yna--2020-08-17--(3rd LD) Seoul church under fire for mass infections, uncooperative response to virus tests

`` Since the list ( of churchgoers ) is inaccurate , there are difficulties in tracking down every church member @ @ @ @ @ , and there is a considerable number of churchgoers who have not been tested , @ @ @ @ @ Those who show respiratory symptoms , such as fever and coughing , after attending the @ @ @ @ @ a screening center to be tested . ''

(ATTN: ADDS details in last two paras)
SEOUL, Aug. 17 (Yonhap) -- New coronavirus infections linked to a church in northern Seoul continued to surge on Monday, not only causing concerns over additional cases among its members but also public backlash against the church and its leader against their uncooperative response.
Cases traced to Sarang Jeil Church in the northern ward of Seongbuk reached 319 as of noon, up 70 cases from the previous day, according to the Central Disease Control Headquarters.
With the latest figure, the church has emerged as the country's second-biggest virus cluster following 5,214 cases associated with Shincheonji, a fringe religious sect that was deemed accountable for mass infections in the southeastern city of Daegu earlier this year.
Despite repeated warnings from the government, members of the church, led by conservative pastor Jun Kwang-hoon, attended a mass Liberation Day rally in central Seoul on Saturday.
Jun himself has tested positive, health authorities said, urging people who attended the rally to be placed under quarantine and tested. It was immediately not known when Jun went through the screening.
Health authorities voiced concern that the number of virus cases tied to the church may further rise as thousands of elderly participants shouted slogans and were in close contact with one another, exposing them to infection risks.
Jun Gwang-hoon, a pastor at Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul, speaks during a mass anti-government rally held in central Seoul on Aug. 15, 2020. (Yonhap)
Thousands of people attend an anti-government rally in central Seoul on Aug. 15, 2020. (Yonhap)
"Of the 4,000 churchgoers whom authorities have identified as of midnight, 3,400 have been placed in quarantine and 2,000 have been screened. Of the total, 312 have tested positive, which translates to a high positive rate of 16.1 percent and calls for swift testing and quarantine," Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip said in a regular press briefing.
Kim urged people who attended the mass rally to visit nearby screening centers to be tested.
"Since the list (of churchgoers) is inaccurate, there are difficulties in tracking down every church member and placing them under quarantine, and there is a considerable number of churchgoers who have not been tested," Kim said. "Those who show respiratory symptoms, such as fever and coughing, after attending the Seoul rally should immediately visit a screening center to be tested."
In addition to church-linked cases, health authorities warned of chain transmissions spreading at other facilities outside of the greater Seoul area.
"Epidemiological studies on religious facilities showed that infections that traced to religious gatherings are spreading to call centers, child care centers and nursing hospitals, including those outside the capital area," Jeong Eun-kyeong, head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a briefing.
Public anger over the church and its leader Jun has also mounted, with more than 200,000 people signing an online petition asking the pastor to be detained.
The online petition, first posted on Aug. 15, demands that Jun, who was released on bail, be again detained for "harming society's safety under the mask of religion."
The author criticized how Jun has "wasted" the country's efforts to end the new coronavirus and showed no sign of regretting his action or worrying about the health of churchgoers.
On Sunday, prosecutors asked a local court to revoke the bail granted to Jun. He was indicted in March over allegations of violating the election law and was released the following month on the condition that he does not take part in any rallies related to the pending case.
The health ministry and the Seoul city government have filed a criminal complaint against Jun for breaking the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act. Jun broke self-isolation measures and disturbed anti-infection efforts by submitting an inaccurate list of churchgoers, according to the city.
The Seoul government, meanwhile, said the city had found 89 more COVID-19 patients as of 6:00 p.m. Of the figure, 52 were tied to the Sarang Jeil Church, with nine others also being infected from churches.
The official updated tally will be announced on Tuesday.
Jun Kwang-hoon, a conservative pastor who has led anti-government rallies in central Seoul, including one on Liberation Day, attends a court hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul on Aug. 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-17--(4th LD) S. Korea reports 197 new virus infections amid fears of resurgence in greater capital

Alarmed by a resurgence of infections in recent days , the government raised social distancing in Seoul and its neighboring @ @ @ @ @ Level 2 in the three-tier system for two weeks from Sunday .
But health authorities @ @ @ @ @ of the virus out of the capital area .

(ATTN: ADDS details in para 21)
SEOUL, Aug. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported 197 more cases of the new coronavirus on Monday as it battles sporadic outbreaks in Seoul and its neighboring area amid growing fears of resurgence in the greater Seoul area.
The additional COVID-19 cases, including 188 local infections, raised the country's total caseload to 15,515, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
Monday's figure came a day after the nation reported 279 new daily infections, marking the first time since early March that the new daily infections surpassed 200.
People in Seoul's Seongbuk Ward wait to get tested for the new coronavirus on Aug. 16, 2020. (Yonhap)
Although the number of new cases declined from a day earlier, it marked a three-digit number for the fourth straight day, following 166 infections Saturday and 103 Friday.
Of the newly identified local infections, a total of 89 cases was reported in the capital city of Seoul, and 67 were from the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, the KCDC said.
Alarmed by a resurgence of infections in recent days, the government raised social distancing in Seoul and its neighboring areas by one notch to Level 2 in the three-tier system for two weeks from Sunday. But health authorities are concerned about further spread of the virus out of the capital area.
Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip told reporters that authorities will further tighten social distancing rules unless the pace of new infections in the Seoul metropolitan area stabilizes by the end of this week.
To help slow the spread of the virus in the greater capital area, health authorities formed a pan-government task force, Kim said.
Kim called for people in the greater capital area to stay home and avoid unnecessary gatherings, warning that, "New infections in the area could happen at anytime and anywhere."
South Korea saw hundreds of daily new infections in the southeastern city of Daegu in late February and early March but brought the outbreak under control.
Kim said the situation in the capital area is graver than that in Daegu, citing difficulties tracing people who came into contact with patients.
A man gets tested for the new coronavirus at a makeshift testing center set up in the northeastern Seoul ward of Seongbuk on Aug. 17, 2020, amid growing fears over the resurgence of the virus in the greater Seoul area. (Yonhap)
KCDC Director Jeong Eun-kyeong said in a briefing that the virus clusters linked to religious activities have spread around the nation "at a terrific speed."
Health authorities judged that the current situation is in an "early stage of large-scale community outbreaks," Jeong said.
Multiple clusters with secondary transmission of the virus, including call centers, child care facilities and nursing hospitals, are growing across the nation, Jeong said.
Jeong renewed calls for people to strictly follow social distancing rules, wear face masks and get tested if they exhibit symptoms.
Over the past two weeks, cluster inflections accounted for 65.1 percent of total infections, with patients with unknown origins accounting for 11.6 percent.
Sporadic cluster infections have shown no signs of a let-up, with most cases traced to small and medium-sized churches in the greater Seoul area.
Infections tied to the Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul have spiked to 319 so far, while cases linked to the Woori Jeil Church in Yongin, south of Seoul, increased to 131. Local authorities have ordered the churches' congregations to take COVID-19 tests.
A total of 13 patients were confirmed in relation to a Starbucks store in Paju, north of Seoul, on Monday, raising the total number of cases tied to the coffee shop to 42.
In the southwestern city of Gwangju, bars and clubs were ordered to shut down for 10 days after 14 cases were reported in relation to a nightlife district in the city.
LG Electronics Co., a major South Korean major home appliance maker, said one of its employees working at an office building near Seoul Station tested positive for the new coronavirus.
A Starbucks outlet in Paju, just north of Seoul, is closed on Aug. 16, 2020, after a customer tested positive for COVID-19. (Yonhap)
Seoul and its neighboring area are home to 25 million people.
Sporadic infections have also been reported in recent days from the fast-food franchise Lotteria, an investment company, offices, schools and coffee shops.
South Korea, meanwhile, reported no additional fatalities, keeping the death toll at 305. The fatality rate was 1.99 percent.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 13,917, up seven from the previous day.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-17--(LEAD) USFK ups warning level for all areas in S. Korea amid virus resurgence

Among them , three service members arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek , south of Seoul , on a @ @ @ @ @ the two others arrived at Incheon International Airport , west of Seoul , on commercial @ @ @ @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES with new confirmed cases in paras 7-10)
SEOUL, Aug. 17 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) has raised the health protection level against the new coronavirus for all areas within South Korea as local infections accelerated amid a surge in church-related cases.
Effective at 5 a.m. Monday, the USFK heightened the Health Protection Condition Level (HPCON) to Charlie, or HPCON C, for all areas in the country, USFK said in a Facebook post.
Under the revised rules, the number of personnel working on bases will be reduced, and the USFK will conduct health checks such as temperature screening on all people entering its military bases.
On Saturday, USFK raised its protection level to Charlie within Seoul and the surrounding areas, including the western city of Incheon and eight districts in Gyeonggi Province.
The decision to raise the HPCON level to all areas within the country came after South Korea's new COVID-19 cases reached a five-month high of 279 on Sunday, spiking up from 166 on Saturday.
The recent surge in cases has prompted the health authorities to place stricter social distancing guidelines on Seoul and the metropolitan areas, scaling up the national alert level by one notch to Level 2 for two weeks from Sunday.
Five more American service members tested positive for the new coronavirus, according to the USFK on Monday.
Among them, three service members arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, on a U.S. government chartered flight while the two others arrived at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on commercial flights, it said.
They are now all at an isolation facility designated for confirmed COVID-19 patients at Camp Humphreys or the Osan base, it said.
The cases brought the total number of USFK-related infections to 157.
This file photo shows a gate of the U.S. base Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-17--(2nd LD) Seoul church under fire for mass infections, uncooperative response to virus tests

(ATTN: UPDATES details in paras 5, 16)
SEOUL, Aug. 17 (Yonhap) -- New coronavirus infections linked to a church in northern Seoul continued to surge on Monday, not only causing concerns over additional cases among its members but also public backlash against the church and its leader against their uncooperative response.
Cases traced to Sarang Jeil Church in the northern ward of Seongbuk reached 319 as of noon, up 70 cases from the previous day, according to the Central Disease Control Headquarters.
With the latest figure, the church has emerged as the country's second-biggest virus cluster following 5,214 cases associated with Shincheonji, a fringe religious sect that was deemed accountable for mass infections in the southeastern city of Daegu earlier this year.
Despite repeated warnings from the government, members of the church, led by conservative pastor Jun Kwang-hoon, attended a mass Liberation Day rally in central Seoul on Saturday.
Jun himself has tested positive, health authorities said, urging people who attended the rally to be placed under quarantine and tested. It was immediately not known when Jun went through the screening.
Health authorities voiced concern that the number of virus cases tied to the church may further rise as thousands of elderly participants shouted slogans and were in close contact with one another, exposing them to infection risks.
Jun Gwang-hoon, a pastor at Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul, speaks during a mass anti-government rally held in central Seoul on Aug. 15, 2020. (Yonhap)
Thousands of people attend an anti-government rally in central Seoul on Aug. 15, 2020. (Yonhap)
"Of the 4,000 churchgoers whom authorities have identified as of midnight, 3,400 have been placed in quarantine and 2,000 have been screened. Of the total, 312 have tested positive, which translates to a high positive rate of 16.1 percent and calls for swift testing and quarantine," Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip said in a regular press briefing.
Kim urged people who attended the mass rally to visit nearby screening centers to be tested.
"Since the list (of churchgoers) is inaccurate, there are difficulties in tracking down every church member and placing them under quarantine, and there is a considerable number of churchgoers who have not been tested," Kim said. "Those who show respiratory symptoms, such as fever and coughing, after attending the Seoul rally should immediately visit a screening center to be tested."
In addition to church-linked cases, health authorities warned of chain transmissions spreading at other facilities outside of the greater Seoul area.
"Epidemiological studies on religious facilities showed that infections that traced to religious gatherings are spreading to call centers, child care centers and nursing hospitals, including those outside the capital area," Jeong Eun-kyeong, head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a briefing.
Public anger over the church and its leader Jun has also mounted, with more than 200,000 people signing an online petition asking the pastor to be detained.
The online petition, first posted on Aug. 15, demands that Jun, who was released on bail, be again detained for "harming society's safety under the mask of religion."
The author criticized how Jun has "wasted" the country's efforts to end the new coronavirus and showed no sign of regretting his action or worrying about the health of churchgoers.
On Sunday, prosecutors asked a local court to revoke the bail granted to Jun. He was indicted in March over allegations of violating the election law and was released the following month on the condition that he does not take part in any rallies related to the pending case.
The health ministry and the Seoul city government have filed a criminal complaint against Jun for breaking the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act. Jun broke self-isolation measures and disturbed anti-infection efforts by submitting an inaccurate list of churchgoers, according to the city.
Jun Kwang-hoon, a conservative pastor who has led anti-government rallies in central Seoul, including one on Liberation Day, attends a court hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul on Aug. 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-17--Moon offers to meet with party leaders; main opposition balks

It could also have been a meeting to discuss ways for the parties to cooperate on dealing with the fallout @ @ @ @ @ the recent heavy rains that battered the country 's central region .

SEOUL, Aug. 17 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in suggested a meeting with the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties this month, which the main opposition party declined, the presidential office said Monday.
"(The presidential office) had prepared a meeting in August to invite party leaders and discuss overall state affairs, without limiting it to certain agenda items, in a candid manner," Choi Jae-sung, senior secretary for political affairs, said in a press briefing.
Choi said he had suggested holding the meeting on Friday but that the main opposition United Future Party (UFP) turned it down on Sunday.
Cheong Wa Dae said the proposed meeting was part of an earlier agreement to hold a quarterly meeting on state affairs with party leaders, such as those held in February and May this year.
"President Moon's proposal for a conversation is always open," Choi said, asking the political parties "to collect strength and wisdom" amid the continued COVID-19 pandemic and economic decline.
Cheong Wa Dae's suggestion is seen as part of efforts to cooperate with parties ahead of the September National Assembly amid weakening approval ratings for the Democratic Party and the president.
It could also have been a meeting to discuss ways for the parties to cooperate on dealing with the fallout from the new coronavirus and the recent heavy rains that battered the country's central region.
Choi Jae-sung, senior secretary for political affairs, speaks at a press briefing at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Aug. 17, 2020. (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-08-17--Samsung to manufacture IBM's new processor chip

SEOUL , Aug. 17 ( Yonhap ) -- International Business Machines Corp. said Monday that it has unveiled a new @ @ @ @ @ cloud computing and that the chip will be manufactured by Samsung Electronics Co .

SEOUL, Aug. 17 (Yonhap) -- International Business Machines Corp. said Monday that it has unveiled a new processor chip for enterprise hybrid cloud computing and that the chip will be manufactured by Samsung Electronics Co.
In a statement, the U.S. technology giant said the POWER10 chip is designed by IBM and will be made by Samsung's 7-nanometer manufacturing technology.
"Samsung Electronics will manufacture the IBM POWER10 processor, combining Samsung's industry-leading semiconductor manufacturing technology with IBM's CPU designs," IBM said in the statement.
The new chip is IBM's first commercialized processor built using 7-nanometer process technology, it said.
IBM said it has been in partnership with Samsung on research and development for more than a decade.
Manufacturing IBM's processor chip is expected to help Samsung achieve its target of challenging rivals such as Taiwan's TSMC and U.S. Qualcomm in the global non-memory chip market.
Last year, Samsung announced a plan to invest 133 trillion won (US$115.7 billion) by 2030 to expand its non-memory and foundry business to take the top spot in the high-tech industry.
The world's largest memory chipmaker also unveiled measures to develop the semiconductor ecosystem with increased investment for the foundry and non-memory segment to diversify its portfolio.
The investment will be composed of 73 trillion won for local research and development and 60 trillion won for production infrastructure, it said.
(END)


yna--2020-08-17--(LEAD) Seoul church under fire for mass infections, uncooperative response to virus tests

(ATTN: UPDATES details in paras 2, 9-10)
SEOUL, Aug. 17 (Yonhap) -- New coronavirus infections linked to a church in northern Seoul continued to surge on Monday, not only causing concerns over additional cases among its members but also public backlash against the church and its leader against their uncooperative response.
Cases traced to Sarang Jeil Church in the northern ward of Seongbuk reached 319 as of noon, up 70 cases from the previous day, according to the Central Disease Control Headquarters.
With the latest figure, the church has emerged as the country's second-biggest virus cluster following 5,214 cases associated with Shincheonji, a fringe religious sect that was deemed accountable for mass infections in the southeastern city of Daegu earlier this year.
Despite repeated warnings from the government, members of the church, led by conservative pastor Jun Kwang-hoon, attended a mass Liberation Day rally in central Seoul on Saturday.
Health authorities voiced concern that the number of virus cases tied to the church may further rise as thousands of elderly participants shouted slogans and were in close contact with one another, exposing them to infection risks.
Jun Gwang-hoon, a pastor at Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul, speaks during a mass anti-government rally held in central Seoul on Aug. 15, 2020. (Yonhap)
Thousands of people attend an anti-government rally in central Seoul on Aug. 15, 2020. (Yonhap)
"Of the 4,000 churchgoers whom authorities have identified as of midnight, 3,400 have been placed in quarantine and 2,000 have been screened. Of the total, 312 have tested positive, which translates to a high positive rate of 16.1 percent and calls for swift testing and quarantine," Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip said in a regular press briefing.
Kim urged people who attended the mass rally to visit nearby screening centers to be tested.
"Since the list (of churchgoers) is inaccurate, there are difficulties in tracking down every church member and placing them under quarantine, and there is a considerable number of churchgoers who have not been tested," Kim said. "Those who show respiratory symptoms, such as fever and coughing, after attending the Seoul rally should immediately visit a screening center to be tested."
In addition to church-linked cases, health authorities warned of chain transmissions spreading at other facilities outside of the greater Seoul area.
"Epidemiological studies on religious facilities showed that infections that traced to religious gatherings are spreading to call centers, child care centers and nursing hospitals, including those outside the capital area," Jeong Eun-kyeong, head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a briefing.
Public anger over the church and its leader Jun has also mounted, with more than 200,000 people signing an online petition asking the pastor to be detained.
The online petition, first posted on Aug. 15, demands that Jun, who was released on bail, be again detained for "harming society's safety under the mask of religion."
The author criticized how Jun has "wasted" the country's efforts to end the new coronavirus and showed no sign of regretting his action or worrying about the health of churchgoers.
On Sunday, prosecutors asked a local court to revoke the bail granted to Jun. He was indicted in March over allegations of violating the election law and was released the following month on the condition that he does not take part in any rallies related to the pending case.
Jun Kwang-hoon, a conservative pastor who has led anti-government rallies in central Seoul, including one on Liberation Day, attends a court hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul on Aug. 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-17--(3rd LD) S. Korea reports 197 new virus infections amid fears of resurgence in greater capital

(ATTN: ADDS KCDC chief's remarks, details in paras 12-16, 18-20)
SEOUL, Aug. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported 197 more cases of the new coronavirus on Monday as it battles sporadic outbreaks in Seoul and its neighboring area amid growing fears of resurgence in the greater Seoul area.
The additional COVID-19 cases, including 188 local infections, raised the country's total caseload to 15,515, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Of the new cases, 188 were local transmissions.
Monday's figure came a day after the nation reported 279 new daily infections, marking the first time since early March that the new daily infections surpassed 200.
People in Seoul's Seongbuk Ward wait to get tested for the new coronavirus on Aug. 16, 2020. (Yonhap)
Although the number of new cases declined from a day earlier, it marked a three-digit number for the fourth straight day, following 166 infections Saturday and 103 Friday.
Of the newly identified local infections, a total of 89 cases was reported in the capital city of Seoul, and 67 were from the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, the KCDC said.
Alarmed by a resurgence of infections in recent days, the government raised social distancing in Seoul and its neighboring areas by one notch to Level 2 in the three-tier system for two weeks from Sunday. But health authorities are concerned about further spread of the virus out of the capital area.
Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip told reporters that authorities will further tighten social distancing rules unless the pace of new infections in the Seoul metropolitan area stabilizes by the end of this week.
To help slow the spread of the virus in the greater capital area, health authorities formed a pan-government task force, Kim said.
Kim called for people in the greater capital area to stay home and avoid unnecessary gatherings, warning that, "New infections in the area could happen at anytime and anywhere."
South Korea saw hundreds of daily new infections in the southeastern city of Daegu in late February and early March but brought the outbreak under control.
Kim said the situation in the capital area is graver than that in Daegu, citing difficulties tracing people who came into contact with patients.
A man gets tested for the new coronavirus at a makeshift testing center set up in the northeastern Seoul ward of Seongbuk on Aug. 17, 2020, amid growing fears over the resurgence of the virus in the greater Seoul area. (Yonhap)
KCDC Director Jeong Eun-kyeong said in a briefing that the virus clusters linked to religious activities have spread around the nation "at a terrific speed."
Health authorities judged that the current situation is in an "early stage of large-scale community outbreaks," Jeong said.
Multiple clusters with secondary transmission of the virus, including call centers, child care facilities and nursing hospitals, are growing across the nation, Jeong said.
Jeong renewed calls for people to strictly follow social distancing rules, wear face masks and get tested if they exhibit symptoms.
Over the past two weeks, cluster inflections accounted for 65.1 percent of total infections, with patients with unknown origins accounting for 11.6 percent.
Sporadic cluster infections have shown no signs of a let-up, with most cases traced to small and medium-sized churches in the greater Seoul area.
Infections tied to the Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul have spiked to 319 so far, while cases linked to the Woori Jeil Church in Yongin, south of Seoul, increased to 131. Local authorities have ordered the churches' congregations to take COVID-19 tests.
A total of 13 patients were confirmed in relation to a Starbucks store in Paju, north of Seoul, on Monday, raising the total number of cases tied to the coffee shop to 42.
In the southwestern city of Gwangju, bars and clubs were ordered to shut down for 10 days after 14 cases were reported in relation to a nightlife district in the city.
A Starbucks outlet in Paju, just north of Seoul, is closed on Aug. 16, 2020, after a customer tested positive for COVID-19. (Yonhap)
Seoul and its neighboring area are home to 25 million people.
Sporadic infections have also been reported in recent days from the fast-food franchise Lotteria, an investment company, offices, schools and coffee shops.
South Korea, meanwhile, reported no additional fatalities, keeping the death toll at 305. The fatality rate was 1.99 percent.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 13,917, up seven from the previous day.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-17--Hyundai's Genesis overtakes Mercedes-Benz as top-selling luxury brand in S. Korea

The GV80 boasts semi-autonomous driving and forward collision-avoidance assist-junction turning technology , the latter of which helps prevent collisions with @ @ @ @ @ when turning left at intersections .
It also has electronically controlled suspension with road preview @ @ @ @ @ road conditions ahead using cameras and navigation systems .

SEOUL, Aug. 17 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Co.'s premium Genesis overtook Daimler's Mercedes-Benz as the top-selling luxury brand in the first seven months of this year in South Korea, industry data showed Monday.
If the trend continues, Genesis will regain its top spot in local luxury vehicle sales for the first time in four years.
According to the data, Hyundai sold a total of 60,005 Genesis vehicles in the January-July period in South Korea, up 65 percent from the same period last year,
In comparison, Daimler sold 41,583 Mercedes-Benz vehicles during the seven-month period in South Korea, up 3 percent from the same period last year.
Hyundai launched the Genesis brand in 2015, and the premium brand became the top-selling luxury brand in 2016.
But Mercedes-Benz had unseated Genesis since 2017.
The Genesis brand has gained popularity since Hyundai began selling the GV80 sport utility vehicle in January this year.
Hyundai aims to sell 24,000 GV80 vehicles in South Korea this year.
In the first seven months of this year, Hyundai sold 20,016 GV80 vehicles and is on pace to surpass the sales target.
The GV80 is the fourth model of the Genesis lineup, which is currently composed of the G70, G80 and G90 sedans.
The three-row, rear-wheel-drive SUV is equipped with a 3.0-liter diesel engine and various advanced features for safety and convenience, Hyundai said.
The GV80 boasts semi-autonomous driving and forward collision-avoidance assist-junction turning technology, the latter of which helps prevent collisions with vehicles coming from the front when turning left at intersections. It also has electronically controlled suspension with road preview, alerting the driver to road conditions ahead using cameras and navigation systems.
This photo provided by Hyundai Motor Group shows the front and side of the Genesis GV80 SUV. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-08-17--(LEAD) Virus-infected foreign arrivals required to cover treatment costs

Even under the new policy , South Korea , however , will still exempt all costs for foreigners who are @ @ @ @ @ or foreign residents who are settled here and pay taxes in order to curb community @ @

(ATTN: RECASTS headline; CLARIFIES throughout)
SEOUL, Aug. 17 (Yonhap) -- Foreign arrivals infected with the new coronavirus are required to share the costs of their treatment here from Monday, with those who violate local rules being obligated to fully pay the bill.
Health authorities said they will request COVID-infected foreign arrivals to pay the costs for their medical services if they are found to have violated quarantine rules.
From Aug. 24, the country will charge them a different amount by considering the principle of reciprocity in diplomatic relations, according to the authorities.
South Korea has been providing free medical services to all COVID-19 patients reported here, including foreigners.
People arriving from abroad are guided to undergo quarantine procedures in the arrival hall at Incheon airport, west of Seoul, on Aug. 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
There have been growing calls for foreign arrivals to share the burden, as the prolonged virus pandemic is poised to further burden taxpayers.
South Korea has been cautious about changing its free-of-charge treatment policy due to diplomatic issues.
Even under the new policy, South Korea, however, will still exempt all costs for foreigners who are infected with the virus here or foreign residents who are settled here and pay taxes in order to curb community spread.
Foreigners enrolled in the country's public health care insurance will also be eligible for state support.
The country reported 197 more cases of the new coronavirus on Monday as it battles sporadic outbreaks in Seoul and its neighboring area amid growing fears of resurgence in the greater Seoul area.
The additional COVID-19 cases, including 188 local infections, raised the country's total caseload to 15,515, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Of the new cases, 188 were local transmissions.
sam@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-17--Today in Korean history

Today in Korean history

2018 -- South and North Korea march together at the opening ceremony of the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta .
@ @ @ @ @ Koreas marched together at the opening ceremony for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in South Korea @ @ @ @

Aug. 18
1955 -- South Korea and Japan sever economic ties.
1972 -- Red Cross officials from the two Koreas establish a hotline.
1976 -- North Korean soldiers ax three U.S. military officers to death at the truce village of Panmunjom.
2009 -- Former President Kim Dae-jung, a lifelong campaigner for democracy and inter-Korean peace, dies at Seoul's Severance Hospital after a long battle with pneumonia and related complications.
2010 -- A North Korean jet fighter crashes in a Chinese border area, killing the pilot who may have been attempting to defect to Russia.
2011 -- A Korean War monument is set to be unveiled in Australia.
2013 -- North Korea agrees to hold talks with South Korea for reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War.
2014 -- Pope Francis calls for forgiveness and unity on the Korean Peninsula.
2017 -- An Army soldier is killed and six others injured in an explosion during an artillery firing drill at a front-line unit in Cherwon, just south of the Demilitarized Zone.
2018 -- South and North Korea march together at the opening ceremony of the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta. In February 2018, the Koreas marched together at the opening ceremony for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in South Korea.
(END)


yna--2020-08-17--Seoul church under fire for mass infections, uncooperative response to virus tests

SEOUL, Aug. 17 (Yonhap) -- New coronavirus infections linked to a church in northern Seoul continued to surge on Monday, not only causing concerns over additional cases among its members but also public backlash against the church and its leader against their uncooperative response.
Cases traced to Sarang Jeil Church in the northern ward of Seongbuk reached 315 as of midnight, according to the data by the Seoul city government. The figure is slightly bigger than 312 confirmed by health authorities.
With the latest figure, the church has emerged as the country's second-biggest virus cluster following 5,214 cases associated with Shincheonji, a fringe religious sect that was deemed accountable for mass infections in the southeastern city of Daegu earlier this year.
Despite repeated warnings from the government, members of the church, led by conservative pastor Jun Kwang-hoon, attended a mass Liberation Day rally in central Seoul on Saturday.
Health authorities voiced concern that the number of virus cases tied to the church may further rise as thousands of elderly participants shouted slogans and were in close contact with one another, exposing them to infection risks.
Jun Gwang-hoon, a pastor at Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul, speaks during a mass anti-government rally held in central Seoul on Aug. 15, 2020. (Yonhap)
Thousands of people attend an anti-government rally in central Seoul on Aug. 15, 2020. (Yonhap)
"Of the 4,000 churchgoers whom authorities have identified as of midnight, 3,400 have been placed in quarantine and 2,000 have been screened. Of the total, 312 have tested positive, which translates to a high positive rate of 16.1 percent and calls for swift testing and quarantine," Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip said in a regular press briefing.
Kim urged people who attended the mass rally to visit nearby screening centers to be tested.
"Since the list (of churchgoers) is inaccurate, there are difficulties in tracking down every church member and placing them under quarantine, and there is a considerable number of churchgoers who have not been tested," Kim said. "Those who show respiratory symptoms, such as fever and coughing, after attending the Seoul rally should immediately visit a screening center to be tested."
Public anger over the church and its leader Jun has also mounted, with more than 200,000 people signing an online petition asking the pastor to be detained.
The online petition, first posted on Aug. 15, demands that Jun, who was released on bail, be again detained for "harming society's safety under the mask of religion."
The author criticized how Jun has "wasted" the country's efforts to end the new coronavirus and showed no sign of regretting his action or worrying about the health of churchgoers.
On Sunday, prosecutors asked a local court to revoke the bail granted to Jun. He was indicted in March over allegations of violating the election law and was released the following month on the condition that he does not take part in any rallies related to the pending case.
Jun Kwang-hoon, a conservative pastor who has led anti-government rallies in central Seoul, including one on Liberation Day, attends a court hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul on Aug. 11, 2020. (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-17--S. Korea to offer AI classes as part of regular curriculum in high school

If the ministry 's scheme goes as planned , the courses will likely be adopted in the second semester of @ @ @ @ @ publication and review of new textbooks usually takes up to a year .

SEOUL, Aug. 17 (Yonhap) -- High school students in South Korea will be given the choice to take artificial intelligence classes as early as the second semester of next year, according to the education ministry on Monday.
In an administrative notice, the education ministry announced its plans to introduce two artificial intelligence (AI) courses as electives in the high school curriculum.
This marks the first time the country will adopt AI courses as part of its regular school curriculum.
Under the new scheme, high school students in their second and third grades can choose to take an introductory course on AI or AI mathematics among other elective subjects.
If the ministry's scheme goes as planned, the courses will likely be adopted in the second semester of 2021, considering that the publication and review of new textbooks usually takes up to a year.
First year students will be allowed to sign up for AI classes when they move up to the 11th grade in 2022.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-18--Samsung to support Android OS updates up to 3 generations

`` By supporting up to three generations of Android OS upgrades , we are extending the life cycle of our @ @ @ @ @ promise that we will provide a simple and secure mobile experience that takes advantage of @ @ @ @ @ as they are available . ''

SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. said Tuesday it will offer extended software upgrades for its Galaxy smartphones for up to three device generations as the company vows to improve its after-sales support.
Samsung will guarantee three generations of Android operating system (OS) updates for Galaxy smartphones. It will cover Galaxy S10 and newer smartphones, some Galaxy A series handsets and Galaxy Tab S series tablets.
"As people hold onto their devices for longer, we are working to bring secure protection and exciting new features to the devices already in their hands," said Yoon Jang-hyun, head of the software platform team at Samsung's mobile communications business.
"By supporting up to three generations of Android OS upgrades, we are extending the life cycle of our Galaxy products and making a promise that we will provide a simple and secure mobile experience that takes advantage of the latest innovations as soon as they are available."
Users of the Galaxy S20 series that was launched in February, for instance, can get support for three OS upgrades starting with Android 11.
Samsung said it is "continuously working" with global partners to deliver up-to-date mobile experiences to its Galaxy device users.
This photo taken on Aug. 7, 2020, shows Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy smartphones displayed at a store in Seoul. (Yonhap)
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-18--Memorial service for ex-President Kim Dae-jung held amid virus resurgence

This year 's memorial service for Kim , who served as the nation 's president from 1998-2003 and received the @ @ @ @ @ his efforts to improve inter-Korean relations under the `` sunshine policy , '' was open @ @ @ @ @ invitees due to virus concerns .

SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korea had an official ceremony Tuesday to commemorate former President Kim Dae-jung, who died 11 years ago, with senior government officials and ruling and opposition party leaders in attendance.
The memorial service was held at Seoul National Cemetery in Seoul, where he is entombed, as the country is struggling to curb the rapid spread of the new coronavirus cases.
Participating dignitaries included Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun; National Assembly Speaker Rep. Park Byeong-seug; Lee Hae-chan, chairman of the ruling Democratic Party; and Kim Chong-in, interim leader of the main opposition United Future Party.
This year's memorial service for Kim, who served as the nation's president from 1998-2003 and received the 2000 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to improve inter-Korean relations under the "sunshine policy," was open to a limited number of invitees due to virus concerns.
Politicians present at the ceremony remained masked while being seated apart at arm's length from one another throughout the event.
The National Assembly speaker paid tribute to Kim's dedication as a leading figure behind South Korea's hard-won democratization as well as the national leader who helped lead the country out of the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s.
"Eleven years after his death, history holds the president's excellent leadership in reverence ... even more than while he was alive," Park noted.
Democratic Party Chairman Lee Hae-chan (front) and United Future Party interim leader Kim Chong-in express reverence during a memorial service for former President Kim Dae-jung at Seoul National Cemetery in Seoul on Aug. 18, 2020. (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-18--Defense ministry to ban all service personnel from vacationing, off-base travel over coronavirus

Starting Wednesday , all enlisted soldiers and ranking officers will be banned from vacationing and traveling outside their bases until @ @ @ @ @ , and they will be ordered to cancel all of their official and private gatherings @ @ @ @ @ .

SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- The defense ministry said Monday it is banning all service personnel from leaving their bases for vacation and other purposes as part of efforts to stem the spread of the new coronavirus into the barracks, officials said Tuesday.
Starting Wednesday, all enlisted soldiers and ranking officers will be banned from vacationing and traveling outside their bases until the end of this month, and they will be ordered to cancel all of their official and private gatherings, according to the officials.
The decision was made as South Korea has reported a drastic surge in new COVID-19 infections since late last week. On Tuesday, the country reported 246 additional cases, which is a five-month high. Nearly 1,000 people tested positive over the past five days.
The military also reported two more patients on the day -- an Army soldier stationed in Gapyeong, south of Seoul, and a civilian worker for a military intelligence unit, according to the ministry. The total caseload among the military population now stands at 88.
In this file photo, taken on May 8, 2020, troops board a train at a station in Paju, north of Seoul, as they were allowed to go on vacation after more than two months of restrictions amid fears about the spread of the new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-18--(LEAD) Unification minister to meet U.S. ambassador to discuss inter-Korean cooperation

`` ( Lee ) will explain our government 's stance for improving inter-Korean relations , and I believe the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ cooperation , but there are no set agenda items , so we will have to @ @ @ @ @ , '' a ministry official said .

(ATTN: ADDS comments from ministry official in para 3)
SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- Unification Minister Lee In-young was set to meet the U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Harry Harris on Tuesday, the ministry said.
Lee is likely to discuss South Korea's policies for inter-Korean cooperation during the meeting with Harris. It will mark the minister's first meeting with a foreign envoy since he took office last month.
"(Lee) will explain our government's stance for improving inter-Korean relations, and I believe the U.S. will show support for inter-Korean cooperation, but there are no set agenda items, so we will have to see how the meeting goes," a ministry official said.
Possible topics include Lee's push for "small-scale trade" with the North in humanitarian areas to expand cross-border exchanges, which he has pitched as a "creative" way to avoid violating sanctions against the North.
Lee has argued that "small-scale trade" or bartering rice and medicine from the South for mineral water from Mount Kumgang and Mount Paekdu in the North can also avoid violating sanctions as it does not involve sending "bulk cash" to the North.
The minister earlier said South Korea should pursue inter-Korean humanitarian cooperation independently of the "working group" forum set up to coordinate North Korea policy with the United States but stressed it will continue to maintain communication with the U.S.
New Unification Minister Lee In-young speaks during a meeting of the ministry at the government complex in Seoul on July 28, 2020. Lee took office without a ceremony marking his inauguration. (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-18--(Yonhap Interview) U.N. rapporteur urges Seoul to have more discussions on banning anti-N.K. leaflet

(Yonhap Interview) U.N. rapporteur urges Seoul to have more discussions on banning anti-N.K. leaflets

`` It was clear from the information that they provided to me that only human rights and defector 's organizations @ @ @ @ @ and possible inspections , '' he said .
`` Now I understand that the ministry @ @ @ @ @ to expand the audit to some other organizations . ''

By Koh Byung-joon
SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- The U.N. special rapporteur on North Korea's human rights situation urged South Korea to have more discussions about its push to prohibit the sending of anti-North Korea leaflets across the border, expressing concern it could violate the right to freedom of expression.
Tomas Ojea Quintana made the remark during a recent telephone interview with Yonhap News Agency as South Korea is seeking to legislate a ban on leaflet-sending, saying that it could heighten cross-border tensions and jeopardize the lives of people in border regions. He spoke from Argentina.
"You should know that the international human rights law in tacit terms, very specific terms, recognizes rights of everyone to impart information even across the border," he said during the interview. "It is not a matter of just discretion or point of view from the government."
"I believe that it is under the National Assembly level of South Korea where this has to be discussed and debated among political parties and representatives to what extent the leaflets being sent across the border and other kind of similar practices compromise national security of a country," he added.
Tomas Ojea Quintana, the U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, speaks during a news conference in Seoul on June 21, 2019, wrapping up his five-day trip to Seoul to gather information for a report that he was to submit to the U.N. General Assembly in October. (Yonhap)
The sending of leaflets has emerged as a major source of cross-border tensions since Pyongyang blew up a joint liaison office in its border town of Kaesong in anger over the matter in June. It has demanded the South take all necessary action to ban such activity.
The ministry has said that it could seek to legislate a ban on leafleting and revoked the licenses of two defector groups for their involvement in sending leaflets to the North last month.
Recently, the ministry launched an inspection on dozens of civic groups, including those run by North Korean defectors working for human rights and defector resettlement, setting off speculation that it might be intended to keep a lid on such activity.
The ministry has claimed that the groups subject to the audit were not chosen because they were involved in sending leaflets or defectors. The ministry plans to expand the inspection to include organizations working in other sectors going forward.
Quintana has been critical of the inspection, voicing worries that it could violate human rights. He recently held a video meeting on the matter with a senior unification ministry official to listen to Seoul's explanation and urged the inspection should be carried out in a way that does not undermine their efforts to improve the North's human rights situation.
He recently said that he was considering sending his stance on the matter in a "formal communication" to the ministry that the probe was initiated by a political decision and could violate human rights.
He, however, told Yonhap that the remarks were based on the explanation given by the ministry official during the recent meeting, but he needs more time to analyze latest developments before taking the action.
"It was clear from the information that they provided to me that only human rights and defector's organizations were being subject to audit and possible inspections," he said. "Now I understand that the ministry said that it is going to expand the audit to some other organizations."
"For me, a question, a very important question, is why only these organizations are suddenly, by a political decision made by the government, are being subject to this kind of very complicated and stressful requirement. ... This is my concern. And we are following up on what is happening," he added.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-18--The Korea Interbank Offered Rates (KORIBOR)

SEOUL , Aug. 18 ( Yonhap ) -- The Korea Interbank Offered Rates ( KORIBOR ) as posted by Yonhap @ @ @ @ @ and information arm of Yonhap News Agency , at 11:00 a.m .

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


yna--2020-08-18--(URGENT) Defense ministry bans all enlisted troops from vacationing, off-base travel over coronaviru

(URGENT) Defense ministry bans all enlisted troops from vacationing, off-base travel over coronavirus


yna--2020-08-18--N. Korea accelerates efforts to recover from flood aftermath

North Korea has recently been hit hard by heavy rains in many regions , including rice-producing areas in its southern @ @ @ @ @ Friday that thousands of hectares of crops were damaged by the flood , while at @ @ @ @ @ 630 public buildings were flooded or destroyed across the country .

By Yi Wonju
SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- North Korea is accelerating efforts to recover from flood damage by swiftly mobilizing the army and sending construction equipment and materials to affected regions, state media reported Tuesday.
North Korea has recently been hit hard by heavy rains in many regions, including rice-producing areas in its southern parts. State media reported Friday that thousands of hectares of crops were damaged by the flood, while at least 16,680 homes and around 630 public buildings were flooded or destroyed across the country.
As part of recovery efforts, building materials were promptly dispatched to flood-affected areas in several counties in the Kangwon Province "to push ahead with the decisions made in the politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party," the Rodong Sinmun said.
In the politburo meeting held last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stressed the need to restore the flood-hit areas to ensure that damage from floods or natural disasters is avoided in the future.
"The soldiers and construction workers dispatched to major projects went swiftly to work in response to the Party, as if thunder follows the strike of lightning," the paper said.
The dispatched soldiers accelerated their march to the affected areas despite unfavorable road conditions and immediately went into "combating the recovery," the paper said. Efforts to restore the communications network, electricity and railways are also under way, it added.
The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) also said the country is "taking timely measures to prevent any violations of anti-virus guidelines among the residents in the flood-affected areas and those mobilized for recovery work."
North Korea is vulnerable to flooding due to poor irrigation and deforestation. Last year, a strong typhoon pummeled the North, wreaking havoc on its farming areas. The recent heavy downpours came as the North has been striving to prevent the outbreak of the new coronavirus on its soil.
In this photo, captured from the Korean Central Television Broadcasting Station on Aug. 7, 2020, many houses are damaged and flooded at a flood-ravaged village in Unpha, North Hwanghae Province, which North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited. The broadcaster stopped short of saying when he made the visit, but Kim is believed to have visited the village the previous day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-18--Mass coronavirus outbreak looms amid swelling church cluster infection

In addition to tightening precautionary measures at schools , the education ministry said it plans to strengthen such policy at @ @ @ @ @ For cram schools with 300 or more students , which are currently categorized as high-risk @ @ @ @ @ to suspend their operations if the outbreak shows no signs of letting up two weeks @ @ @

SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- Concerns about infections traced to a church in northern Seoul have fanned fears of a massive outbreak, as cases continued to spread across South Korea at an alarming rate Tuesday.
The country reported 246 more new coronavirus cases, raising its total caseload to 15,761, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The number of new cases identified in the past five days came close to 1,000.
Among the new infections, those linked to Sarang Jeil Church ballooned to 319 in less than a week since the first case was reported on Aug. 12. With the latest figure, it has emerged as the country's second-biggest cluster infection after the fringe religious sect Shincheonji, in which 5,214 were infected.
But the number, which includes cases identified before noon Monday, is feared to further rise. Of the 2,000, or roughly half of the church's 4,000 members who were screened for the new coronavirus, 16 percent have tested positive.
Volunteer workers disinfect streets near Sarang Jeil Church in the northern Seoul ward of Seongbuk on Aug. 17, 2020. (Yonhap)
A view of Sarang Jeil Church in the northern Seoul ward of Seongbuk on Aug. 17, 2020 (Yonhap)
Authorities suspect the clusterinfection has worsened as some church members were in close contact with each other, such as sleeping and eating at the church, and taking part in a mass Liberation Day rally in central Seoul.
The church's pastor, Jun Kwang-hoon, tested positive after joining the weekend anti-government rally along with thousands of people, where they shouted slogans and sat close to one another.
Chain transmissions have already been reported in five major cities and provinces outside of the greater Seoul area. Infections have also been reported at a call center, nursing home, child care center and Severance Hospital, a major general hospital in Seoul, where members of the church visited or worked.
Jun Kwang-hoon, a pastor at Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul, talks on the phone before getting into a car run by a local community center on Aug. 17, 2020. Jun tested positive for the new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
Authorities have started to take measures to brace against chances of another mass outbreak.
Schools in the greater Seoul area were advised to limit student numbers for four weeks starting Tuesday.
Under the plan, kindergartens, elementary and middle schools in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province have to keep the portion of students at in-person classes at one-third of the total or lower, compared with an earlier threshold of two-thirds.
For kindergartens and schools in areas that have been directly affected by the latest infections, classes will run online for the next two weeks.
In addition to tightening precautionary measures at schools, the education ministry said it plans to strengthen such policy at private sector education institutions. For cram schools with 300 or more students, which are currently categorized as high-risk facilities, the ministry plans to suspend their operations if the outbreak shows no signs of letting up two weeks from now.
Entry to the eye hospital at Severance Hospital in the western Seoul neighborhood of Sinchon is restricted on Aug. 18, 2020, after a nurse tested positive for the new coronavirus following a visit to Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul. (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-18--Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin in line for 2nd win of season in vintage performance

The crafty lefty continued to frustrate the Orioles .
There were two groundouts and a lineout in the fifth , @ @ @ @ @ 11 pitches .
Cedric Mullins hit a single to start the sixth , but Ryu @ @ @ @ @ then finally got the better of Santander , who hit into a 6-4-3 double play @

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- In a vintage outing that featured a ton of soft contact and groundouts, Ryu Hyun-jin put himself in line for his second win of the season for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Ryu held the Baltimore Orioles to a run on four hits over six strong innings at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Monday (local time), lowering his ERA from 4.05 to 3.46. He made 86 pitches, 58 for strikes.
Ryu left the game after six innings, and the Blue Jays added a run in the top seventh to open up a 5-1 lead.
In this Getty Images photo, Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches against the Baltimore Orioles in the bottom of the second inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Aug. 17, 2020. (Yonhap)
For the first time in five starts this year, Ryu didn't walk a batter. The renowned control artist had given out nine free passes over his 20 previous innings this season, after giving up just 24 in 182 2/3 innings in 2019.
Ryu entered this contest having allowed just one run over his past two starts, covering 11 innings, with three hits, 15 strikeouts and five walks.
And he continued that solid run against the Orioles, who came in as one of the hottest hitting teams in baseball.
Ryu pitched around a one-out single by Anthony Santander in the first inning, getting his three outs with groundouts.
He retired the side in order in the second, with a pair of groundouts sandwiching an infield popout.
Ryu got his first two strikeouts of the game during the clean third inning, which included yet another groundout.
In this Associated Press photo, Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches against the Baltimore Orioles in the bottom of the first inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Aug. 17, 2020. (Yonhap)
The Blue Jays jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the third. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who led off the inning with a single, came charging home from third on a soft grounder by Cavan Biggio. Then Randal Grichuk followed up with a three-run blast for a 4-0 advantage.
The Orioles responded with a run in the bottom fourth. Santander began the inning with a double off Ryu, and two batters later, Pedro Severino brought him home with a single to left.
Ryu limited further damage by getting Pat Valaika to ground into a 5-4-3 double play.
The crafty lefty continued to frustrate the Orioles. There were two groundouts and a lineout in the fifth, in which Ryu only needed 11 pitches. Cedric Mullins hit a single to start the sixth, but Ryu struck out Hanser Alberto and then finally got the better of Santander, who hit into a 6-4-3 double play.
In this Getty Images photo, Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches against the Baltimore Orioles in the bottom of the first inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Aug. 17, 2020. (Yonhap)
Though Ryu didn't ultimately need it, the Blue Jays added another run in the top seventh. Grichuk picked up his fourth RBI of the game with a bloop single to shallow right field, putting the Jays ahead 5-1.
Ryu's night was done after the bottom sixth, and Rafael Dolis took over to begin the bottom seventh.
None of Ryu's 18 outs left the infield -- 13 groundouts, three strikeouts, one popout and one lineout. The only balls to reach the outfield were the four hits that Ryu allowed.
Earlier Monday, the one other South Korean pitcher in the majors, Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals, made his first major league start against the Chicago Cubs. Kim allowed a run in 3 2/3 innings in a no-decision. This was the first time two South Korean pitchers started on the same day in the majors since April 15, 2007.
In this Getty Images photo, Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches against the Baltimore Orioles in the bottom of the second inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Aug. 17, 2020. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-18--S. Korea, Iran to hold videoconference on expanding humanitarian trade

Korea has pushed to increase humanitarian exports to Iran after the United States gave the green light to such exports @ @ @ @ @ General License No .
8 -- a mechanism to authorize certain humanitarian transactions with Iran @ @ @ @ @ 's central bank subject to sanctions .

SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and Iran were set to hold the first "working group" session on expanding humanitarian trade via video links on Tuesday, the foreign ministry said.
During a high-level videoconference last month, the two countries agreed to launch the working group, as Tehran strives to secure more medicine and medical equipment to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, with U.S. sanctions impeding the efforts.
At Tuesday's session, the two sides plan to discuss priority items to be exported to Iran, trade procedures and how to operate the newly minted dialogue platform, the ministry said.
"Our government will continue smooth cooperation among relevant agencies and active consultations with Iran to support our enterprises seeking to enter the Iranian market for humanitarian items such as medicine and medical equipment," the ministry said in a press release.
South Korean officials from the ministries of foreign affairs, health, finance and industry, as well as from other related agencies, are set to attend the meeting. The Iranian side is expected to include health and food and drug administration officials.
Korea has pushed to increase humanitarian exports to Iran after the United States gave the green light to such exports in April based on its General License No. 8 -- a mechanism to authorize certain humanitarian transactions with Iran even if they involve Iran's central bank subject to sanctions.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-18--Unification minister to meet U.S. ambassador to discuss inter-Korean cooperation

Lee has argued that `` small-scale trade '' or bartering rice and medicine from the South for mineral water from @ @ @ @ @ in the North can also avoid violating sanctions as it does not involve sending `` @ @ @ @ @ North .

SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- Unification Minister Lee In-young was set to meet the U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Harry Harris on Tuesday, the ministry said.
Lee is likely to discuss South Korea's policies for inter-Korean cooperation during the meeting with Harris. It will mark the minister's first meeting with a foreign envoy since he took office last month.
Possible topics include Lee's push for "small-scale trade" with the North in humanitarian areas to expand cross-border exchanges, which he has pitched as a "creative" way to avoid violating sanctions against the North.
Lee has argued that "small-scale trade" or bartering rice and medicine from the South for mineral water from Mount Kumgang and Mount Paekdu in the North can also avoid violating sanctions as it does not involve sending "bulk cash" to the North.
The minister earlier said South Korea should pursue inter-Korean humanitarian cooperation independently of the "working group" forum set up to coordinate North Korea policy with the United States but stressed it will continue to maintain communication with the U.S.
New Unification Minister Lee In-young speaks during a meeting of the ministry at the government complex in Seoul on July 28, 2020. Lee took office without a ceremony marking his inauguration. (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-18--S. Korea mulls tougher anti-virus curbs as cases spike

Alarmed by a resurgence of infections in recent days , the government raised the level of social distancing in Seoul @ @ @ @ @ one notch to Level 2 in the three-tier system for two weeks from Sunday .

SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will consider imposing tougher virus containment measures and movement restrictions, as the nation is battling its worst virus crisis in about four months, the health minister said Tuesday.
Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said the government will take legal measures unless patients comply with self-quarantine rules.
"Health authorities will review stepped-up measures because the current situation is grave," Park said.
South Korea reported 246 more cases of the new coronavirus Tuesday as it struggles to contain sporadic outbreaks in Seoul and the neighboring area amid growing fears of a resurgence in the greater Seoul area.
It marked a three-digit number for the fifth straight day. Over the past five days, the number of newly confirmed patients stood at 991.
Infections linked to religious activities in Seoul and the neighboring area have caused secondary transmissions in other regions, Park said.
"At this stage, the most important thing is a swift testing," Park said.
Visitors wait to receive new coronavirus tests at a makeshift clinic in Seoul on Aug. 17, 2020. (Yonhap)
With the number of patients jumping in the greater capital area, there are concerns over a possible shortage in hospital beds.
Health authorities have been making preparations to supply more hospital beds for patients in critical conditions, Park said.
Alarmed by a resurgence of infections in recent days, the government raised the level of social distancing in Seoul and the neighboring areas by one notch to Level 2 in the three-tier system for two weeks from Sunday.
But health authorities are concerned about further spread of the virus out of the capital area.
Jeong Eun-kyeong, head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Monday that the virus clusters linked to religious activities have spread around the nation "at a terrific speed."
Health authorities assessed that the current situation is in an "early stage of large-scale community outbreaks," Jeong said.
(END)


yna--2020-08-18--S. Korea to share election experience during pandemic with American countries

Wednesday 's meeting , in particular , is expected to be useful to some South American countries , such as @ @ @ @ @ , as they are going to hold presidential or general elections in the coming months @ @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will hold a virtual meeting this week with North and South American countries to share its experience and know-how in controlling the coronavirus pandemic during an election period, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.
The videoconference, slated for Wednesday, will bring together officials of South Korea's foreign ministry, the National Election Commission and members of the Organization of American States (OAS), the ministry said in a release.
The OAS is a regional cooperation group consisting of 35 states in North and South America, established to promote cooperation and solidarity. South Korea has been a permanent observer to the OAS since 1981.
In the meeting, South Korea will introduce the quarantine direction and measures it took around the April 15 general elections to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It also plans to make suggestions for virus control to OAS member states based on the countries' virus outbreak situations.
South Korea's response system against the novel virus has gained international recognition after many countries, including the United States, lauded the system as a global model as Seoul managed to flatten the virus curve in the early stage of the pandemic without a lockdown or border closure.
Wednesday's meeting, in particular, is expected to be useful to some South American countries, such as Bolivia, Chile and Peru, as they are going to hold presidential or general elections in the coming months, the ministry said.
Seoul has hosted a series of such virtual sessions since April for more than 110 foreign countries to share its experience in battling the pandemic.
The file photo taken April 15, 2020, shows a voter under self-isolation due to her new coronavirus-like symptoms casting her ballot in the general elections at a polling station in Sejong, central South Korea, on April 15, 2020, amid the outbreak of the new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-18--(LEAD) New virus cases jump back to above 200; tougher measures eyed in greater Seoul area

`` The current situation is so grave that we have to consider adopting tougher ( infection preventive ) measures .
@ @ @ @ @ said in a pan-government meeting on infection prevention .
`` Anyone in the capital city @ @ @ @ @ infected , and it is worrisome that the virus outbreak may spread across the country @ @

(ATTN: ADDS details throughout; CHANGES photos)
SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- The number of daily new virus cases in South Korea bounced back sharply Tuesday as infections linked to churches in the capital city showed no signs of a slowdown. The country may adopt tougher virus-preventive measures in the greater Seoul area currently dogged by a series of cluster infections.
The country reported 246 more COVID-19 cases, including 235 local infections, raising the country's total caseload to 15,761, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
It marked a three-digit number for the fifth straight day, following 166 more infections on Saturday and 103 Friday.
On Sunday, South Korea reported a whopping 279 new daily infections, marking the first time since early March that the figure surpassed 200. The figure fell back to 197 on Monday.
The country added nearly 1,000 cases over the past five days.
A medical staff member checks the temperature of a visitor at a makeshift clinic in Seoul on Aug. 18, 2020. (Yonhap)
Of the newly identified local infections, a total of 131 cases were reported from the capital city of Seoul, and 52 from the surrounding Gyeonggi Province.
Incheon, just west of Seoul, added 18 more cases.
Infections tied to the Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul have spiked to 319 as of Monday noon, while cases linked to the Woori Jeil Church in Yongin, south of Seoul, increased to 131.
A total of 13 patients were confirmed from a Starbucks store in Paju, north of Seoul, on Monday, raising the total number of cases tied to the coffee shop to 42.
South Korea, which never imposed a draconian lockdown, has been seeking to curb the spread of the virus while maintaining most business and daily activities.
Due to the spike in the new virus cases, however, health authorities decided to raise the level of social distancing in Seoul and the neighboring areas by one notch to Level 2 in the three-tier system for two weeks from Sunday.
The scheme will still allow South Koreans to maintain most of their daily routines, but gatherings of more than 100 people will be banned. Sports events will be banned from having spectators.
Health authorities said they may further adopt tougher social distancing rules unless the pace of new infections in the Seoul metropolitan area, which houses around half of the nation's population, reaches a manageable level this week.
"The current situation is so grave that we have to consider adopting tougher (infection preventive) measures." Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said in a pan-government meeting on infection prevention. "Anyone in the capital city and neighboring areas can be infected, and it is worrisome that the virus outbreak may spread across the country."
Officials disinfects Yoido Full Gospel Church in western Seoul on Aug. 18, 2020. (Yonhap)
Should the highest level of distancing rules be imposed, gatherings of more than 10 people will be banned. South Koreans will then face the most intense restrictions in their everyday lives since the country detected its first COVID-19 case on Jan. 20.
Health authorities are concerned over the latest spike in the number of cases traced to churches, as it resembles that of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a minor religious sect, which was the epicenter of the country's first wave of the virus outbreak.
Thousands of followers, most of whom were from its branch in the southeastern city of Daegu, were infected with the virus. Due to the cluster infections, the country's new daily virus cases peaked at 909 on Feb. 29.
South Korea, meanwhile, reported one more death, raising the toll to 306. The fatality rate came to 1.94 percent.
The country added just 11 imported cases on Tuesday, with France accounting for two cases. There were also infections among arrivals from the United States, the Philippines, Pakistan, and Ethiopia.
South Korea, which has a population of roughly 51 million, carried out 1,697,042 tests since Jan. 3.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 13,934, up 17 from the previous day.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-18--(LEAD) IT firms return to remote working amid 'second wave' coronavirus fears

`` There has been no confirmed case among our employees .
The decision is part of a precautionary measure and @ @ @ @ @ for now , '' said a company official who asked not to be named .

(ATTN: ADDs paras 11-13 for more info)
SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- An increasing number of South Korean tech companies began to allow their employees to work from home again as a precautionary measure amid the resurgence of novel coronavirus infections, industry officials said Tuesday.
On Sunday, the government raised social distancing in Seoul and its neighboring areas by one notch to Level 2 in the three-tier system for two weeks. On Tuesday, the country reported 246 new confirmed cases, raising the country's total caseload to 15,761.
A man gets tested for the new coronavirus at a makeshift testing center set up in the northeastern Seoul ward of Seongbuk on Aug. 17, 2020, amid growing fears over the resurgence of the virus in the greater Seoul area. (Yonhap)
Social distancing refers to a series of tactics designed to keep people from gathering in large crowds, including working from home, canceling school and avoiding in-person meetings.
Major large IT firms, many of which briefly adopted teleworking and a flexible working scheme in late February, started allowing their employees to work from home again, the officials said.
Kakao Corp., the operator of South Korea's leading mobile messaging app Kakao Talk, said all its employees have been allowed to work from home starting from last Friday.
"There has been no confirmed case among our employees. The decision is part of a precautionary measure and will be carried out indefinitely for now," said a company official who asked not to be named.
The company first adopted the remote working system in late February and returned to the normal scheme on July 7.
The country's top internet portal operator Naver Corp. also began partial work-from-home arrangements starting last week.
Employees only need to show up for work at the office for two days and work at their home for another four days, officials said.
Gaming giant Nexon Co. also said it will begin partial work-from-home arrangements, ordering its employees to show up at office only two days a week.
Leading mobile carrier SK Telecom Co. said it is enforcing a remote-work system until Aug. 23 due to the recent social distancing measure. This is the third time the telecom operator has employed the policy since February.
Local rival KT Corp. has also adopted a partial work-from-home policy until Aug. 23.
The precautionary measures come as the two telecom operators have previously reported infections in their headquarters buildings in central Seoul.
This undated photo shows the headquarters of the country's top internet portal operator Naver Corp. (Yonhap)
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-18--New virus cases jump back to above 200; tougher measures eyed in greater Seoul area

SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- The number of daily new virus cases in South Korea bounced back sharply Tuesday as infections linked to churches in the capital city showed no signs of a slowdown. The country may adopt tougher virus-preventive measures in the greater Seoul area currently dogged by a series of cluster infections.
The country reported 246 more COVID-19 cases, including 235 local infections, raising the country's total caseload to 15,761, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
It marked a three-digit number for the fifth straight day, following 166 more infections on Saturday and 103 Friday.
On Sunday, South Korea reported a whopping 279 new daily infections, marking the first time since early March that the figure surpassed 200. The figure fell back to 197 on Monday.
The country added nearly 1,000 cases over the past five days.
Of the newly identified local infections, a total of 131 cases were reported from the capital city of Seoul, and 52 from the surrounding Gyeonggi Province.
Incheon, located just west of Seoul, added 18 more cases.
Infections tied to the Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul have spiked to 319 as of Monday noon, while cases linked to the Woori Jeil Church in Yongin, south of Seoul, increased to 131.
A medical worker at a makeshift clinic in Seoul takes a break while standing next to a fan on Aug. 17, 2020. (Yonhap)
A total of 13 patients were confirmed from a Starbucks store in Paju, north of Seoul, on Monday, raising the total number of cases tied to the coffee shop to 42.
South Korea, which never imposed a draconian lockdown, has been seeking to curb the spread of the virus while maintaining most business and daily activities.
Due to the spike in the new virus cases, however, health authorities decided to raise the level of social distancing in Seoul and the neighboring areas by one notch to Level 2 in the three-tier system for two weeks from Sunday.
The scheme will still allow South Koreans to maintain most of their daily routines, but gatherings of more than 100 people will be banned. Sports events will be banned from having spectators.
Health authorities said they may further adopt tougher social distancing rules unless the pace of new infections in the Seoul metropolitan area, which houses around half of the nation's population, reaches a manageable level this week.
"The current situation is so grave that we have to consider adopting tougher (infection preventive) measures." Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said in a pan-government meeting on infection prevention. "Anyone in the capital city and neighboring areas can be infected, and it is worrisome that the virus outbreak may spread across the country."
Should the highest level of distancing rules be imposed, gatherings of more than 10 people will be banned. South Koreans will then face the most intense restrictions in their everyday lives since the country detected its first COVID-19 case on Jan. 20.
Health authorities are concerned over the latest spike in the number of cases traced to churches, as it resembles that of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a minor religious sect, which was the epicenter of the country's first wave of the virus outbreak.
Thousands of followers, most of whom were from its branch in the southeastern city of Daegu, were infected with the virus. Due to the cluster infections, the country's new daily virus cases peaked at 909 on Feb. 29.
South Korea, meanwhile, reported one more death, raising the toll to 306.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 13,934, up 17 from the previous day.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-18--(URGENT) 17 more patients released from coronavirus treatment, total now at 13,934: KCDC


yna--2020-08-18--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 1 additional coronavirus death, death toll at 306: KCDC


yna--2020-08-18--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 246 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 15,761: KCDC


yna--2020-08-18--(LEAD) Michelle Obama says Trump had U.S. turn its back on alliances

`` Because when we go low , when we use those same tactics of degrading and dehumanizing others , we @ @ @ @ @ ugly noise that 's drowning out everything else , '' she said Monday .

(ATTN: RECASTS last para to correct the Republican National Convention will be held from next Monday instead of Friday as sent)
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- Former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama on Monday lashed out at U.S. President Donald Trump for undermining her country's longstanding relations with its allies.
"Internationally, we have turned our back, not just on agreements forged by my husband, but on alliances championed by presidents like Reagan and Eisenhower," Obama said in a speech delivered at the Democratic National Convention.
This captured image from Yonhap News TV shows former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama speaking during the 2016 Democratic National Convention. (Yonhap)
Obama did not mention any country by name, but South Korea is a key U.S. ally.
Trump is currently pushing for a sharp spike in the amount of money paid by South Korea under a cost-sharing scheme to maintain U.S. troops in South Korea that many critics believe may weaken the Korea-U.S. alliance.
Her remarks also came hours after Trump called the South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement, signed and implemented by her husband Barack Obama, a "horrible" deal.
"A total catastrophe for Korea. The Korean deal was horrible. We renegotiated it. Now it's a really great deal for us," Trump said while visiting Wisconsin, the host state of the virtual Democratic National Convention that will end Thursday.
The Korea-U.S. FTA was renegotiated and revised in 2018, under which South Korea agreed to double to 50,000 the number of U.S. vehicles entering its market each year that do not have to comply with its local industry regulations.
The revised deal also allowed the U.S. to hold on to its 25 percent import tariffs on Korean-made pickup trucks for another 20 years until 2041.
The former first lady became an iconic speaker in the 2016 presidential election when she said, "When they go low, we go high."
She said going high is still the only way that works.
"Because when we go low, when we use those same tactics of degrading and dehumanizing others, we just become part of the ugly noise that's drowning out everything else," she said Monday.
The Democratic National Convention will end Thursday when Joe Biden is set to accept his party's nomination for the November election.
The Republican Party is set to hold a four-day national convention, starting from next Monday.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-18--New vice FM stresses foreign ministry's role in ensuring people's safety

Seoul-Tokyo ties have been at one of their lowest ebbs since Japan 's toughening of export restrictions against South Korea @ @ @ @ @ apparent retaliation over Seoul 's attitude on the issue of compensating Korean victims of Japan @ @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- Choi Jong-kun, the new first vice foreign minister, said in his inaugural address Tuesday that the foreign ministry should shoulder "unlimited" responsibility to ensure people's safety.
Last week, President Moon Jae-in named Choi, former secretary for peace planning at the presidential national security office, to the post in charge of the country's bilateral ties with other nations.
"When it comes to nationals' safety, the foreign ministry should shoulder unlimited responsibility," Choi said.
"At a time when non-conventional security issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, threaten people's daily lives, we are facing demand for practical diplomacy and diplomacy for the people," he noted.
Choi will face daunting tasks of finding ways to resolve complicated bilateral issues with the United States and Japan.
Defense cost-sharing negotiations between Seoul and Washington have been deadlocked for months amid U.S. demands for a significant hike in South Korea's contribution to the cost of stationing 28,500 American troops here.
Seoul-Tokyo ties have been at one of their lowest ebbs since Japan's toughening of export restrictions against South Korea in July last year in apparent retaliation over Seoul's attitude on the issue of compensating Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor.
This file photo shows Choi Jong-kun, who has been named vice foreign minister. (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-08-18--(LEAD) Amid coronavirus surge, 3 more KBO clubs to play home games without fans

Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province were placed under stricter social distancing guidelines Saturday , joined the following day by @ @ @ @ @ second-largest city .
Five KBO clubs in those areas -- Doosan Bears , LG Twins @ @ @ @ @ , KT Wiz in Suwon , Gyeonggi Province , and Lotte Giants in Busan -- @ @ @ @ @ until further notice .

(ATTN: CHANGES headline, lead; UPDATES throughout with latest announcements; ADDS photos)
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- In response to a nationwide spike in coronavirus cases, three more baseball clubs announced Tuesday they'll join six others in playing home games without fans.
On Tuesday alone, the Hanwha Eagles, the NC Dinos and the Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said they'll play upcoming home games behind closed doors.
The Eagles are based in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, while the Dinos are in Changwon and the Lions are in Daegu, 400 kilometers and 300 kilometers southeast of the capital, respectively.
In this file photo from Aug. 5, 2020, fans attend a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game between the home team Hanwha Eagles and the NC Dinos at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province were placed under stricter social distancing guidelines Saturday, joined the following day by Busan, the country's second-largest city. Five KBO clubs in those areas -- Doosan Bears, LG Twins and Kiwoom Heroes in Seoul, KT Wiz in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, and Lotte Giants in Busan -- will play before empty seats until further notice.
And on Sunday, the SK Wyverns decided to close their home park in Incheon, just west of Seoul, for their six-game homestand this week.
Daejeon, Changwon and Daegu aren't subject to stricter measures being implemented in the capital region, but the the three teams there took a preemptive step in trying to prevent further spread.
The Eagles said the metropolitan government of Daejeon asked for the ball club's support in strengthening prevention and control measures for COVID-19.
A Korea Baseball Organization regular season game between the home team LG Twins and the Kia Tigers is being played without fans at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on Aug. 18, 2020. (Yonhap)
The Dinos had fans in the stands for Tuesday's game against the Heroes, but kept cheerleaders off stage. Changwon NC Park will be closed for Wednesday's game.
The Dinos said their action was in response to the neighboring city of Busan being placed under tougher social distancing guidelines.
The Lions also played Tuesday's game with fans in the seats at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, but the stands will be empty Wednesday.
South Korea reported 246 new cases Tuesday, with 235 of them being local infections.
Tuesday's development leaves the Kia Tigers, based in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul, as the lone KBO club not to have closed doors to fans. The Tigers are playing in Seoul Tuesday and Wednesday, and have a two-game series at home on Thursday and Friday.
Stands at Sajik Stadium in Busan, 450 kilometers south of Seoul, remain empty for a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game between the home team Lotte Giants and the Doosan Bears on Aug. 18, 2020. (Yonhap)
The KBO season began on May 5, rather than the originally scheduled March 28, because of the COVID-19 outbreak, and teams didn't have fans in the seats until July 26 -- at 10 percent of the stadium capacity, at that.
Then starting last week, the cap on the crowd size was raised to 25 percent. It barely lasted a week, though, as the nation braces itself for a new wave of infections.
In this file photo from July 27, 2020, fans attend a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game between the home team Hanwha Eagles and the SK Wyverns at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-08-18--Medical students threaten collective actions against gov't plan to increase admission quota

As part of the country 's medical workforce reform plan , the health ministry is planning to expand admission quotas @ @ @ @ @ over the next 10 years , starting in 2022 , and to open a new @ @ @ @ @ seeks to broaden the reach of health care services .

SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- Medical students across the country decided Tuesday to boycott the state licensing exam and school classes in protest of the government's plan to increase the number of medical students.
The Korean Medical Student Association said it has approved proposals for the collective actions following a survey of its members conducted over the weekend.
The group said 81.5 percent of applicants for the state qualification exam for medical practitioners are in favor of the boycott. The test is scheduled for Sept. 1.
It added 91.3 percent of respondents said they support the proposal for a collective leave of absence from classes.
"The planned collective actions could damage students and disrupt medical services. Nevertheless, students are willing to endure such damage," the group said.
As part of the country's medical workforce reform plan, the health ministry is planning to expand admission quotas at medical schools by 4,000 over the next 10 years, starting in 2022, and to open a new public medical school as it seeks to broaden the reach of health care services.
This will increase the number of students admitted annually to medical schools to 3,458 in the 2022-2031 period from the current 3,058, according to the plan.
The Korea Association of Medical Colleges, a group of 40 medical colleges and schools nationwide, called on medical students to ditch plans for collective actions.
"It is the time to postpone talks over the sensitive medical policy and instead protect people from the COVID-19 pandemic at a time when the new coronavirus is fast spreading in the greater Seoul area," the association said in a statement.
To protest the government's plan, trainee doctors and doctors staged strikes earlier this month, spawning concerns over possible disruption of the health care system during the pandemic.
Trainee doctors, such as interns and resident doctors, threaten to stage an indefinite strike on a staggered basis starting Friday.
Members of the Korea Medical Association gather in Seoul on Aug. 14, 2020, in protest of the government's medical reform plan. (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-08-18--(2nd LD) Unification minister calls for upgrading Korea-U.S. working group to 'Version 2.0'

`` Although the working group has received positive feedback on one hand for its effective discussions in terms of sanctions @ @ @ @ @ mention that there was criticism that it has served as a hindrance to inter-Korean relations @ @ @ @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout as meeting begins; CHANGES photo)
By Yi Wonju
SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- Unification Minister Lee In-young called Tuesday for efforts with the United States to upgrade the joint "working group" forum on North Korea policy so as to help move inter-Korean relations forward.
Lee made the case during a meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Harry Harris, stressing that the operation and functions of the working group should be upgraded in a way that "facilitates the development of inter-Korean relations and Korean Peninsula peace policy," according to Lee's office.
The minister said it's time to improve the forum to "Working Group Version 2.0."
"I believe we must restart inter-Korean dialogue and push ahead with cooperation in the humanitarian field ... and small-scale trade as the recent stalemate between the two Koreas and between North Korea and the U.S. has protracted," Lee told Harris before the closed-door meeting.
"Although the working group has received positive feedback on one hand for its effective discussions in terms of sanctions, I would like to mention that there was criticism that it has served as a hindrance to inter-Korean relations," he said.
Harris emphasized the working group has served as an "efficient mechanism."
"As a closest friend and ally of the ROK, the U.S. strongly supports inter-Korean cooperation and finding ways to do so through the working group, as this plays an important role in creating a more secure and stable environment," Harris said.
Harris added that he looks "forward to understanding more fully the parameters of working group 2.0."
South Korea and the United States set up the working group in November 2018 to coordinate their approaches on the North's denuclearization, humanitarian aid, sanctions enforcement and inter-Korean relations.
North Korea has lambasted the working group as a hindrance to progress in inter-Korean relations. Some critics in Seoul also say it has served as a roadblock in seeking cross-border exchanges and cooperation, citing projects that run counter to global sanctions.
Tuesday's meeting was Lee's first with Harris since he took office last month.
The two sides could have also discussed Lee's push for small-scale trade with the North in humanitarian areas to expand cross-border exchanges, which he has pitched as a "creative" way to avoid violating sanctions against the North.
Lee has argued that "small-scale trade" or bartering rice and medicine from the South for mineral water from Mount Kumgang and Mount Paekdu in the North can also avoid violating sanctions as it does not involve sending "bulk cash" to the North.
The minister earlier said South Korea should pursue inter-Korean humanitarian cooperation independently of the "working group" forum set up to coordinate North Korea policy with the United States but stressed it will continue to maintain communication with the U.S.
Unification Minister Lee In-young (R), South Korea's point man for inter-Korean relations, holds talks with U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris at Lee's office in Seoul on Aug. 18, 2020. (Yonhap)
Unification Minister Lee In-young (R), South Korea's point man for inter-Korean relations, bumps elbows with U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris during their meeting at Lee's office in Seoul on Aug. 18, 2020. (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)