The death toll remained flat at 273, while the number of people released from quarantine after fully recovering totaled 10,552, up 21 from the previous day, according to health authorities.
This photo taken June 6, 2020, shows medical workers collecting individual samples from students at Incheon Beauty Arts High School in Incheon, just west of Seoul, after one of the school's students tested positive for the coronavirus a day earlier. (Yonhap)
Of the 53 non-imported cases, all but four were reported in Seoul and adjacent areas. Seoul added 27 cases, while Incheon, west of Seoul, and Gyeonggi Province, surrounding the capital, each reported six and 19 cases, the KCDC said.
The authorities remain on high alert as more South Korean pupils are set to return to classes Monday in the final phase of the government's reopening plan amid growing anxiety over a second wave of COVID-19 infections in Seoul and adjacent cities.
The latest data comes as South Korea is grappling with a string of group infections linked to religious gatherings, nightclubs and a distribution center in the metropolitan area since relaxing its social distancing scheme on May 6.
Also among the most recently identified clusters was Seoul-based health product retailer Richway, which specializes in door-to-door sales for mostly elderly consumers.
The Richway cluster is considered especially risky as a majority of the cases are elderly patients who are more vulnerable to the virus than the younger age groups.
Health authorities plan to reinforce social distancing guidelines for the metropolitan area, shuttering public facilities again and ordering entertainment establishments to refrain from opening until June 14.
If the figures from the metropolitan area rise, South Korea will have to consider a return to strict social distancing.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-08--(LEAD) New virus cases dip below 40, cluster infections still at large in greater Seoul

South Korea was on the verge of fully flattening the increase in the number of COVID-19 patients earlier by adding @ @ @ @ @ 6 .
After going through ups and downs , it reached 79 on May 28 @ @ @ @ @ month .

(ATTN: ADDS details throughout; CHANGES photos)
SEOUL, June 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new virus cases slowed Monday after reporting more than 50 cases for two consecutive days, but concerns are running high over the second wave of the pandemic in greater Seoul as more South Korean pupils returned to classes in the final phase of the country's school reopening plan.
The country added 38 new cases, including 33 locally transmitted cases, raising its total caseload to 11,814, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). It marked a slight decrease from 57 cases announced a day earlier and 51 on Saturday.
All of the locally transmitted cases were reported from the Seoul metropolitan area.
South Korea has been grappling with a string of group infections linked to religious gatherings, nightclubs and a distribution center in the metropolitan area since relaxing its social distancing scheme on May 6.
Students greet each other at a middle school in central Seoul on June 8, 2020. The country rolled out the final phase of its reopening plan of schools amid the new coronavirus pandemic on the day. (Yonhap)
More recently, new mass infections tied to a door-to-door business entity, along with sports activity-connected cluster infections, have emerged as a new source of concerns over further community spread here over the weekend.
As of Sunday, cases traced to e-commerce giant Coupang's warehouse in Bucheon, west of Seoul, reached 133 as of noon, up three from a day earlier. Those linked to the small churches and religious sessions in Incheon and Gyeonggi Province also increased by just two to 82.
South Korea has been detecting more COVID-19 cases from a door-to-door business establishment, which reached 45 as of Sunday. A table tennis gym in western Seoul reported 17 cases as well.
A high schooler also tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday. Lotte World, an amusement park located in southern Seoul, was immediately shut down a day earlier as the student went there Friday. The patient's school will be shuttered before all students and teachers are tested.
Asymptomatic "silent" virus spreaders are also one of the grave concerns here. The KCDC estimates around 25-35 percent of patients here tested positive for the coronavirus despite showing no related symptoms.
Students and teachers of a high school in northern Seoul wait in line to be tested for the new coronavirus at a makeshift clinic on June 8, 2020, after one of its students tested positive for the virus a day earlier. (Yonhap)
The country completed its phased reopenings of schools Monday, giving the go-ahead for all students to return to their classrooms. Some of the country's 20,900 schools, however, are tipped to delay their reopenings due to regional infections.
The country has been slowly reopening kindergartens, elementary, middle and high schools since May 20. A new semester normally starts in March.
Schools will continue to carry out intense sanitary measures, including separated lunches and a mix of online and offline classes.
Parents and teachers are still worried that the forthcoming summer heat will make it more difficult to have younger students keep up with sanitary guidelines, such as wearing protective masks.
The latest spike in the daily new cases are putting the country's relaxed social distancing scheme to the test.
The country already has decided to beef up quarantine measures in the Seoul metropolitan area, shutting down public facilities and regulating entertainment establishments until June 14. The measure can be extended beyond the initial deadline should the new cases not plateau.
South Korea was on the verge of fully flattening the increase in the number of COVID-19 patients earlier by adding just two cases on May 6. After going through ups and downs, it reached 79 on May 28, the highest of the month.
The death toll stayed flat at 273 for the fifth consecutive day.
The fatality rate came to 2.31 percent, but the figure reached nearly 26 percent for those aged 80 and above.
The accumulated number of imported cases reached 1,297, up five from a day earlier.
The number of people released from quarantine after fully recovering totaled 10,563, up 11 from the previous day. Nearly 90 percent of the country's COVID-19 patients have recovered so far.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-08--(LEAD) Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong attends arrest warrant hearing over succession probe

The probe began in November 2018 when the Securities and Futures Commission under the Financial Services Commission filed a complaint @ @ @ @ @ of accounting fraud .
Prosecutors have since expanded the probe with suspicions that the alleged @ @ @ @ @ aimed to help Lee assume control .

(ATTN: UPDATES lead paras; MODIFIES last 5 paras; CHANGES photos)
SEOUL, June 8 (Yonhap) -- The de facto leader of Samsung Group, South Korea's largest conglomerate, appeared in court Monday for a hearing to decide whether he will be arrested again amid allegations of his involvement in a merger and accounting fraud.
Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, showed up at Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul. The hearing will likely last at least several hours, as many expect the court's decision to come out late in the night or early Tuesday morning.
He is under probe in connection with the controversial merger of two Samsung affiliates in 2015, an apparent key process in his takeover of control of the group from his ailing father, Lee Kun-hee.
Last week, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office sought an arrest warrant for the Samsung scion, arguing he should be put back in jail, given the seriousness of his alleged wrongdoings and the possibility of destroying relevant evidence. It is a prelude to a widely expected indictment against Lee.
Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, appears at Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul on June 8, 2020, for a hearing on the prosecution's arrest warrant request against him. (Yonhap)
Prosecutors also requested arrest warrants for two former Samsung executives, Choi Gee-sung and Kim Jong-joong, who had led the group's now-disbanded control tower, the Future Strategy Office.
The three are accused of engaging in unfair trading, stock price manipulation and violation of laws on external audits.
Kim faces an additional charge of making a false testimony in court.
Investigators suspect the group's top management of having been deeply involved in what they believe was a systemic effort to help the father-to-son transition of Samsung's leadership. Lee's father suffered a heart attack in 2014.
They, in particular, believe that Lee was involved in a scheme to inflate the value of Cheil Industries Inc. and lower that of Samsung C&T prior to the merger in 2015.
Lee and his aides were also suspected of inflating the value of Samsung Bioepis, a joint venture between Samsung Biologics and the U.S.-based Biogen Inc., by approximately 4.5 trillion won (US$3.64 billion).
Samsung Biologics is a subsidiary of Cheil Industries, of which Lee was the largest shareholder, with a stake of 23.2 percent.
Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, appears at Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul on June 8, 2020, for a hearing on the prosecution's arrest warrant request against him. (Yonhap)
The probe began in November 2018 when the Securities and Futures Commission under the Financial Services Commission filed a complaint against Samsung Biologics over suspicions of accounting fraud. Prosecutors have since expanded the probe with suspicions that the alleged accounting fraud might have been aimed to help Lee assume control.
Up until now, they have questioned Lee and several other former and incumbent Samsung executives over the top management's role in the 2015 merger. They include Choi Gee-sung, former head of the Future Strategy Office, and Chang Choong-ki, former deputy chief of the office.
Samsung has said that it has never deliberately manipulated the value of its companies and the prosecution has wrongly viewed the 2015 merger as related to its management succession.
If the warrant is approved, it will be the first time in 28 months that Lee will be arrested for criminal charges.
Lee was imprisoned for about a year in 2017 for bribing a confidant of former President Park Geun-hye in return for her administration's support for the 2015 merger.
He was released in February 2018 after his sentence was suspended by an appeals court. But the Supreme Court ordered a retrial last year revising the size of the bribes.
In early May, Lee made a rare public apology over the group's involvement in the scandals. He vowed not to hand over his Samsung managerial rights to his children.
The prosecutors' requests for arrest warrants came just two days after Lee called for a public assessment of the validity of the way that they have conducted the probe and a possible indictment.
The system for a review of the prosecution service's investigation by an external panel was introduced in 2018 to enhance neutrality and fairness of its probes into cases that are of great public interest.
Business circles, including Samsung, have criticized the prosecution for ignoring its own reform measure by requesting the warrant while a legal procedure for convening the outside panel was under way.
If the request for the arrest warrant against Lee is rejected, the panel is expected to have a greater influence over the prosecution's move to indict him. Doubts would grow over the committee's efficacy, however, if the warrant is issued.
lcd@yna.co.kr
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-08--(LEAD) Hanwha Systems acquires British antenna company

Hanwha Systems clinched a deal last week to acquire the business and assets of Phasor Solutions Ltd. , which develops @ @ @ @ @ the company said in a statement .

(ATTN: CHANGES photo; ADDS details in last 2 paras)
SEOUL, June 8 (Yonhap) -- Hanwha Systems Co., the defense industry unit of Hanwha Group, said Monday it has acquired a British satellite communication antenna company in a move to secure a new growth driver.
Hanwha Systems clinched a deal last week to acquire the business and assets of Phasor Solutions Ltd., which develops satellite communication antenna technology, the company said in a statement.
This image provided by Hanwha Systems shows how Phasor Solutions' electronically steerable antenna works on a plane. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)
"We have made a swift decision to acquire the British company as the satellite communication equipment market has big growth potential," Hanwha Systems Chief Executive Kim Youn-chul said in the statement.
The satellite communication equipment market is expected to grow to US$30.32 billion by 2022, the company said, citing data from Markets & Markets Research Private Ltd.
Hanwha did not provide the contract value and other details due to a confidentiality agreement.
Phasor Solutions recently went bankrupt, as it had difficulties in attracting investments amid the new coronavirus outbreak, a company spokeswoman said over the phone.
The British venture firm has been the leading developer of broadband electronically steerable antennas (ESAs), which enable high speed communication in-flight, at sea or land, the statement said.
Hanwha Systems has been looking for possible investment opportunities to advance into the satellite communication antenna markets since last year.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-08--New virus cases dip below 40, cluster infections still at large in greater Seoul

SEOUL , June 8 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korea 's new virus cases slowed Monday after reporting more than @ @ @ @ @ days , but concerns are running high over the second wave of the pandemic in @ @ @ @ @ Korean pupils returned to classes in the final phase of the country 's school reopening @ @

SEOUL, June 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new virus cases slowed Monday after reporting more than 50 cases for two consecutive days, but concerns are running high over the second wave of the pandemic in greater Seoul as more South Korean pupils returned to classes in the final phase of the country's school reopening plan.
The country added 38 new cases, including 33 locally transmitted cases, raising its total caseload to 11,814, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). It marked a slight decrease from 57 cases announced a day earlier and 51 on Saturday.
All of the locally transmitted cases were reported from the Seoul metropolitan area.
South Korea has been grappling with a string of group infections linked to religious gatherings, nightclubs and a distribution center in the metropolitan area since relaxing its social distancing scheme on May 6.
A visitor is tested for the new coronavirus at a makeshift clinic in western Seoul on June 7, 2020. (Yonhap)
More recently, new mass infections tied to a door-to-door business entity, along with sports activity-connected cluster infections, have emerged as a new source of concerns over further community spread here over the weekend.
As of Sunday, cases traced to e-commerce giant Coupang's warehouse in Bucheon, west of Seoul, reached 133 as of noon, up three from a day earlier. Those linked to the small churches and religious sessions in Incheon and Gyeonggi Province also increased by just two to 82.
South Korea has been detecting more COVID-19 cases from a door-to-door business establishment, which reached 45 as of Sunday. A table tennis gym in western Seoul reported 17 cases as well.
A high schooler also tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday. Lotte World, an amusement park located in southern Seoul, was immediately shut down a day earlier as the student went there Friday. The patient's school will be shuttered before all students and teachers are tested.
Asymptomatic "silent" virus spreaders are also one of the grave concerns here. The KCDC estimates around 25-35 percent of patients here tested positive for the coronavirus despite showing no related symptoms.
Churchgoers scan their quick response (QR) code with smartphones before entering a Catholic church in southern Seoul on June 7, 2020, in line with the government's policy to contain the spread of the new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
The country completed its phased reopenings of schools Monday, giving the go-ahead for all students to return to their classrooms. Some of the country's 20,900 schools, however, are tipped to delay their reopenings due to regional infections.
The country has been slowly reopening kindergartens, elementary, middle and high schools since May 20. A new semester normally starts in March.
Schools will continue to carry out intense sanitary measures, including separated lunches and a mix of online and offline classes.
Parents and teachers are still worried that the forthcoming summer heat will make it more difficult to have younger students keep up with sanitary guidelines, such as wearing protective masks.
The latest spike in the daily new cases are putting the country's relaxed social distancing scheme to the test.
The country already has decided to beef up quarantine measures in the Seoul metropolitan area, shutting down public facilities and regulating entertainment establishments until June 14. The measure can be extended beyond the initial deadline should the new cases not plateau.
South Korea was on the verge of fully flattening the increase in the number of COVID-19 patients earlier by adding just two cases on May 6. After going through ups and downs, it reached 79 on May 28, the highest of the month.
The death toll stayed flat at 273.
The number of people released from quarantine after fully recovering totaled 10,563, up 11 from the previous day, the data showed.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-08--(URGENT) 11 more people released after full recovery from coronavirus, total cured patients at 10,56

(URGENT) 11 more people released after full recovery from coronavirus, total cured patients at 10,563: KCDC

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


yna--2020-06-08--(URGENT) S. Korea reports no additional virus death, death toll now at 273: KCDC


yna--2020-06-08--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 38 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 11,814: KCDC


yna--2020-06-08--Hanwha Systems acquires British antenna company

SEOUL, June 8 (Yonhap) -- Hanwha Systems Co., the defense industry unit of Hanwha Group, said Monday it has acquired a British satellite communication antenna company in a move to secure a new growth driver.
Hanwha Systems clinched a deal last week to acquire the business and assets of Phasor Solutions Ltd., which develops satellite communication antenna technology, the company said in a statement.
"We have made a swift decision to acquire the British company as the satellite communication equipment market has big growth potential," Hanwha Systems Chief Executive Kim Youn-chul said in the statement.
The satellite communication equipment market is expected to grow to 50 trillion won (US$42 billion) in 2026, the company said, citing data from Market & Market Research.
Hanwha did not provide the contract value and other details due to a confidentiality agreement.
Phasor Solutions recently went bankrupt, as it had difficulties in attracting investments amid the new coronavirus outbreak, a company spokeswoman said over the phone.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-08--(Yonhap Interview) Yerong: Unlikely Korean megaphone for Black Lives Matter movement

SEOUL , June 8 ( Yonhap ) -- Having started in the United States after the death of 46-year-old African @ @ @ @ @ the Minneapolis police on May 25 , the Black Lives Matter ( BLM ) movement @ @ @ @ @ international phenomenon , with protests having taken place in at least 40 countries -- from @ @ @ @ @ Korea this past weekend -- in solidarity with American protestors and victims of endemic racism @

By Chang Dong-woo
SEOUL, June 8 (Yonhap) -- Having started in the United States after the death of 46-year-old African American George Floyd caused by the Minneapolis police on May 25, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has clearly evolved into an international phenomenon, with protests having taken place in at least 40 countries -- from Britain and France to South Korea this past weekend -- in solidarity with American protestors and victims of endemic racism.
In South Korea, it is without question that K-pop artists, commanding legions upon legions of fans at home and abroad, have had a big influence in raising awareness and supporting the BLM cause.
Last week, K-pop giant BTS publicly supported the cause and donated, together with its label-management agency Big Hit Entertainment, US$1 million to a BLM-affiliated organization. Other artists, Crush, Jay Park and Tiger JK, among others, also publicly backed the movement while denouncing racism and police brutality.
And while not a household name, nor a K-pop star for that matter, one individual in South Korea may deserve an equal amount, if not more, praise for raising awareness of racism, not just during the recent global BLM developments but since long before.
A publicity photo of cartoonist Yerong, whose real name is Ko Ye-sung, provided by Yerong. (Yonhap)
Yerong, a 28-year-old cartoonist whose real name is Ko Ye-sung, has become social media sensation after sharing a series of short comic strips since May 31, on the tragic death of Floyd and the following unrest in the U.S.
Yerong describes her style as "doodle comics." The strips, bare-bones minimalist in style yet substantive in exposition, have gone viral not just in South Korea but throughout the world, with overseas fans having voluntarily translated Yerong's works into eight languages, including Chinese, English, Spanish, French, Italian and Vietnamese.
"I was so enraged after hearing the news that a black person was killed by excessive force of the police. At the same time I thought to myself, 'Again?,'" reflected Yerong in an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Friday on how she first began her BLM comic strips.
Yerong's initial goal was to better inform South Koreans of the developments in the U.S. by quickly drawing up a comic strip with basic bullet points. The first strip, consisting of six panels explaining how Floyd was murdered by the police, took her about an hour to plan and draw.
The comic strip instantly went viral, having been retweeted over 33,000 times, hitting some 25,000 likes on Twitter and receiving over 38,000 likes on Instagram. It was also uploaded on several online communities and was eventually shared by many people, even K-pop celebrities.
This image provided by Yerong shows a comic strip produced by the cartoonist explaining how African American George Floyd was killed by the police on May 25, 2020. The strip went viral internationally after being shared on social media on May 31. (Yonhap)
Some of those stars include Jinsol of girl group April, hip-hop artist Lee Young-ji, and Jiwoo and Somin of co-ed group KARD. Even British YouTuber Josh Carrott, aka Korean Englishman, and Rep. Ryu Ho-jeong of the minor opposition Justice Party shared Yerong's work shedding light on Floyd's tragic death.
Yerong explained, " Nobody ever told me to do it, but I think I felt a sense of responsibility since I have raised the issue of rights of blacks in my past works. I thought that I should not do nothing."
After her works went viral internationally, Yerong said she has received thousands of messages from those touched by her work, including African Americans in the United States.
Since then, Yerong has uploaded several follow-up strips, including a comic strip to educate Koreans on how the "All Lives Matter" slogan, seemingly positive at face value, is actually used politically against the Black Lives Matter cause.
"Most are messages of support and thanks. I'm receiving hundreds of new messages in any given hour, so I can't check each individual one," explained Yerong when asked of the response specifically from the U.S.
"Some have told me that they want to make donations to me. I've expressed deep gratitude but have told them to donate to the BLM cause."
For Yerong, combating racism through art is more than a passing fad. It was personal for her.
Combating racism and fighting for human rights have been running themes in Yerong's past work. The budding comic artist published her first book, titled "A Black Person Sitting Next to Me on the Subway," a collection of comics inspired from her personal experience of having dated a black person, in October 2019.
This image provided by Yerong shows part of the cartoonist's comic strip shared on June 3, 2020, explaining why she supports the Black Lives Matter movement. (Yonhap)
"My boyfriend until last year was a black person from Ghana. Through our relationship, I naturally became aware of the racist treatment that blacks received. It was no longer a non-issue for me, having received uncomfortable gazes and having gone through uncomfortable experiences myself."
Outside of her recent social media activism on BLM, Yerong is currently running a comic series titled "The People Who Have Come to Us" with Friends, a human rights NGO for immigrants located in Seoul's western district of Yeongdeungpo.
Produced in consultation with a human rights lawyer, the comic series examines tales of immigrants facing various tribulations while living in South Korea.
"There is so much racism even in South Korea. Discrimination based on skin color and country of origin are rampant. So many English-teaching private institutions still explicitly say they only seek to hire white native-speaking teachers," said Yerong.
Yerong finds the media largely responsible for perpetuating society's preconceived racial biases.
"We are conditioned inadvertently by movies, TV dramas and clips on the internet. In the media, the protagonist or the hero are mostly white, while blacks or Asians are shown stealing things or shown with negative images."
She added, "Even after the (BLM) movement, I plan to continue to speak out (on matters of racism). My goal is to abolish the biases of many people as possible."
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-08--KBO's Hanwha Eagles name interim manager during 14-game slide

On Tuesday , the Eagles will open a midweek three-game series against the Lotte Giants , who enjoyed a three-game @ @ @ @ @ this past weekend .
Up next for the Eagles will be the Doosan Bears starting @ @ @ @ @ the Kia Tigers in their weekend series and are in second place at 19-10 .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, June 8 (Yonhap) -- Mired in a 14-game losing streak, South Korean baseball club Hanwha Eagles on Monday promoted their minor league skipper to their interim manager.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) team said Choi Won-ho will take over from Han Yong-duk, who resigned Sunday following the Eagles' 14th straight loss. The Eagles are now 7-23, dead last in the 10-team league.
This will be Choi's first managerial stint in the KBO. The former pitcher had served as a minor league pitching coach for the LG Twins and worked as a television color commentator. He took over the Eagles' Futures League affiliate last fall.
Members of the Hanwha Eagles take a bow after losing to the NC Dinos 8-2 in their Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, on June 7, 2020. (Yonhap)
The 47-year-old is tasked with stopping the bleeding that began on May 23. By losing to the NC Dinos 8-2 Sunday, the Eagles tied their franchise record for the longest losing skid, and they sit four losses from tying the league's all-time mark set by the now-defunct Sammi Superstars in 1985.
On Tuesday, the Eagles will open a midweek three-game series against the Lotte Giants, who enjoyed a three-game sweep of the KT Wiz this past weekend. Up next for the Eagles will be the Doosan Bears starting Friday. The Bears swept the Kia Tigers in their weekend series and are in second place at 19-10.
The Eagles made a few more changes to the rest of their coaching staff. Chung Kyoung-bae, who had been named the new hitting coach Sunday, will double as Choi's bench coach. Former pitching coach Song Jin-woo will return from the minors to reprise his KBO role.
This photo, provided by the Hanwha Eagles on June 8, 2020, shows the Korea Baseball Organization club's interim manager, Choi Won-ho. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-08--(2nd LD) N.K. leader holds politburo meeting, makes no mention of inter-Korean issues

The meeting , held Sunday , came just two days after the North vowed to abolish an inter-Korean liaison office @ @ @ @ @ leaflets sent from South Korea .
Four items were on the agenda , but the @ @ @ @ @ of them , according to the Korean Central News Agency .

(ATTN: ADDS details in 6th, last 3 paras)
By Koh Byung-joon
SEOUL, June 8 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has presided over a politburo meeting of the Workers' Party and discussed measures to develop the chemical industry, but inter-Korean issues and other external matters were not on the agenda, according to state media Monday.
The meeting, held Sunday, came just two days after the North vowed to abolish an inter-Korean liaison office in anger over anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets sent from South Korea. Four items were on the agenda, but the leaflet issue was not one of them, according to the Korean Central News Agency.
"The meeting discussed in depth some crucial issues arising in further developing the self-sufficient economy of the country and improving the standard of people's living," the KCNA said.
"Discussed as the first agenda items were some urgent problems arising in developing the chemical industry of the country in a well-defined framework," it added.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un smiles during a politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency on June 8, 2020. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
Kim was quoted as repeatedly stressing the importance of the chemical industry, calling it "the foundation of industry and a major thrust front of the national economy."
He, in particular, called for development of "the C1 chemical industry," a coal-gasification project that North Korea has sought for years to diversify its energy sources. In his 2019 New Year's Day speech, Kim called for stepped-up efforts to establish the C1 chemical industry.
The KCNA said that Kim also emphasized the need to improve the living conditions of people in Pyongyang, calling for "strong state measures" on the matter and ordering the construction of more houses.
The KCNA, however, made no mention of inter-Korean issues, especially the anti-Pyongyang leaflets.
On Friday, the North's United Front Department (UFD) handling inter-Korean affairs issued a statement, saying it will abolish the liaison office in the first in a series of measures that the sister of leader Kim Jong-un threatened to take unless Seoul stops the sending of such leaflets.
Along with the closing of the liaison office, she warned of dismantling a now-shuttered industrial park in the North's border city of Kaesong and scrapping a military tension reduction agreement calling for a halt to all hostilities along the border.
North Korea vowed to put those threats into action, even though South Korea promised to take legislative measures to ban such activity. The North later derided Seoul's envisioned move as "a little more advanced excuses."
The two Koreas signed summit agreements and the military deal in 2018 mostly aimed at reducing cross-border tensions, but many of the agreements between their leaders have not been carried out amid a deadlock in denuclearization talks between Pyongyang and Washington.
The liaison office in Kaesong, in particular, was launched in September 2018 as part of efforts to facilitate cross-border contact and cooperation as agreed by the leaders of the two Koreas in their summits held in the same year.
Earlier this year, the two Koreas temporarily closed the office over coronavirus concerns, but their liaison officers have communicated through telephone and fax lines established between Seoul and Pyongyang.
Sunday's politburo meeting marked the third of its kind this year. The previous two such meetings, held in February and April, mostly addressed issues related to the country's nationwide efforts to fend off the coronavirus pandemic.
The meeting was attended by Kim Yo-jong, first vice department director of the ruling party's Central Committee; Choe Ryong-hae, the country's No. 2 leader; Kim Jong-gwan, minister of People's Armed Forces; and other key officials, according to photos released by state media.
North Korea has intensified its pitch for "self-reliance" in all areas since leader Kim said in December that he expected no easing in global sanctions amid a deadlock in talks with the United States and called for a "frontal breakthrough" to tackle challenges confronting his country.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks during a politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency on June 8, 2020. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-08--Listed firms' earnings outlooks swing to upturn

`` Given the resumption of economic activity , the EPS estimate is expected to trend higher in coming months though @ @ @ @ @ whether last week 's reading is a temporary rally , '' Ha In-hwan , an @ @ @ @ @ , said .

SEOUL, June 8 (Yonhap) -- Earnings forecasts for South Korea's listed firms rebounded from a long downturn last week amid rising hopes for their possible exit from the coronavirus shock, a market tracker said Monday.
Companies listed on the country's main stock market saw the average estimate of their earnings per share (EPS) for the next 12 months amount to 6,038 won (US$4.99) on Thursday, up 2.5 percent from the prior week, according to FnGuide.
The increase in EPS, or a company's profit divided by its outstanding common shares, means brokerage houses have revised up their earnings forecasts.
The 12-month EPS estimate has been on the skids since reaching 6,905 won on March 12, as the market has downgraded their outlooks due to rising concerns over the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
The coronavirus outbreak has led to widespread lockdowns, shuttered plants and dented consumer spending, touching off worries of a global economic recession.
Analysts said the upturn in the EPS estimate points to growing expectations for a recovery in their profits down the road as economies reopen amid falling coronavirus cases and deaths.
"Given the resumption of economic activity, the EPS estimate is expected to trend higher in coming months though it remains to be seen whether last week's reading is a temporary rally," Ha In-hwan, an analyst at Meritz Securities Co., said.
Some watchers warned the rise in the EPS estimate could be limited unless corporate earnings take a turn for the better due to a delay in the recovery of the real economy.
Asia's fourth-largest economy has been battered by the coronavirus outbreak after reporting its first confirmed case on Jan. 20.
Its gross domestic product shrank 1.3 percent on-quarter in the January-March period on weak exports and consumer spending. It was the biggest on-quarter drop since a 3.3 percent fall in the last three months of 2008.
The viral disease has so far infected nearly 11,800 people and claimed 273 lives here.
(END)


yna--2020-06-08--Seoul stocks open higher on Wall Street gains

The gains were largely attributed to a drop in the U.S. unemployment rate in May , possibly suggesting an economic @ @

SEOUL, June 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korean shares opened higher Friday, tracking gains on Wall Street that followed an estimate-beating jobs report in the United States.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 17.62 points, or 0.81 percent, to 2,199.49 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
The gains were largely attributed to a drop in the U.S. unemployment rate in May, possibly suggesting an economic recovery.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 829.16 points, or 3.15 percent, to close at 27,110,98 on Friday (New York time), pinning high hopes for a quick recovery.
The tech-heavy NASDAQ and S&P advanced 2.06 percent and 2.62 percent, respectively.
The U.S. is one of South Korea's largest trade partners.
In Seoul, large caps traded mixed.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics gained 0.36 percent, and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix climbed 1.66 percent.
Top pharmaceutical firm Samsung Biologics slid 0.90 percent, while leading chemical maker LG Chem spiked 2.65 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,203.15 won against the U.S. dollar, up 3.95 won from the previous session's close.
jwc@yna.co.kr
(END)