yna--2020-03-03--Renault Samsung to launch XM3 SUV next week

The XM3 SUV , which hits the domestic market on Monday , comes in two versions , one with a @ @ @ @ @ a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and the other with a 1.6-liter gasoline engine and a continuously @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement .

SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- Renault Samsung Motors Corp., the South Korean unit of Renault S.A., said Tuesday it will launch its all-new XM3 sport utility vehicle next week to revive lackluster sales.
The XM3 SUV, which hits the domestic market on Monday, comes in two versions, one with a 1.3-liter gasoline turbo engine and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and the other with a 1.6-liter gasoline engine and a continuously variable transmission, the company said in a statement.
The TCe 260 engine for the 1.3-liter model and the GTe engine for the 1.6 model have been jointly developed by Renault and Daimler Automotive Group, it said.
The models sell at the starting price of 17 million won (US$14,300), with the prices going up to 25 million won depending on options.
Renault Samsung's sales fell 34 percent to 90,591 vehicles in 2019 from 137,208 units a year earlier due to a lack of new models and labor disputes affecting production.
From January to February, its sales plunged 48 percent to 13,290 units from 25,414 in the same period a year earlier.
The company's current lineup includes the SM3 compact, the all-electric SM3 Z.E. sedan, the QM3 small SUV, and the SM5, SM6 and SM7 sedans.
Renault has an 80 percent stake in Renault Samsung.
This photo provided by Renault Samsung shows the XM3 SUV. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


KOSPI 2,051.85 UP 49.34 points (open)

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


KOSDAQ 641.65 UP 13.99 points (open)


Tuesday's weather forecast

SEOUL , March 3 ( Yonhap ) -- The following is the weather forecast for South Korea 's 12 major @ @ @ @ @ .


yna--2020-03-03--Dollar opens at 1,191.5 won DN from 1,193.7 won


yna--2020-03-03--(LEAD) S. Korean airports begin coronavirus screenings on U.S.-bound travelers

`` South Korea , actually , about three hours ago fully implemented the screening on all direct flights at all @ @ @ @ @ .
`` And as I mentioned , within the next 12 hours or so , @ @ @ @ @ same thing .
It will be multiple temperature checks in the airports for people before @ @ @ @ @ we 're working very closely to assist them in implementing that . ''

(ATTN: UPDATES with Pence's remarks, other details from para 6)
By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, March 2 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said Monday that all airports in South Korea have begun coronavirus screenings on travelers taking direct flights to the United States.
Pence said the screenings began "three hours ago" and involve multiple temperature checks on the passengers before they board. He spoke during a White House briefing to provide an update on the U.S. response to the coronavirus outbreak.
This AFP photo shows U.S. Vice President Mike Pence (R) speaking during a press briefing at the White House in Washington on March 2, 2020. White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Ambassador Debbie Birx looks on. (Yonhap)
Italy, another country hit hard by the virus, will also begin screenings "within the next 12 hours," according to Pence.
The precautionary measure for South Korea comes after the country reported 4,335 infections and 28 deaths as of Monday.
Pence said President Donald Trump authorized the State Department on Saturday to raise the travel advisory for South Korea's hardest-hit city of Daegu to the highest level.
"The American people should know that we are saying that they should not travel to certain sections of Italy or South Korea," he said. "Those advisories may expand, but we'll allow the caseload in those countries to define that."
The rest of South Korea is currently under the second-highest travel advisory, which urges Americans to reconsider travel.
Pence said the screening protocol will "ensure that anyone traveling on a direct flight to the United States of America receives multiple screenings at all airports in Italy and South Korea."
"South Korea, actually, about three hours ago fully implemented the screening on all direct flights at all airports," he added. "And as I mentioned, within the next 12 hours or so, Italy will have implemented the same thing. It will be multiple temperature checks in the airports for people before they are boarding. And we're working very closely to assist them in implementing that."
The U.S. has been toughening its response to COVID-19 as the number of infections in the country grows. Four additional deaths linked to the virus were reported Monday, bringing the total to six.
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-03--PGA Tour winner Im Sung-jae reaches No. 25 in world rankings

The 2018-2019 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year also climbed to third on the money list with $ 3.22 million @ @ @ @ @ FedEx Cup standings with 1,268 points .

SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- On the strength of his first PGA Tour title, South Korean Im Sung-jae has broken into the top 30 in the world rankings for the first time.
Im, who captured the Honda Classic in Florida at the weekend, jumped nine spots to reach No. 25 in the latest world rankings announced Monday (in U.S. time).
Im's previous career high was No. 32.
In this EPA photo, Im Sung-jae of South Korea holds the champion's trophy after winning the Honda Classic at PGA National Resort and Spa Champion course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, on March 1, 2020. (Yonhap)
The 21-year-old rallied from a three-shot deficit in the final round to win the Honda Classic by one stroke over Mackenzie Hughes of Canada and take home US$1.26 million. It was Im's 50th career PGA start.
The 2018-2019 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year also climbed to third on the money list with $3.22 million and to second on the FedEx Cup standings with 1,268 points.
Im is the top South Korean on the men's rankings. An Byeong-hun, who tied for fourth at the Honda Classic, moved up from 52nd to 47th.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-03--(LEAD) Korea's consumer prices up 1.1 pct on-year in Feb.

The statistics agency said the new coronavirus outbreak was having a limited impact on some sectors .
International airfares fell @ @ @ @ @ a month earlier due to a sharp decline in air travel demand over the coronavirus @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES with details in paras 3, 7-8)
SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's headline inflation rose 1.1 percent in February from a year earlier, marking an increase of over 1 percent for the second straight month, the statistics agency said Tuesday.
The inflation rate in Asia's fourth-largest economy increased 1.5 percent in January, the highest in 14 months, Statistics Korea said.
South Korea's headline inflation was below 1 percent every month in 2019.
Core inflation, which excludes agricultural and petroleum products, increased 0.6 percent from a year earlier.
Utility prices rose 1.6 percent on-year in February, while the prices of agricultural, livestock and fisheries products went up 0.3 percent, the data showed.
Last year, Korea's consumer prices climbed 0.4 percent on-year, the slowest growth since 1965.
The statistics agency said the new coronavirus outbreak was having a limited impact on some sectors. International airfares fell 4.2 percent in February from a month earlier due to a sharp decline in air travel demand over the coronavirus outbreak.
The virus known as COVID-19 has killed 28 people and infected more than 4,300 people in South Korea.
Flower prices declined 11.8 percent in February from a month earlier due to the cancellation of commencement ceremonies over the coronavirus outbreak, according to the statistics agency.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-03--Korea's consumer prices up 1.1 pct on-year in Feb.

Utility prices rose 1.6 percent on-year in February , while the prices of agricultural , livestock and fisheries products went @ @ @ @ @ data showed .

SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's headline inflation rose 1.1 percent in February from a year earlier, the statistics agency said Tuesday.
The inflation rate in Asia's fourth-largest economy increased 1.5 percent in January, the highest in 14 months, Statistics Korea said.
Core inflation, which excludes agricultural and petroleum products, increased 0.6 percent from a year earlier.
Utility prices rose 1.6 percent on-year in February, while the prices of agricultural, livestock and fisheries products went up 0.3 percent, the data showed.
Last year, Korea's consumer prices climbed 0.4 percent on-year, the slowest growth since 1965.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-03--(LEAD) Korea's Q4 economic expansion faster than expected, annual growth unchanged

`` On the expenditure side , while the growth of government consumption continued and the contraction of construction investment moderated @ @ @ @ @ and private consumption slowed and facilities investment declined by a larger amount compared to the @ @ @ @ @ BOK said in a press release .

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details, additional information from 4th para)
SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's economy grew slightly faster than expected in the fourth quarter of 2019, although this had no effect on the overall economic expansion for last year, central bank data showed Tuesday.
Asia's fourth-largest economy grew 1.3 percent in the fourth quarter from three months earlier, 0.1 percentage point higher than earlier expected, according to preliminary data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).
The country's annual growth, however, remained unchanged at 2 percent.
This undated file photo shows containers carrying export goods in the southeastern city of Busan, South Korea's largest seaport. (Yonhap)
The annual growth was the slowest in a decade, caused largely by a lengthy trade dispute between the United States and China, the world's largest importers of South Korean goods.
South Korea posted an on-year drop in exports each and every month last year.
"On the expenditure side, while the growth of government consumption continued and the contraction of construction investment moderated, the growth of exports and private consumption slowed and facilities investment declined by a larger amount compared to the previous year," the BOK said in a press release.
In 2019, gross domestic product (GDP) by the construction industry dipped 3.0 percent from a year earlier while GDP by the manufacturing sector added only 1.4 percent over the cited period.
Government consumption jumped 6.5 percent on-year, while private spending gained 1.9 percent.
Meanwhile, the BOK said the country's gross national income (GNI) increased 0.3 percent in 2019 from a year earlier, the slowest growth since 1998, when its GNI plunged 7.7 percent on-year in the midst of the 1997 Asian financial crisis.
"Real GNI rose by 0.3 percent as the terms of trade worsened due to factors such as a decrease in semiconductor prices, although real gross domestic product and real net factor income from the rest of the world increased," said the press release.
In terms of U.S. dollar value, however, the country's per capita income came to US$32,047, down 4.1 percent, or $5,309, from a year earlier.
The central bank largely blamed the strengthening of the U.S. greenback, which traded at an average 1,165.7 won per dollar last year, sharply up 5.9 percent from 1,100.3 won per dollar in 2018.
The South Korean economy was earlier projected to grow 2.3 percent this year, but the BOK has revised down its growth outlook to 2.1 percent, citing the crippling effects of the new coronavirus outbreak.
South Korea had reported 4,335 confirmed infection cases with 28 deaths as of Monday.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-03--(LEAD) BTS' 'ON' debuts at career-best 4th on Billboard Hot 100 singles chart

`` Now with three Hot 100 top 10s , BTS boasts the most of any K-pop act , besting rapper @ @ @ @ @ two , '' Billboard said .
PSY 's `` Gangnam Style '' peaked at No @ @ @ @ @ 100 in 2012 and `` Gentleman '' reached as high as fifth the next year @

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout)
SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- "ON," the lead track of BTS' new album, debuted at 4th on the Hot 100 singles chart this week, the highest rank for any BTS song, Billboard said Monday (U.S. time).
"BTS scores its third and highest-peaking Hot 100 top 10, and the highest-charting song ever for a K-pop group, as 'On' roars in at No. 4," Billboard said, announcing the weekly chart dated March 7.
It is BTS' first top five hit on the highly competitive singles chart and the band's third top 10 entry.
"Boy With Luv," the main track of the band's previous album, "Map of the Soul: Persona" peaked at 8th on the Hot 100 in April last year, and "Fake Love" from "Love Yourself: Tear" landed at No. 10 on the chart in 2018.
"Now with three Hot 100 top 10s, BTS boasts the most of any K-pop act, besting rapper Psy, who has tallied two," Billboard said. PSY's "Gangnam Style" peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 in 2012 and "Gentleman" reached as high as fifth the next year.
The singles chart dated March 7 was topped by "The Box" by Roddy Ricch for the eighth week.
The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming, radio airplay and sales data. The latest results will be posted in full on the Billboard website on Tuesday (U.S. time).
"ON" also topped the Digital Song Sales chart for this week with 86,000 downloads, Billboard said, adding that it marks "BTS' best sales week for a song and the strongest for any title since Taylor Swift's 'Me!,' featuring Brendon Urie," which recorded 193,000 in May 2019.
The singles chart result follows another record-breaking performance by "7," which debuted atop the Billboard 200 albums charts, BTS' fourth No. 1 on the chart.
An image of BTS, provided by Big Hit Entertainment (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-03--Korea's Q4 economic expansion faster than expected, annual growth unchanged

SEOUL , March 3 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korea 's economy grew slightly faster than expected in the fourth @ @ @ @ @ this had no effect on the overall economic expansion for last year , central bank @ @ @ @

SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's economy grew slightly faster than expected in the fourth quarter of 2019, although this had no effect on the overall economic expansion for last year, central bank data showed Tuesday.
Asia's fourth-largest economy grew 1.3 percent in the fourth quarter from three months earlier, 0.1 percentage point higher than earlier expected, according to preliminary data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).
The country's annual growth, however, remained unchanged at 2 percent.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-03--(3rd LD) Virus fatalities mostly elderly patients with underlying diseases

The cases of COVID-19 confirmed on Tuesday brought the nation 's total number of infections to 5,186 as of 4:00 @ @ @ @ @ , according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( KCDC ) .
@ @ @ @ @ Tuesday in the southeastern city of Daegu , the epicenter of virus outbreak here .

(ATTN: UPDATES with latest tally in para 2, throughout)
SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- Most victims of the novel coronavirus quickly spreading across South Korea were elderly people with preexisting health issues and special care is necessary to reduce further virus-related fatalities, health authorities here said Tuesday.
The cases of COVID-19 confirmed on Tuesday brought the nation's total number of infections to 5,186 as of 4:00 p.m., with 31 deaths, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Three additional deaths were reported Tuesday in the southeastern city of Daegu, the epicenter of virus outbreak here.
The last 10 deaths occurred during treatment at hospitals in Daegu or in surrounding North Gyeongsang Province, officials said. All the victims had preexisting illnesses and were in their 60's to 80's.
Work to transport patients with minor COVID-19 symptoms to a makeshift treatment center is under way in Daegu on March 3, 2020, as beds at hospitals in the novel coronavirus-hit city are occupied amid the sharp increase of patients. (Yonhap)
KCDC data showed that the mortality rate of COVID-19 patients aged 80 or older was 5.4 percent, compared with an average mortality rate of 0.6 percent.
"Those at most risk are people older than 65 years old with preexisting diseases and the mortality rate for them is exceptionally high," KCDC Director-General Jeong Eun-kyeong told reporters.
The KCDC said the underlying diseases in 31 death cases vary. Among them are cancer, kidney failure and diabetes, and most of the deceased suffered from at least one preexisting ailment, sometimes two.
Of the 31 deaths, 11 were in aged in their 70's, seven in their 60's and six in their 80's, according to the KCDC.
The country's third COVID-19-related death -- of a man in his 40s in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province -- was the only one involving no underlying health issues, according to the agency.
The KCDC said more than 80 percent of coronavirus cases are not severe and can be fully cured.
To minimize deaths from the virus, the KCDC revised guidelines to allow critically ill patients to be swiftly treated in so-called negative-pressure rooms at hospitals starting Monday.
Thus far, virus patients with mild or moderate symptoms had also been allowed to receive treatment at such facilities, which are designed to prevent infectious diseases from spreading within hospitals.
Patients with mild or moderate symptoms will be admitted to state-run isolation facilities, according to the KCDC.
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-03--(6th LD) S. Korea's virus cases near 5,200; President Moon declares war on virus

Virus cases in Busan rose by two to 90 , with 31 patients linked to a Christian church in the @ @ @ @ @ patients linked to Shincheonji .
The 31 patients of the Oncheon church in Busan are @ @ @ @ @ three-day retreat that ended on Feb. 17 , officials said .
It is still unclear @ @ @ @ @ the virus .

(ATTN: UPDATES with latest death toll in para 4)
SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus caseload approached 5,200 on Tuesday, with an alarming cluster of infections continuing to swell in the southeastern city of Daegu. President Moon Jae-in declared a "war" on the fast-spreading virus.
The 374 new cases, which were identified over the past 16 hours on Tuesday, brought the nation's total number of infections to 5,186, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
Tuesday's additional cases followed 600 new cases on Monday and the nation's sharpest daily spikes of 1,062 on Sunday and 813 on Saturday.
So far, 31 people, mostly patients with underlying illnesses, have died in South Korea from the respiratory virus that emerged in China late last year. Daegu, the epicenter of the virus outbreak here, reported three more deaths from the virus on Tuesday.
The KCDC said 56.1 percent of confirmed cases nationwide have been linked to a branch of the Shincheonji religious sect in Daegu, the country's fourth-largest city with a population of 2.5 million.
The justice ministry said last week that some members of the religious group visited the Chinese city of Wuhan, the global epicenter of the virus.
Graduates from the Korea Armed Forces Nursing Academy receive education on the new coronavirus at the institution in the central city of Daejeon on March 2, 2020. Seventy-five new officers from the school are set to be sent to Daegu on March 3. (Yonhap)
Of the new 600 cases detected on Monday, 520 are in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, and 61 are in neighboring North Gyeongsang Province, according to the KCDC. The total number of cases in Daegu and North Gyeongsang stood at 3,601 and 685, respectively.
"The crisis in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province reached its peak, and the whole country has entered a war against the infectious disease," Moon said in a meeting with masked Cabinet ministers and senior health officials.
Moon ordered all of the government's organizations to shift to a "24-hour emergency situation room system," citing the need to bolster readiness to handle quarantine and economy-related measures.
Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip told reporters that authorities will expand virus tests on ordinary citizens in Daegu as they have completed tests on Shincheonji followers who have shown symptoms.
Kim said the top priority of testing in Daegu shifted from Shincheonji followers to ordinary citizens to curb the spread of the virus.
According to the central government and Daegu city, about 2,300 confirmed cases in Daegu were tied to Shincheonji. So far, about 11,000 ordinary citizens in Daegu have undergone tests and 1,300 have tested positive for the virus.
The number of Daegu's virus patients who are not tied to the religious sect has been on the rise, Kim said, adding that the spread of the virus in Daegu has reached a "certain level" of community transmission.
"There is a need for us to expand tests on ordinary citizens in Daegu because confirmed cases among ordinary citizens are not small," Kim said.
The government will set up more isolation facilities in Daegu by early next week to admit some 2,000 virus patients, Kim said.
Kim renewed calls for citizens to increase their "social distancing," wash their hands with soap and avoid crowded places, saying, "The first-line of defense depends on people."
Kim noted that it is difficult to judge whether the virus is spreading faster to other regions as about 90 percent of confirmed cases have been in Daegu and North Gyeongsang.
A medical worker collects a sample from a citizen in a car at a drive-through clinic in front of Seoul Olympic Main Stadium on March 3, 2020, to test for the new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
Aside from Daegu and North Gyeongsang, cases of community spread with unknown origins are gradually on the rise. Seoul's confirmed cases rose by seven to 98, with 14 cases linked to Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital in the Eunpyeong district.
Virus cases in Busan rose by two to 90, with 31 patients linked to a Christian church in the Dongnae district and another nine patients linked to Shincheonji. The 31 patients of the Oncheon church in Busan are tied to the church's three-day retreat that ended on Feb. 17, officials said. It is still unclear how they were infected with the virus.
In the central cities of Cheonan and Asan, 55 of the total 81 patients came from a Zumba dance class in Cheonan, officials said.
Still, it is unclear how the virus began spreading at Shincheonji's Daegu branch.
KCDC Deputy Director Kwon Jun-wook told reporters that two Shincheonji followers visited Wuhan "after January" and that one of them tested positive for the virus in late February. China imposed a lockdown on Wuhan on Jan. 23.
It is difficult to judge whether the Shincheonji follower may have affected mass infections at the Daegu branch because most Shincheonji patients developed symptoms from Feb. 7-10 or Feb. 14-18, Kwon said.
South Korea has tested more than 120,000 people so far as part of the government's aggressive response to swiftly intercept the virus and isolate the sick. Kwon said there is "no problem" in the supply of test kits.
Since raising the virus alert level to "red," the highest level, on Feb. 23, health authorities have focused on halting the spread of the virus in Daegu, the epicenter of the virus outbreak here, and North Gyeongsang Province.
Experts said the number of confirmed cases is expected to increase in the coming days as health authorities have begun testing more than 210,000 members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus at the center of the rapid spread in other provinces.
After the first outbreak on Jan. 20 in South Korea, the pace of infections had not been alarming until Feb. 18, when a 61-year-old woman who is tied to the Daegu religious sect tested positive for the virus.
Since then, the nation has seen an explosion in infections as it has accelerated virus tests on potential cases.
People form a long line outside a department store in Seoul on March 3, 2020, to purchase face masks amid concern over the spread of the new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
South Korea has released 34 fully recovered novel coronavirus patients from hospitals as of Monday at midnight, up 3 from a day earlier, the KCDC said.
The number of people being checked for the virus and under quarantine came to 35,555, it added. The country has tested a total of 121,039 suspected cases, with 85,484 testing negative.
Currently, there is no evidence that the new coronavirus is airborne. The World Health Organization said the virus is transmitted through droplets or close contact. The best measures to protect yourself from the virus are to wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds and avoid mass gatherings, health officials said.
To help raise awareness of the virus among foreigners in South Korea, Arirang TV and the state-run Korea Culture and Information Service (KOCIS) said they are offering simultaneous English-language translation services on daily media briefings by health authorities via Arirang TV's YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/arirang) and the website of KOCIS (www.korea.net).
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-03--(2nd LD) 89 countries, regions restricting entry of people from S. Korea over coronavirus fears

As of 3 p.m. , 37 countries and regions plan to ban or were barring the entry of travelers who @ @ @ @ @ past two weeks , while 52 countries and regions , including China , prepared or @ @ @ @ @ or recommendations for them , according to the foreign ministry .

(ATTN: UPDATES figures in para 3, ADDS details in last 2 paras)
By Song Sang-ho
SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- A total of 89 countries and regions are planning or imposing entry bans or quarantine procedures on visitors from South Korea on Tuesday, despite Seoul's push to curb what it calls excessively restrictive measures.
As of 3 p.m., 37 countries and regions plan to ban or were barring the entry of travelers who have visited Korea in the past two weeks, while 52 countries and regions, including China, prepared or were carrying out quarantine programs or recommendations for them, according to the foreign ministry.
The number of COVID-19 infections in South Korea has risen to 5,186 with 28 deaths as the country accelerates what it terms a "transparent and open" testing process in its all-out campaign to stem the virus.
On Tuesday, the Pacific island country of Nauru banned the entry of foreigners who have visited South Korea, China, Italy and other virus-hit regions in the past three weeks.
Nepal announced a plan to stop issuing arrival visas for foreigners from South Korea and other countries, starting Tuesday next week.
On Tuesday, the Maldives started to ban the entry of people who have visited South Korea's southeastern city of Daegu and adjacent regions, the site of most of the country's infections. But it decided not to impose the entry ban on those from Seoul or the surrounding Gyeonggi Province.
The number of Chinese provinces and cities that have instituted quarantine programs for people from Korea decreased by one to 13, as the ministry delisted Beijing on the grounds that only some residential complexes were conducting their own quarantine measures rather than the municipality enforcing it officially.
Britain now recommends self-quarantine for people who have traveled to most of South Korea in the last two weeks, should they have mild symptoms of the virus. Earlier, the country recommended self-quarantine only for visitors from Daegu and the nearby county of Cheongdo.
Moscow currently requires a 14-day self-quarantine for both Russians and foreigners who have arrived in the capital aboard flights from South Korea. The country's far eastern island of Sakhalin has also enforced quarantine measures for those from Korea and other virus-affected countries.
The United States has not yet implemented entry restrictions. But passengers on flights bound for the U.S. are to undergo temperature checks before boarding.
Meanwhile, the Philippines, which earlier decided to ban its people from visiting South Korea, decided to lift the restriction, except for Daegu and surrounding North Gyeongsang Province, according to its Department of Foreign Affairs.
The entry ban on people who have visited the area, however, is still in effect, it added.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-03--Hyundai unveils designs of EV concept 'Prophecy'

The Prophecy stands out as it ditches the steering wheel in favor of joysticks , which are designed for a @ @ @ @ @ autonomous technology is not available .

SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's biggest carmaker, on Friday unveiled the design of its all-electric concept car, Prophecy, as it strives to strengthen its lineup.
The concept car adopts the carmaker's next-generation design direction, Sensuous Sportiness, which is defined by the harmony among four fundamental elements in vehicle design -- proportion, architecture, styling and technology, the company said in a statement.
This photo provided by Hyundai Motor shows the exterior design of the Prophecy EV concept. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The Prophecy stands out as it ditches the steering wheel in favor of joysticks, which are designed for a driver to take over when autonomous technology is not available.
Hyundai said swapping the wheel for joysticks is convenient for the driver and passengers.
Hyundai originally planned to release details about the new electric model at the Geneva International Motor Show, scheduled to be held in Palexpo, Switzerland, from March 7-17.
But the motor show was cancelled due to growing concerns over the spreading coronavirus.
Hyundai has applied the new design language to the face-lifted model of the sixth-generation Grandeur that was launched in November 2016 and the new Sonata sedan launched in March last year.
This photo provided by Hyundai shows the interior design of the Prophecy EV concept. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-03--(LEAD) N.K. trying to seal off border coastal county from outside contact over coronavirus concerns

`` Strong efforts are under way to completely seal off and block ( the county ) from outside contact at @ @ @ @ @ in what is believed to be a reference to efforts to stop the virus from @ @ @ @ @ contact with Chinese fishing boats .

(ATTN: ADDS details in last 2 paras)
SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- North Korea is trying to seal off a western coastal county and surrounding waters frequented by Chinese fishing boats from outside contact in an effort to prevent the new coronavirus from spreading into the country, a state media outlet said Tuesday.
Meari, one of the North's propaganda websites, said that the risk of COVID-19 entering through the county of Kangryong, located just north of the western inter-Korean sea border, is greater than in any other region due to its geographical characteristics.
"Strong efforts are under way to completely seal off and block (the county) from outside contact at sea," Meari said in what is believed to be a reference to efforts to stop the virus from spreading into the country through contact with Chinese fishing boats.
North Korea has not reported any cases of COVID-19 infection since it first broke out in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late December, but it has taken various precautionary measures against the virus to prevent its outbreak.
The move is seen as part of the North's stepped-up efforts to prevent the virus from entering the country.
Last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presided over a politburo meeting of the ruling party, instructing officials to "seal off all the channels and space through which the infectious disease may find its way, and strengthen checkups, tests and quarantines."
Since late January, North Korea has closed all ports of entry by land, sea and air as part of its efforts to block the COVID-19 virus from entering the country.
Concerns are lingering that North Korea could be vulnerable as it shares a long and porous border with China and lacks key medical supplies and infrastructure to test and treat infected people.
North Korea, meanwhile, has put at least 7,000 people under quarantine to prevent the new coronavirus from spreading into the country, Seoul's spy agency told lawmakers.
"While North Korea has not yet confirmed the outbreak in the country, South Korea is closely monitoring the situation as people are put under quarantine in Gangwon and Pyongan Provinces," Rep. Lee Eun-jae of the main opposition United Future Party said, quoting the National Intelligence Service as having said during a parliamentary session.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presides over a politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party to discuss coronavirus prevention measures in this photo captured from the website of the North's Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Feb. 29, 2020. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-03--N. Korea quarantines over 7,000 over coronavirus: Seoul's spy agency

`` While North Korea has not yet confirmed the outbreak in the country , South Korea is closely monitoring the @ @ @ @ @ under quarantine in Gangwon and Pyongan Provinces , '' Rep. Lee Eun-jae of the main @ @ @ @ @ , quoting the National Intelligence Service as having said during a parliamentary session .

SEOUL, March 4 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has put at least 7,000 people under quarantine to prevent the new coronavirus from spreading into the country, Seoul's spy agency told lawmakers Tuesday.
"While North Korea has not yet confirmed the outbreak in the country, South Korea is closely monitoring the situation as people are put under quarantine in Gangwon and Pyongan Provinces," Rep. Lee Eun-jae of the main opposition United Future Party said, quoting the National Intelligence Service as having said during a parliamentary session.
"There are possibilities that North Koreans who visited China before the borders were closed may have been infected with the virus," Lee added.
Pyongyang has imposed restrictions on cross-border travel since late January as part of stepped-up preventive efforts against COVID-19, which originated in neighboring China.
North Korea, meanwhile, released diplomats residing in the country from a one-month quarantine on Monday, and plans to assign a flight to Vladivostok for them on Friday despite the lockdown on land and air travels.
The spy agency also believes Pyongyang fired two projectiles into the East Sea on Monday to avoid the impression that its military training has been contracted due to the COVID-19 epidemic, Lee said.
(END)


yna--2020-03-03--N.K. trying to seal off border coastal county from outside contact over coronavirus concerns

SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- North Korea is trying to seal off a western coastal county and surrounding waters frequented by Chinese fishing boats from outside contact in an effort to prevent the new coronavirus from spreading into the country, a state media outlet said Tuesday.
Meari, one of the North's propaganda websites, said that the risk of COVID-19 entering through the county of Kangryong, located just north of the western inter-Korean sea border, is greater than in any other region due to its geographical characteristics.
"Strong efforts are under way to completely seal off and block (the county) from outside contact at sea," Meari said in what is believed to be a reference to efforts to stop the virus from spreading into the country through contact with Chinese fishing boats.
North Korea has not reported any cases of COVID-19 infection since it first broke out in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late December, but it has taken various precautionary measures against the virus to prevent its outbreak.
The move is seen as part of the North's stepped-up efforts to prevent the virus from entering the country.
Last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presided over a politburo meeting of the ruling party, instructing officials to "seal off all the channels and space through which the infectious disease may find its way, and strengthen checkups, tests and quarantines."
Since late January, North Korea has closed all ports of entry by land, sea and air as part of its efforts to block the COVID-19 virus from entering the country.
Concerns are lingering that North Korea could be vulnerable as it shares a long and porous border with China and lacks key medical supplies and infrastructure to test and treat infected people.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presides over a politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party to discuss coronavirus prevention measures in this photo captured from the website of the North's Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Feb. 29, 2020. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-03--(LEAD) S. Korea prepares over 10 tln-won extra budget bill against coronavirus: minister

While South Korea earlier said it will distribute 50 percent of production to state-run retail platforms to cope with the @ @ @ @ @ said the government is considering increasing the quota as well .

(ATTN: ADDS details in last 7 paras)
SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is preparing an extra budget bill worth more than 10 trillion won (US$8.37 billion) to help fight against the new coronavirus, the finance minister told a parliamentary session Tuesday.
Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki added that the outbreak of COVID-19 may undercut the country's economic growth by 0.2 percentage point this year.
"(The outbreak) will probably have a negative impact on gross domestic product (GDP) in the first quarter and on this year's overall growth rate," Hong said at a parliamentary interpellation session.
The fast spread of the coronavirus is widely expected to put downward pressure on South Korea's economy.
Last week, the Bank of Korea cut its growth estimate for this year to 2.1 percent from 2.3 percent forecast three months earlier, citing the impact of the coronavirus.
To minimize the economic fallout of the virus outbreak, the government is preparing a supplementary budget and will submit the related bill to the National Assembly on Thursday.
Hong earlier said the envisioned extra budget would be larger than 6.2 trillion won, the amount of fiscal spending included in the 2015 extra budget to cope with the MERS outbreak.
The government has rolled out emergency measures totaling 20 trillion won to cushion the impact of the virus outbreak.
"Together with the extra budget, the government expects expansionary fiscal spending worth 30 trillion won," Hong said.
Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki speaks at a parliamentary interpellation session on March 3, 2020. (Yonhap)
Amid the growing number of infections here, Hong also vowed to expand the supply of protective masks as demand has been running high over past weeks, with many citizens forming long lines to purchase them at local stores.
"We plan to provide some 130 million protective masks for those in the low-income bracket," Hong said.
South Korea is planning to increase the daily output of masks to at least 13 million units from the current 10 million, he added.
To further increase the supply, South Korea may also consider importing masks from other countries, including Brazil and South Africa.
While South Korea earlier said it will distribute 50 percent of production to state-run retail platforms to cope with the soaring demand here, Hong said the government is considering increasing the quota as well.
The extra budget will also reflect the country's efforts to beef up its medical infrastructure against infectious diseases, the minister said.
South Korea's new coronavirus cases approached 5,200 on Tuesday.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-03--Gilead's remdesivir to be used to treat coronavirus patients in S. Korea

So far , most COVID-19 patients have been given treatments to relieve their symptoms while severe patients were given a @ @ @ @ @ Kaletra , an anti-retroviral medication that was developed by global pharmaceutical firm AbbVie Inc. and @ @ @ @ @ .

SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- Glead Sciences' experimental antiviral drug remdesivir is expected to be used to treat patients infected with the novel coronavirus in South Korea as part of a trial, drug industry sources said Tuesday.
Remdesivir, an investigational medication developed by U.S. pharmaceutical giant Gilead Sciences Inc., was previously tested against the Ebola virus. The drug has shown efficacy in COVID-19 patients in other countries on a trial basis as there is no specific treatment.
The sources said Gilead Sciences has been granted approval from local drug authorities to begin phase-three clinical trials of remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19 in adult patients.
The approval by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety came only four days after the application.
"Experimental drugs under clinical trial are sometimes granted approval for usage in cases where diseases are life-threatening and there is no other treatment option," a ministry official said on condition of anonymity.
A health worker checks his protective glasses before starting his work in Daegu on March 1, 2020. (Yonhap)
Remdesivir, currently under clinical trials in several countries, such as China, the epicenter of the outbreak, the United States and Japan, has not been fully approved by any country.
The ministry also allowed a locally-developed antiviral drug called Virus Suppressing Factor (VSF) to treat COVID-19 patients at the request of Seoul National University Hospital.
COVID-19 patients will be administered with a therapy called HzVSFv13, an injection-type of VSF developed by mid-sized bio firm ImmuneMed.
So far, most COVID-19 patients have been given treatments to relieve their symptoms while severe patients were given a combination of flu medicine and Kaletra, an anti-retroviral medication that was developed by global pharmaceutical firm AbbVie Inc. and is used to treat HIV.
The public health agency earlier announced a proposed protocol, which advises doctors to administer Kaletra twice a day to elderly patients and those who show severe symptoms of the coronavirus.
The 374 new cases, which were identified over the past 16 hours on Tuesday, brought the nation's total number of infections to 5,186. Tuesday's additional cases followed 600 new cases as of end-Monday, the nation's sharpest daily spikes of 1,062 as of end-Sunday and 813 as of end-Saturday.
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-03--(2nd LD) Seven sailors wounded in grenade explosion on Navy vessel

Two were wounded seriously , though the injuries are not life-threatening , while five others sustained light wounds , the @ @ @ @ @ been sent to nearby hospitals , it added .

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead with latest update; ADDS more details throughout; CHANGES photo)
BUSAN/SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- A grenade exploded on a Navy vessel during a maritime firing drill off the southern coast on Tuesday, wounding seven sailors, two of them seriously, the Navy said.
The explosion occurred for unidentified reasons at around 12:20 p.m. on the 130-ton Chamsuri-class patrol killer boat affiliated with the Third Fleet in waters near Geoje Island, according to the Navy.
Two were wounded seriously, though the injuries are not life-threatening, while five others sustained light wounds, the Navy said. All have been sent to nearby hospitals, it added.
"The Navy immediately halted all firing drills on and off shore, and is conducting an investigation into what caused the accident. We will then seek preventive measures," the Navy said in a release.
Around 30 sailors were on the patrol boat at the time of the accident for a drill "necessary for the maintenance of the vessel and readiness posture," according to a naval officer.
A military officer enters a hospital in Busan, South Korea, on March 3, 2020, where wounded sailors were transferred after a grenade explosion on a Navy patrol boat off the southern coast. (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-03--(LEAD) Midfielder Lee Chung-yong signs with K League's Ulsan, ends Europe stint

After coming agonizingly close to a title last year -- they were in first place heading into the season finale @ @ @ @ @ their first championship since 2005 -- Ulsan have made some significant moves to serve notice @ @ @ @ @ league that they 'll be contending again .
Before Lee , Ulsan also acquired playmaking @ @ @ @ @ team starting goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo .

(ATTN: CHANGES headline, lead; ADDS photo; UPDATES throughout with final deal)
SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- After plying his trade in Europe for more than a decade, South Korean midfielder Lee Chung-yong is coming home.
Ulsan Hyundai FC of the K League 1 announced Tuesday they have signed Lee to "the largest contract in club history." Financial terms were not disclosed, though the deal will reportedly run for three seasons.
Earlier in the day, Ulsan said they had reached an agreement with Lee's former German club, VfL Bochum, to bring the 31-year-old back to the South Korean circuit. He went through his medical test before the deal could be finalized.
South Korean midfielder Lee Chung-yong poses in his new Ulsan Hyundai FC uniform on March 3, 2020, in this photo provided by the K League 1 club. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"I am pleased to join a team that has set such a clear goal of winning a championship," said Lee, who arrived back from Germany on Monday. "I was excited just to be preparing to return to the K League. I decided to sign with Ulsan because of their continued interest and support."
Lee made his professional debut with another K League club, FC Seoul, in 2004 as a teenager. He began his European career by signing with the Premier League club Bolton Wanderers in 2009.
Lee then moved to another Premier League side, Crystal Palace, in February 2005. And after the 2017-2018 season, Lee signed with VfL Bochum in the second-tier 2. Bundesliga. His contract was to run through the end of the current season, but Ulsan agreed to pay an undisclosed amount of transfer fee to pluck the midfielder off Bochum's roster.
Lee has appeared in 89 games for South Korea and represented the country at the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup.
After coming agonizingly close to a title last year -- they were in first place heading into the season finale but a loss cost them their first championship since 2005 -- Ulsan have made some significant moves to serve notice to the rest of the league that they'll be contending again. Before Lee, Ulsan also acquired playmaking midfielder Yoon Bitgaram and national team starting goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo.
South Korean midfielder Lee Chung-yong poses in his new Ulsan Hyundai FC uniform on March 3, 2020, in this photo provided by the K League 1 club. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Ulsan must pay FC Seoul a fee for signing Lee. When the player left FC Seoul, it was on the condition that Lee must first negotiate with the team if he wanted to return to the K League, and any other K League team that signs him had to pay FC Seoul.
A similar agreement proved to be the deal breaker when Lee's former FC Seoul teammate, Ki Sung-yueng, sought to rejoin the team last month. After his initial talks with FC Seoul fell through, Ki negotiated with another K League team, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. But Jeonbuk balked at paying FC Seoul for acquiring Ki, who ended up signing with Spanish club RCD Mallorca.
In this file photo from March 22, 2019, Lee Chung-yong of South Korea celebrates his goal against Bolivia in a men's friendly football match at Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan, 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-03--(LEAD) Key spring blossom festivals canceled over coronavirus outbreak

The decision came as South Korea is struggling to contain the spread of COVID-19 .
Schools have delayed the opening @ @ @ @ @ Protestant and Catholic churches have suspended their Sunday services to prevent further virus infections .

(ATTN: UPDATES with latest data in 6th para)
SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- A string of blossom festivals that symbolize the onset of spring in South Korea have been canceled this year amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak here.
The city of Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, said last week that it will cancel this spring's Jinhae Gunhangje Festival, originally set to begin on March 27.
It was the first cancellation of the festival, one of the biggest spring outdoor events in South Korea, in its 58-year history.
Featuring blooming cherry trees in the city and a string of military ceremonies hosted by the Navy's Jinhae naval base, the festival draws up to 4 million visitors from in and outside the country every year.
The decision came as South Korea is struggling to contain the spread of COVID-19. Schools have delayed the opening of the new semester and Protestant and Catholic churches have suspended their Sunday services to prevent further virus infections.
As of Tuesday, South Korea's confirmed coronavirus cases reached 5,186.
"We decided that the top priority should be on protecting the lives and safety of the citizens as well as a prompt termination of the spread of COVID-19," Changwon Mayor Huh Sung-moo said.
This image shows a street packed with visitors in Jinhae during the Jinhae Gunhangje Festival in 2019. (Yonhap)
Another major cherry blossom fair, Jeju Cherry Blossom Festival, has been canceled for 2020 due to the coronavirus.
The festival annually blocks car traffic on the resort island's cherry tree-lined streets for tourists coming to savor one of the earliest cherry blooms in the country.
According to the Korea Tourism Organization, the Jeju festival will skip this year's event due to concerns about coronavirus infections.
Infection concerns also led to the cancellation of the Gurye Sansuyu Festival, normally hosted by Gurye county, South Jeolla Province, every March.
Taking place in the hot springs resort area of Mount Jiri, the festival features yellow cornelian cherry flowers, called "sansuyu" in Korean, as well as art performances and fireworks.
An image of tourists during the Gurye Sansuyu Festival in March 2019. (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-03--(5th LD) S. Korea's virus cases near 5,200; President Moon declares war on virus

(ATTN: UPDATES with KCDC's latest toll in paras 1-3; AMENDS 7th para, headline)
SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus caseload approached 5,200 on Tuesday, with an alarming cluster of infections continuing to swell in the southeastern city of Daegu. President Moon Jae-in declared a "war" on the fast-spreading virus.
The 374 new cases, which were identified over the past 16 hours on Tuesday, brought the nation's total number of infections to 5,186, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
Tuesday's additional cases followed 600 new cases on Monday and the nation's sharpest daily spikes of 1,062 on Sunday and 813 on Saturday.
So far, 28 people, mostly patients with underlying illnesses, have died in South Korea from the respiratory virus that emerged in China late last year. Daegu, the epicenter of the virus outbreak here, reported one more death from the virus earlier in the day, but the new death was not included in an official update.
The KCDC said 56.1 percent of confirmed cases nationwide have been linked to a branch of the Shincheonji religious sect in Daegu, the country's fourth-largest city with a population of 2.5 million.
The justice ministry said last week that some members of the religious group visited the Chinese city of Wuhan, the global epicenter of the virus.
Graduates from the Korea Armed Forces Nursing Academy receive education on the new coronavirus at the institution in the central city of Daejeon on March 2, 2020. Seventy-five new officers from the school are set to be sent to Daegu on March 3. (Yonhap)
Of the new 600 cases detected on Monday, 520 are in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, and 61 are in neighboring North Gyeongsang Province, according to the KCDC. The total number of cases in Daegu and North Gyeongsang stood at 3,601 and 685, respectively.
"The crisis in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province reached its peak, and the whole country has entered a war against the infectious disease," Moon said in a meeting with masked Cabinet ministers and senior health officials.
Moon ordered all of the government's organizations to shift to a "24-hour emergency situation room system," citing the need to bolster readiness to handle quarantine and economy-related measures.
Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip told reporters that authorities will expand virus tests on ordinary citizens in Daegu as they have completed tests on Shincheonji followers who have shown symptoms.
Kim said the top priority of testing in Daegu shifted from Shincheonji followers to ordinary citizens to curb the spread of the virus.
According to the central government and Daegu city, about 2,300 confirmed cases in Daegu were tied to Shincheonji. So far, about 11,000 ordinary citizens in Daegu have undergone tests and 1,300 have tested positive for the virus.
The number of Daegu's virus patients who are not tied to the religious sect has been on the rise, Kim said, adding that the spread of the virus in Daegu has reached a "certain level" of community transmission.
"There is a need for us to expand tests on ordinary citizens in Daegu because confirmed cases among ordinary citizens are not small," Kim said.
The government will set up more isolation facilities in Daegu by early next week to admit some 2,000 virus patients, Kim said.
Kim renewed calls for citizens to increase their "social distancing," wash their hands with soap and avoid crowded places, saying, "The first-line of defense depends on people."
Kim noted that it is difficult to judge whether the virus is spreading faster to other regions as about 90 percent of confirmed cases have been in Daegu and North Gyeongsang.
A medical worker collects a sample from a citizen in a car at a drive-through clinic in front of Seoul Olympic Main Stadium on March 3, 2020, to test for the new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
Aside from Daegu and North Gyeongsang, cases of community spread with unknown origins are gradually on the rise. Seoul's confirmed cases rose by seven to 98, with 14 cases linked to Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital in the Eunpyeong district.
Virus cases in Busan rose by two to 90, with 31 patients linked to a Christian church in the Dongnae district and another nine patients linked to Shincheonji. The 31 patients of the Oncheon church in Busan are tied to the church's three-day retreat that ended on Feb. 17, officials said. It is still unclear how they were infected with the virus.
In the central cities of Cheonan and Asan, 55 of the total 81 patients came from a Zumba dance class in Cheonan, officials said.
Still, it is unclear how the virus began spreading at Shincheonji's Daegu branch.
KCDC Deputy Director Kwon Jun-wook told reporters that two Shincheonji followers visited Wuhan "after January" and that one of them tested positive for the virus in late February. China imposed a lockdown on Wuhan on Jan. 23.
It is difficult to judge whether the Shincheonji follower may have affected mass infections at the Daegu branch because most Shincheonji patients developed symptoms from Feb. 7-10 or Feb. 14-18, Kwon said.
South Korea has tested more than 120,000 people so far as part of the government's aggressive response to swiftly intercept the virus and isolate the sick. Kwon said there is "no problem" in the supply of test kits.
Since raising the virus alert level to "red," the highest level, on Feb. 23, health authorities have focused on halting the spread of the virus in Daegu, the epicenter of the virus outbreak here, and North Gyeongsang Province.
Experts said the number of confirmed cases is expected to increase in the coming days as health authorities have begun testing more than 210,000 members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus at the center of the rapid spread in other provinces.
After the first outbreak on Jan. 20 in South Korea, the pace of infections had not been alarming until Feb. 18, when a 61-year-old woman who is tied to the Daegu religious sect tested positive for the virus.
Since then, the nation has seen an explosion in infections as it has accelerated virus tests on potential cases.
People form a long line outside a department store in Seoul on March 3, 2020, to purchase face masks amid concern over the spread of the new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
South Korea has released 34 fully recovered novel coronavirus patients from hospitals as of Monday at midnight, up 3 from a day earlier, the KCDC said.
The number of people being checked for the virus and under quarantine came to 35,555, it added. The country has tested a total of 121,039 suspected cases, with 85,484 testing negative.
Currently, there is no evidence that the new coronavirus is airborne. The World Health Organization said the virus is transmitted through droplets or close contact. The best measures to protect yourself from the virus are to wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds and avoid mass gatherings, health officials said.
To help raise awareness of the virus among foreigners in South Korea, Arirang TV and the state-run Korea Culture and Information Service (KOCIS) said they are offering simultaneous English-language translation services on daily media briefings by health authorities via Arirang TV's YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/arirang) and the website of KOCIS (www.korea.net).
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-03--(LEAD) One Shincheonji follower tested positive for virus in Feb. after visiting Wuhan: KCDC

`` We are looking into two cases of Shincheonji followers who have visited Wuhan since January , '' Kwon Jun-wook @ @ @ @ @ Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( KCDC ) , said during a press @ @ @ @ @ them has proved not to be a patient , while the other was confirmed to @ @ @ @ @ close to the end of February . ''

(ATTN: UPDATES with latest coronavirus cases in 5th para)
SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- One follower of a minor religious sect at the center of a rapid increase in coronavirus cases in South Korea tested positive for the novel coronavirus late last month after visiting the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the health authorities here said Tuesday.
"We are looking into two cases of Shincheonji followers who have visited Wuhan since January," Kwon Jun-wook, deputy director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), said during a press briefing. "One of them has proved not to be a patient, while the other was confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus close to the end of February."
He did not give the exact date of the diagnosis.
Kwon Jun-wook from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) speaks at a press conference in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, on March 3, 2020. (Yonhap)
The South Korea government has been examining the overseas travel records of all Shincheonji congregants as the country's COVID-19 infection cases have shot up steeply in recent weeks, especially among them.
The number of virus cases in the country topped 5,100 on Tuesday afternoon, with an alarming cluster of infections continuing to swell in the southeastern city of Daegu, the country's fourth-largest city, which has a population of 2.5 million.
Moreover, the branch of the Shincheonji church in the southeastern city has been suspected of being the epicenter of the latest spike in the number of infections.
The nation's 31st patient, a follower of the religious group in Daegu, visited the church four times before and after she experienced symptoms of coronavirus.
Last week, the Justice Ministry said around 3,600 Shincheonji members had entered South Korea from China between July 1, 2019, and Feb. 27, 2020. Among them, 42 traveled from Wuhan, the origin of the COVID-19 virus, it said.
"It is hard to say that there is a direct connection between the mass outbreak in Daegu in the early stages and the follower (who had visited Wuhan and was confirmed late last month)," the KCDC official said.
Most early patients from the Shincheoji church in Daegu showed signs of infection around Feb. 7-10 or Feb. 14-18, while the 31st patient was confirmed with the virus on Feb. 18, he added.
The KCDC said it will take more time to check all travel records of the remaining Shincheonji followers who have visited China in recent months.
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-03--N.K. newspaper calls for efforts to prevent animal diseases

The Rodong Sinmun said every worker should keep in mind that such anti-epidemic efforts are directly related to the output @ @ @ @ @ stressing that they should contribute to the livelihood of the people by increasing output .

SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's main newspaper called Tuesday for greater efforts to tackle African swine fever and other animal diseases, even as the country has been in an all-out battle to prevent the outbreak of the new coronavirus.
The Rodong Sinmun said every worker should keep in mind that such anti-epidemic efforts are directly related to the output of the livestock industry, stressing that they should contribute to the livelihood of the people by increasing output.
"Global outbreaks of diseases such as bird flu and the African swine fever, and the increasing damage incurred by them, highlight the importance of animal disease control," the paper said.
The article is the latest in a series of North Korean reports calling for efforts to control animal-related diseases, apparently reflecting the country's concerns that an outbreak of an infectious disease could further strain its already weakened economy.
North Korea reported its first outbreak of African swine fever at a pig farm near its border with China in May but has not reported any additional cases since then.
Last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presided over a politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party to discuss measures to prevent the new coronavirus from spreading in the country.
The new virus cases are rapidly surging across the globe, including in China and South Korea, but North Korea has yet to report a case of COVID-19.
Pyongyang has been implementing a string of measures to prevent the spread of the novel virus, calling it a "political matter" that could determine the fate of the country.
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-03--(3rd LD) S. Korea striving to improve supply of face masks amid mounting public anger

Of the government 's daily supply of 5 million masks , 1 million are distributed to Daegu and surrounding North @ @ @ @ @ of the virus outbreak here , where more than 80 percent of the country 's @ @ @ @ @ reported .
Some 500,000 are distributed to post offices in rural areas , and 2.4 @ @ @ @ @ 24,000 pharmacies .

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 14, 19)
SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is making all-out efforts to improve the supply of face masks as the country's novel coronavirus situation worsens, but public anger is running high over its hastily orchestrated supply scheme.
The country last week approved a plan to limit face mask exports to a maximum of 10 percent of total output and distribute 50 percent through public retail platforms, claiming that this will supply 5 million protective masks to the domestic market daily.
Under the scheme, state-supplied masks are available for purchase at post offices, pharmacies, medical institutions and supermarkets operated by the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, better known as Nonghyup here.
Citizens form long lines to buy face masks at Happy Department Store, a designated retailer selling state-supplied masks, in Seoul on March 3, 2020. (Yonhap)
There is a limit of five face masks per person per purchase. Prices of state-supplied masks are around 1,000 won (US$0.80) to 1,500 won each, about one-fourth the price of masks sold on the market.
However, the plan came under fire when people had to form long lines, waiting for hours to get masks at designated stores, with large number of citizens returning home empty-handed after the stores ran out of masks.
"I went to 15 supermarkets and pharmacies on Sunday, but couldn't buy a single mask," a citizen in Daegu said. "So now I go to a supermarket early in the morning to be the first in line."
The government admitted that its scheme is not working well and vowed to improve it.
"We apologize deeply to people regarding mask issues," Kim Gang-lip, the country's vice health minister, said at press briefing on Sunday. "Despite our efforts to utilize public retail platforms, we regret that many people are not satisfied with mask supply. We will consider every possible measure to fix the problem."
President Moon Jae-in also expressed apology over the bungled mask supply scheme during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. He emphasized the "rational and fair" supply of masks so that many people can buy masks.
Citizens wait in line to purchase masks at a pharmacy in Daejeon on March 3, 2020. (Yonhap)
Of the government's daily supply of 5 million masks, 1 million are distributed to Daegu and surrounding North Gyeongsang Province -- the epicenters of the virus outbreak here, where more than 80 percent of the country's novel coronavirus infections have been reported. Some 500,000 are distributed to post offices in rural areas, and 2.4 million masks are supplied to 24,000 pharmacies.
The government originally considered distributing its masks to the country's 43,000 convenience stores but decided against it since its daily supply volume was deemed insufficient.
As South Koreans are struggling to secure face masks, Food and Drug Safety Minister Lee Eui-kyung said on Tuesday that the government will increase the portion of state-supplied masks from the country's total mask output. Currently, half of the country's total mask production is allocated for state-designated retailers.
"We have yet to decide the exact percentage, but it will be higher than 50 percent," Lee said.
Lee added that the government is also preparing a system that prevents people from purchasing masks more than the daily limit following complaints that some customers visit multiple stores to hoard masks.
A citizen buys face masks at Happy Department Store, a designated retailer selling state-supplied masks, in Seoul on March 3, 2020. (Yonhap)
Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said the country is currently working to increase its daily mask output from 10 million to at least 13 million.
Local mask producers said that they need government incentives to expand their output, citing that their businesses will be at risk if mask demand falls in the future after facility expansion.
The government is expected to roll out additional support measures for mask producers.
President Moon said that the government should support mask producers securing raw materials and buy back mask surpluses if demand drops.
South Korea has been imposing strict regulations on the supply of masks following the novel coronavirus outbreak. South Korea has so far reported more than 5,100 COVID-19 infections since its first virus case on Jan. 20.
Illegal hoarders of face masks can face a prison sentence of up to two years or a maximum fine of 50 million won. Distributors are also obligated to notify authorities if they sell more than 10,000 surgical masks to a single buyer.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-03--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 374 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 5,186

(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--2020-03-03--(LEAD) Renault Samsung to launch XM3 SUV next week

The company stopped the operation of its sole plant in Busan , 453 kilometers south of Seoul , for four @ @ @ @ @ as its Chinese parts suppliers halted operations due to an extended Lunar New Year holiday @ @ @ @ @ of the COVID-19 virus there .

(ATTN: UPDATES with details in paras 5-7)
SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- Renault Samsung Motors Corp., the South Korean unit of Renault S.A., said Tuesday it will launch its all-new XM3 sport utility vehicle next week to revive lackluster sales.
The XM3 SUV, which hits the domestic market on Monday, comes in two versions, one with a 1.3-liter gasoline turbo engine and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and the other with a 1.6-liter gasoline engine and a continuously variable transmission, the company said in a statement.
This photo provided by Renault Samsung shows the XM3 SUV. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The TCe 260 engine for the 1.3-liter model and the GTe engine for the 1.6 model have been jointly developed by Renault and Daimler Automotive Group, it said.
The models sell at the starting price of 17 million won (US$14,300), with the prices going up to 25 million won depending on options.
From January to February, its sales plunged 48 percent to 13,290 units from 25,414 in the year-ago period due to the impact of the spreading coronavirus outbreak on its production.
The company stopped the operation of its sole plant in Busan, 453 kilometers south of Seoul, for four working days in February, as its Chinese parts suppliers halted operations due to an extended Lunar New Year holiday aimed at stopping the spread of the COVID-19 virus there.
The company's current lineup includes the all-electric SM3 Z.E. sedan, SM6 midsize sedan, QM6 SUV, Renault Master bus and Renault Twizy two-seat electric car.
Renault has an 80 percent stake in Renault Samsung.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-03--(LEAD) 89 countries, regions restricting entry of people from S. Korea over coronavirus fears

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout)
By Song Sang-ho
SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- A total of 89 countries and regions are planning or imposing entry bans or quarantine procedures on visitors from South Korea on Tuesday, despite Seoul's push to curb what it calls excessively restrictive measures.
As of 3 p.m., 37 countries and regions plan to ban or were barring the entry of travelers who have visited Korea in the past two weeks, while 52 countries and regions, including China, prepared or were carrying out quarantine programs or recommendations for them, according to the foreign ministry.
The number of COVID-19 infections in South Korea has risen to 4,812 with 28 deaths as the country accelerates what it terms a "transparent and open" testing process in its all-out campaign to stem the virus.
On Tuesday, the Pacific island country of Nauru banned the entry of foreigners who have visited South Korea, China, Italy and other virus-hit regions in the past three weeks.
Nepal announced a plan to stop issuing arrival visas for foreigners from South Korea and other countries, starting Tuesday next week.
On Tuesday, the Maldives started to ban the entry of people who have visited South Korea's southeastern city of Daegu and adjacent regions, the site of most of the country's infections. But it decided not to impose the entry ban on those from Seoul or the surrounding Gyeonggi Province.
The number of Chinese provinces and cities that have instituted quarantine programs for people from Korea decreased by one to 13, as the ministry delisted Beijing on the grounds that only some residential complexes were conducting their own quarantine measures rather than the municipality enforcing it officially.
Britain now recommends self-quarantine for people who have traveled to most of South Korea in the last two weeks, should they have mild symptoms of the virus. Earlier, the country recommended self-quarantine only for visitors from Daegu and the nearby county of Cheongdo.
Moscow currently requires a 14-day self-quarantine for both Russians and foreigners who have arrived in the capital aboard flights from South Korea. The country's far eastern island of Sakhalin has also enforced quarantine measures for those from Korea and other virus-affected countries.
The United States has not yet implemented entry restrictions. But passengers on flights bound for the U.S. are to undergo temperature checks before boarding.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-03--S. Korea prepares over 10 tln-won extra budget bill against coronavirus: minister

`` ( The outbreak ) will probably have a negative impact on gross domestic product ( GDP ) in the @ @ @ @ @ year 's overall growth rate , '' Hong said at a parliamentary interpellation session .

SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is preparing an extra budget bill worth more than 10 trillion won (US$8.37 billion) to help fight against the new coronavirus, the finance minister told a parliamentary session Tuesday.
Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki added that the outbreak of COVID-19 may undercut the country's economic growth by 0.2 percentage point this year.
"(The outbreak) will probably have a negative impact on gross domestic product (GDP) in the first quarter and on this year's overall growth rate," Hong said at a parliamentary interpellation session.
The fast spread of the coronavirus is widely expected to put downward pressure on South Korea's economy.
Last week, the Bank of Korea cut its growth estimate for this year to 2.1 percent from 2.3 percent forecast three months earlier, citing the impact of the coronavirus.
To minimize the economic fallout of the virus outbreak, the government is preparing a supplementary budget and will submit the related bill to the National Assembly on Thursday.
Hong earlier said the envisioned extra budget would be larger than 6.2 trillion won, the amount of fiscal spending included in the 2015 extra budget to cope with the MERS outbreak.
The government has rolled out emergency measures totaling 20 trillion won to cushion the impact of the virus outbreak.
"Together with the extra budget, the government expects expansionary fiscal spending worth 30 trillion won," Hong said.
South Korea reported an additional 600 cases of the new coronavirus on Tuesday, bringing the total infections to 4,812.
Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki speaks at a parliamentary interpellation session on March 3, 2020. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-04--Minor leaguers allowed to play in Olympic baseball tournament under new deal

Bae is a 20-year-old middle infielder with more upside , though he , too , is still years away from @ @ @ @ @ Single-A last year , he batted .323 to rank third in the South Atlantic League @ @ @ @ @ to finish fourth .
MLB.com 's MLB Pipeline recently ranked Bae the ninth-best prospect at @ @ @ @ @

SEOUL, March 4 (Yonhap) -- The world baseball governing body has reached an agreement with Major League Baseball (MLB) and its players' union that will allow minor league players to compete in this summer's Olympics.
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) announced Wednesday that its accord with MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) means national teams will be able to select MLB-affiliated minor leaguers from 40-man rosters for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Those on active, MLB 26-man rosters will remain off limits.
Previously, MLB and MLBPA didn't allow anyone from 40-man rosters to participate in the Olympics or in the Olympic qualifying tournament.
In this file photo from Nov. 15, 2019, South Korean players and coaches pose behind the banner showing their qualification for the 2020 Olympic baseball tournament after defeating Mexico 7-3 in the Super Round game at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier12 at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo. (Yonhap)
The 40-man roster includes a combination of players on the 26-man roster, those on the injured lists and some minor leaguers who are signed to major league contracts and can get called up to the big leagues at any moment.
MLB will not halt its regular season to let active big leaguers play in the July 29-Aug. 8 Olympic baseball tournament, but this agreement will ensure the second-highest tier of players will be available.
Baseball will return to the Olympics after 12 years off the program. South Korea was the Olympic champion in Beijing in 2008 and has qualified for this year's Olympics alongside Israel and Mexico. Japan is automatically in the six-country tournament as the host nation.
One of the two remaining spots will be filled later in March by the winner of the Americas qualifying tournament in Arizona, which will feature the United States, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.
The last spot will go to the winner of the final qualifying event in June, with Chinese Taipei, Australia, China, the Netherlands and the second- and third-place finishers from the Americas qualifiers in action.
The new agreement will likely have limited impact, if any, on South Korea's roster decisions, as its minor league talent pool isn't deep. Two minor leaguer infielders are currently in spring training: Park Hoy-jun with the New York Yankees and Bae Ji-hwan with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Park, 23, spent 2019 in Double-A and batted .272 with three home runs, 41 RBIs and 20 steals. On the field, he split his time at second base and shortstop.
Bae is a 20-year-old middle infielder with more upside, though he, too, is still years away from reaching The Show. In Single-A last year, he batted .323 to rank third in the South Atlantic League, and swiped 31 bags to finish fourth. MLB.com's MLB Pipeline recently ranked Bae the ninth-best prospect at second base this year.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-04--S. Korea to sharply restrict face mask exports, rev up weekend production

South Korea has reported nearly 5,200 cases of the new coronavirus since its outbreak on Jan. 20 .
More than @ @ @ @ @ traced to a church of the religious sect Shincheonji in the southeastern city of Daegu @

SEOUL, March 4 (Yonhap) -- Government, ruling party and presidential officials agreed Wednesday to sharply restrict exports of face masks and spur their production even during weekends to fight against the new coronavirus.
The government has begun to provide face masks via public organizations since last week amid a surge in infections. But many people still find it difficult to buy protective goods due to a sharp supply shortage.
The ruling Democratic Party (DP), the government and the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae discussed ways to cope with a shortage of mask supply in their consultative meeting held at the National Assembly.
"(The participants) decided to come up with all measures to increase the production of face masks," Lee Nak-yon, head of the party's COVID-19 response panel, said.
"The measures include sharply reducing exports of face masks and encouraging their production during weekends," he added.
Lee Nak-yon (C), head of the ruling Democratic Party's (DP) COVID-19 response panel, speaks at a consultative meeting among government, DP and presidential officials over the new coronavirus at the National Assembly in Seoul on March 4, 2020. (Yonhap)
At last week's Cabinet meeting, the government approved a plan to limit mask exports to a maximum of 10 percent of total output and distribute 50 percent through government and public organizations.
But demand far surpassed supply amid the fast spread of COVID-19 in communities, with many people waiting in long lines for hours to buy face masks provided via public channels.
The participants in the three-way meeting agreed to find ways to raise the fairness in mask distribution and prevent people from buying face masks multiple times.
In particular, they proposed utilizing an online shared information program on medications that is being used at pharmacies, called the Drug Utilization Review.
The program allows pharmacists to check a consumer's history of medication purchases so as to prevent excessive use of medicine.
South Korea has reported nearly 5,200 cases of the new coronavirus since its outbreak on Jan. 20. More than half the cases have been traced to a church of the religious sect Shincheonji in the southeastern city of Daegu.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


KOSPI 2,005.81 DN 8.34 points (open)


KOSDAQ 623.75 DN 3.07 points (open)


yna--2020-03-04--Dollar opens at 1,187.0 won DN from 1,195.2 won


Wednesday's weather forecast

SEOUL , March 4 ( Yonhap ) -- The following is the weather forecast for South Korea 's 12 major @ @ @ @ @ .


yna--2020-03-04--(Yonhap Feature) From empty seats to suspended action, S. Korean sports take a beating from coronavi

(Yonhap Feature) From empty seats to suspended action, S. Korean sports take a beating from coronavirus

At the beginning of the year , only the events scheduled to take place in China , the epicenter of @ @ @ @ @ affected , with limited , indirect influence on South Korea .
COVID-19 forced fixture changes @ @ @ @ @ the Asian Football Confederation ( AFC ) Champions League , the continent 's top club @ @ @ @ @ result , the South Korean clubs that were to face those Chinese opponents had to @ @ @ @ @ dates , instead of traveling to China for away matches .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, March 4 (Yonhap) -- If a volleyball player hits a spike, and no fan is around to witness it, does it make a sound?
Imagine playing volleyball in an empty arena of 5,000 seats. It can be exactly as eerie and disorienting as it sounds.
We're not talking about some recreational match by weekend warriors, but a high-stakes, professional contest played by athletes who are being paid handsome amounts of money to chase down and spike a white ball.
This file photo from Feb. 25, 2020, shows a men's V-League volleyball match between home team Kepco Vixtorm and Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Bluefangs taking place without fans in the stands. (Yonhap)
Speaking of which, the sound of vicious spikes reverberated through the empty Suwon Gymnasium with an unusual resonance and bite on Feb. 25, as the arena, located some 45 kilometers south of Seoul, hosted the country's first crowdless professional volleyball game. The Korean Volleyball Federation (KOVO) had decided two days earlier that its men's and women's V-League games would take place behind closed doors until further notice, joining other local sports organizations in a fight against the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus.
And for the men's contest that evening between the home team Kepco Vixtorm and Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Bluefangs, only the players, their coaches and team officials, plus a few members of the media, were on hand.
Park Chul-woo, veteran opposite hitter for the Bluefangs, said it was so quiet in the arena that he could even hear the ball going off a blocker's fingertips.
"I once played in front of about a dozen fans when I was still a student, but I've never played in a completely empty arena before," the 34-year-old said after scoring a season-high 36 points for his team's five-set victory. "I just tried not to lose my concentration."
The photo shows an empty Wonju Gymnasium in Wonju, 130 kilometers east of Seoul, on March 1, 2020, following the cancellation of a Korean Basketball League regular season game between the home team DB Promy and KCC Egis. (Yonhap)
The "further notice" from the KOVO came on Monday, when it suspended the men's and women's V-League action indefinitely. The decision came hours after representatives from 13 V-League teams unanimously requested that the season be put on hold, as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases continued to surge nationwide.
Late last month, both the Korean Basketball League (KBL) and the Women's Korean Basketball League (WKBL) decided to keep spectators away from their games. Then last Saturday, the KBL announced it will suspend its regular season play after learning that one of its teams, KCC Egis, had stayed at the same hotel as a COVID-19 patient in Jeonju, 240 kilometers south of Seoul, earlier in the week. The KBL season is scheduled to resume on March 29.
The WKBL, which first closed its doors to fans on Feb. 21, chose not to follow suit, on the grounds that the players would be safer if they remained inside their team dormitories as the league action went on. But at this juncture, that seems more like desperate hope than sound reasoning.
Also late last month, football's K League postponed the start of the 2020 season. The season would have kicked off last Saturday, if not for the recent surge in COVID-19 infections.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) canceled all preseason games, which would have run from March 14 to 24. But then it has been curiously reluctant to postpone the start of the regular season, which is set for March 28.
KBO officials and general managers from the league's 10 clubs met Tuesday, with the expectation being the league would immediately join others in adjusting the schedule in light of the virus outbreak.
Instead, the KBO said it will meet again with club officials next week for further discussions on a potential postponement. The objective is to make the final decision on the schedule by March 14, which would give teams two weeks to prepare for the normal start of the season.
This file photo from Feb. 19, 2020, shows mask-wearing fans attending an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League match between the home team Suwon Samsung Bluewings and Vissel Kobe at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, 45 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
For athletes accustomed to hearing crowd noise and feeding off fans' energy, playing to thousands of empty seats could disrupt their usual rhythm. It's no different for coaches. Hours before the KBL brought the regular season to a halt on Saturday, SK Knights head coach Moon Kyung-eun said he found the atypical silence at games oddly distracting.
"This has been a fun season, with a tight battle for playoff spots, and it's really disappointing not to have fans at games," Moon said. "They say pro sports can't exist without fans, and that has really hit home."
But these are minor inconveniences, when people are dying of the virus.
"It's not just volleyball. Our whole country is being affected," Park Chul-woo said of the virus. "A lot of people are suffering out there. I hope we'll overcome this adversity and we'll soon be back to normal on the court."
Lee Jae-yeong, a star attacker for Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders in the women's V-League, said after last Saturday's game that she didn't even feel that happy about her team's victory because it came without fans in the stands.
"Not having our supporters with us is bringing us down," Lee said. "The arena is too quiet. We all want to play in front of our fans and we hope the situation gets better quickly, so that people won't have to worry about their well-being when they're watching volleyball."
This file photo from Feb. 23, 2020, shows a Women's Korean Basketball League regular season game between the home team Samsung Life Blueminx and the BNK Sum at Yongin Gymnasium in Yongin, 50 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
At the beginning of the year, only the events scheduled to take place in China, the epicenter of the virus, were being affected, with limited, indirect influence on South Korea. COVID-19 forced fixture changes for Chinese teams competing in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League, the continent's top club football competition. As a result, the South Korean clubs that were to face those Chinese opponents had to scramble to find new home dates, instead of traveling to China for away matches.
Little did they know that the situation would change dramatically in the ensuing weeks.
With its signature club tournament, the AFC went from merely pushing back Chinese home matches to postponing all matches involving Chinese clubs. That had the unintended effect of also messing up domestic fixtures for the participating K League clubs.
And as the virus started to take a foothold in South Korea, the K League season itself was thrown into further chaos on Feb. 24, when the league postponed the start of the 2020 season. Other football events were affected, as AFC Champions League matches involving South Korean teams were pushed back during the last week of February. In one instance, a match was rescheduled because a Malaysian club refused to travel to Seoul.
In addition, an Olympic women's football qualifying playoff between South Korea and China has been postponed from March to April. Yongin, 50 kilometers south of Seoul, refused to host the South Korean home leg following the coronavirus outbreak in the city, while the Chinese leg was long moved to Australia.
The AFC also has a tentative agreement with East Asian teams to postpone World Cup qualifying matches. Asian teams are currently in the second round, which was scheduled to resume on March 26, but it seems unlikely the round will go on as scheduled. The AFC will meet with FIFA later this week to settle on new dates for postponed matches.
Ryu Dae-hwan (C), secretary general of the Korea Baseball Organization, presides over an executive committee meeting with general managers of KBO clubs at the KBO headquarters in Seoul on March 3, 2020. Those not in attendance took part in the meeting via video conferencing. (Yonhap)
Once the calendar flipped to March, it became easier to identify which domestic sporting events were still going on, instead of those that had been called off. In pro sports, only women's basketball is still ongoing. Internationally, K League clubs participating in the AFC Champions League will play away matches in countries other than China, but that, too, could change.
In times of trouble, people often turn to sports for distraction, hoping that great feats of athletic accomplishment on the field, court or ice can take their minds off whatever is ailing them.
But that hasn't been the case in South Korea over the past several weeks. With games called off, this public health crisis has robbed South Koreans of a chance to distract themselves with sports, precisely at a time when they would welcome such a distraction.
March is usually one of the busiest months in South Korean pro sports. Volleyball and basketball leagues enter the final stretch runs before their playoffs, as teams jostle for positions. New football and baseball seasons start. Hope is supposed to spring eternal.
But gloom of uncertainty has taken over instead. That's the new reality of South Korean sports in the spring of 2020.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-04--N. Korea allows female workers to care for kids at home amid school closures

The measure came as North Korea is intensifying its anti-virus efforts , though it has repeatedly claimed it has no @ @ @ @ @ They include shutting down its border with neighboring China , the country at the center @ @ @ @ @ toughening quarantine processes not just for humans but also for goods and animals .

SEOUL, March 4 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has allowed female workers to stay home if they have no other family members to take care of children after nurseries were closed and the opening of schools was postponed due to coronavirus concerns, state media reported Wednesday.
Last week, the North said that it extended the vacation for daycare centers, kindergartens and schools as part of all-out efforts to prevent the virus spreading there from China and other countries.
"With regard to the temporary suspension of the operation of daycare centers, an unprecedented measure has been taken to allow female workers without any others who can care for their kids to stay at home and take care of them," DPRK Today, a North Korean propaganda media outlet, said in an article.
It did not provide other details such as how long this will last.
The measure came as North Korea is intensifying its anti-virus efforts, though it has repeatedly claimed it has no confirmed cases of COVID-19. They include shutting down its border with neighboring China, the country at the center of the outbreak, and toughening quarantine processes not just for humans but also for goods and animals.
Uriminzokkiri, another propaganda outlet, ran a story about a foreign media article featuring efforts to disinfect cash at banks, urging North Korea to follow suit as money could be a potential carrier for the virus.
"Relevant sectors should recognize the risks that infectious diseases could be transmitted through hard currency... and take necessary measures in a preemptive manner to close any loopholes in preventive efforts," the website said.
North Korea is known to heavily depend on coins and paper rather money than credit cards.
The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling party, also reported that the country is ramping up production of protective gear that could be more effective against viruses and bacteria and endure better.
The North has taken relatively swift preventive efforts amid concerns that it is highly vulnerable to the new coronavirus, as it shares a long and porous border with China and lacks key medical supplies and infrastructure to test and treat infected people.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-04--26 injured in Lotte Chemical plant fire

26 injured in Lotte Chemical plant fire

The fire broke out following an explosion at 2:59 a.m. at the Lotte affiliate 's plant in South Chungcheong Province @ @ @ @ @ .
No death has been reported so far .

SEOSAN, South Korea, March 4 (Yonhap) -- At least 26 company employees and residents in the southern city of Seosan were injured Wednesday following an explosion at Lotte Chemical Corp.'s plant here.
The fire broke out following an explosion at 2:59 a.m. at the Lotte affiliate's plant in South Chungcheong Province, according to fire officials. No death has been reported so far.
The fire was mostly put out by 5:12 a.m., after 240 fire fighters and 38 vehicles were mobilized in a major fire response.
Police suspect the explosion occurred at the plant's naphtha cracking center, which dissolves naphtha to produce various chemical products.
Lotte Chemical has suspended seven of its 10 facilities at the plant and plans to hold a briefing on the accident at 8:30 a.m.
This photo, provided by a reader, shows a fire at Lotte Chemical Corp.'s plant in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, on March 4, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-03-04--Cardinals' Kim Kwang-hyun recovers from sore groin, set to start training

Kim , who signed a two-year deal in December out of the SK Wyverns in the Korea Baseball Organization ( @ @ @ @ @ allowed a run or a hit in three innings this spring -- one inning in @ @ @ @ @ start .
He 's struck out five and walked one .

SEOUL, March 4 (Yonhap) -- St. Louis Cardinals' South Korean pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun has recovered from sore groin and will make his second spring training start later this week.
Currently training in Jupiter, Florida, the Cardinals said Tuesday (local time) that Kim's bullpen session the previous day went well and he's scheduled to start Thursday's split-squad home game against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. The first pitch will be 1:05 p.m. local time, or 3:05 a.m. Friday in South Korea.
In this file photo from Feb. 26, 2020, Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Miami Marlins in a Major League Baseball spring training game at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Florida, on Feb. 26, 2020. (Yonhap)
Kim had been scheduled to start against the Minnesota Twins at Roger Dean on Monday but was scratched because of mild groin soreness. Manager Mike Shildt said it was "very mild" but the team training staff wasn't taking any chances with the 31-year-old left-hander.
Kim, who's competing for a rotation spot, had been set to pitch three innings or 50 pitches on Monday, and he will likely stick to the intended workload Thursday.
Kim, who signed a two-year deal in December out of the SK Wyverns in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), has not allowed a run or a hit in three innings this spring -- one inning in relief and two in a start. He's struck out five and walked one.
His first spring game came against the Mets out of the bullpen on Feb. 22 and he made his first preseason start against the Miami Marlins last Wednesday. Kim threw 18 of his 29 pitches for strikes in that start.
In this file photo from Feb. 26, 2020, Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals speaks to reporters following his Major League Baseball spring training game against the Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Florida. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-04--6 missing in fishing boat fire in waters off Jeju Island

Of the three South Korean and five Vietnamese people aboard , two South Koreans have been rescued so far , @ @ @ @ @ way .

JEJU, March 4 (Yonhap) -- A fishing boat carrying eight crew members caught fire in waters off South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju on Wednesday, leaving six unaccounted for, the Coast Guard said.
A fire broke out on the 29-ton ship at around 3:18 a.m. in waters about 74 kilometers southeast of Udo Island near Jeju, according to the maritime police.
Of the three South Korean and five Vietnamese people aboard, two South Koreans have been rescued so far, with search operations still under way.
Adverse weather conditions have hampered efforts to put out the fire and find the crew, a Coast Guard officer said, adding that they are exploring various possibilities as to their fate.
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)