yna--2020-02-25--N. Korea's paper discourages public gatherings to prevent coronavirus outbreak

`` At a time when the whole country is constantly on edge , it should be strictly prohibited for a @ @ @ @ @ gather in public areas including restaurants , '' the Rodong Sinmun , the official newspaper @ @ @ @ @ party , said .

SEOUL, Feb. 25 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's official newspaper on Tuesday called for people not to gather in public as Pyongyang makes all-out efforts to prevent the new coronavirus from breaking out on its soil.
North Korea has not confirmed any cases of the COVID-19 infections, but it has beefed up preventive efforts such as tightened border controls and quarantine for people from China, the country worst hit by the virus.
"At a time when the whole country is constantly on edge, it should be strictly prohibited for a large number of people to gather in public areas including restaurants," the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling party, said.
"Eating in large groups and talking to each other while sitting face-to-face in close proximity could serve as a major route for the transmission of infectious diseases," the paper added.
The paper also warned people against lowering their guard, saying that a single outbreak of the infection could bring about "catastrophic" consequences for the country.
North Korea has taken swift preventive measures against the new coronavirus since late January by tightening its border with China and doubling the quarantine period to 30 days for those coming from foreign countries.
The North has recently canceled an international marathon scheduled for mid-April as part of efforts to block the spread of the new coronavirus in the country, according to tour agencies based in China.
It is rare for the North to cancel the sport event, which has been held since 1981 to celebrate the birthday of the country's founder, Kim Il-sung.
This photo captured from the North's Rodong Sinmun on Feb. 25, 2020, shows a group of factory workers wearing masks attending a meeting in Pyongyang. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-25--S. Korea's power generation drops 1.5 pct in 2019

The amount of electricity generated by the nation 's power plants came to 562,239 gigawatt hours ( GWh ) last @ @ @ @ @ from the prior year , according to the data from state-run Korea Electric Power Corporation @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Feb. 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's electricity generation fell for the first time in more than two decades in 2019 amid an economic slowdown and favorable weather conditions, data showed Tuesday.
The amount of electricity generated by the nation's power plants came to 562,239 gigawatt hours (GWh) last year, down 1.5 percent from the prior year, according to the data from state-run Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO).
It was the first on-year drop since the 4.1 percent decrease in 1998, when South Korea was in the heat of a foreign exchange crisis.
South Korea's power generation had been growing at an annual average rate of 5 percent since then.
Electricity generated by nuclear power plants gained 9.3 percent on-year last year, and power generated from renewable energy sources edged up 0.2 percent.
But electricity generated by coal-powered plants dipped 4.8 percent due to government policies to reduce fine dust air pollution. Power generation from gas, oil and other sources also fell.
Last year's drop was attributed mainly to the local economy's slowdown and favorable weather conditions both in summer and winter.
South Korea's factory utilization rate was sluggish amid a weak economy, and households consumed less electricity for air conditioning and heating.
The country's electricity sales dropped 1.1 percent on-year to 521 megawatt hours (MWh) last year, marking the first on-year decline since 1999.
The data also showed South Korea's electricity generation capacity increased by 5.3 gigawatts (GW) in 2019 from a year earlier.
This year, Asia's fourth-largest economy is slated to get a new nuclear power plant with a capacity of 1.4 GW online and to add solar power and other renewable energy facilities.
(END)


yna--2020-02-25--(LEAD) Esper urges S. Korea to pay more for combined defense

`` The current Special Measures Agreement captures only a portion of the overall cost associated with the United States ' @ @ @ @ @ '' Esper said .
`` The United States believes it should cover more .
While @ @ @ @ @ done to bridge the gap between our two sides on the 11th SMA , we @ @ @ @ @ discussion on this topic today .
The United States remains fully committed to reaching a @ @ @ @ @ that will strengthen the alliance and our combined defense long into the future . ''

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with more remarks; ADDS photo)
By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Monday that South Korea can and should contribute more to its defense in terms of financial contributions to the upkeep of American troops on the peninsula.
Esper made the remark during a joint press conference with South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo after a bilateral meeting at the Pentagon. He also warned that South Korean employees at American military bases will be furloughed unless a deal is reached in time.
This AP photo shows South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo (R) and U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper at a news conference at the Pentagon in Washington on Feb. 24, 2020. (Yonhap)
The two countries have been negotiating a new Special Measures Agreement to split the cost of the U.S. troop presence in South Korea, with Washington demanding a significant increase in Seoul's contributions.
"Shouldering the cost of our common defense cannot fall disproportionately to the American taxpayer," Esper said. "As such, we must find a more sustainable and equitable means of sharing the costs of our combined defense, with the Republic of Korea."
"As a global economic powerhouse and an equal partner in the preservation of peace on the peninsula, South Korea can and should contribute more to its defense," Esper said.
Last year South Korea agreed to pay $870 million toward salaries for South Koreans working on U.S. military bases, construction projects and logistical support.
The U.S. has argued that South Korea should cover other costs too.
"The current Special Measures Agreement captures only a portion of the overall cost associated with the United States' defense of South Korea," Esper said. "The United States believes it should cover more. While much work needs to be done to bridge the gap between our two sides on the 11th SMA, we had a productive and candid discussion on this topic today. The United States remains fully committed to reaching a mutually beneficial and equitable agreement that will strengthen the alliance and our combined defense long into the future."
The U.S. defense secretary added that if no deal is reached, the 9,000 South Korean workers on U.S. military bases will be furloughed in April as planned.
Jeong acknowledged that differences between the two countries remain and expressed hope for a speedy resumption of the negotiations.
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-25--(LEAD) FM calls Israel's entry ban on Koreans over new coronavirus 'excessive'

`` As more and more countries become affected by this disease , it is crucial that governments take steps to @ @ @ @ @ forces in the global campaign to end it based on scientific evidence rather than taking @ @ @ @ @ panic . ''

(ATTN: ADDS more info in last 2 paras; RECASTS 6th para)
GENEVA/SEOUL, Feb. 25 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has described Israel's recent entry ban on South Koreans over concerns of the new coronavirus as "excessive," noting Seoul's ongoing diplomacy to prevent such unwarranted restrictions.
Kang made the remarks as more than a dozen countries have imposed entry restrictions against visitors from South Korea that has so far reported 833 infections and eight fatalities despite its stepped-up containment efforts.
"My assessment is that it was an excessive response. ... Repatriating people who have already entered the country is different from just imposing entry restrictions," the minister said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency in Geneva on Monday.
"We are closely watching measures by each country, and our diplomatic missions are closely communicating with their host countries to prevent them from making excessive responses," she added.
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha speaks during an interview with Yonhap News Agency in Geneva on Feb. 24, 2020, in this photo provided by her ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Last Saturday, Israel abruptly barred nearly 180 foreigners, including 130 Koreans, aboard a Korean Air flight, from entering the country and turned them back -- a move that led to the suspension of planes to South Korea and made it difficult for other Korean tourists to find flights back home.
On Monday, about 400 South Korean tourists, who were already in Israel and stranded due to the suspension of flights, headed home on two chartered flights that the Israeli government provided in cooperation with Seoul.
Touching on growing public calls to prevent people from China and other COVID-19-stricken countries from entering Korea, Kang reiterated that Seoul has already banned the entry of foreigners from China's central Hubei province, where the epicenter of the virus is located.
"Though the safety of our citizens is the top priority, South Korea is a country heavily reliant on trade," Kang said. "We need to make decisions based on our exhaustive considerations of what results those decisions would bring about."
Kang was in Geneva to attend a set of international conferences, including the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council.
At the session on Monday, Kang voiced concerns over incidents of travel restrictions against people from the coronavirus-affected countries and stressed the need for joint efforts to prevent them.
"I am deeply concerned about incidents of xenophobia and hatred, discriminatory immigration controls and arbitrary repatriation programs against individuals from the affected countries," the minister said.
"As more and more countries become affected by this disease, it is crucial that governments take steps to prevent these incidents and join forces in the global campaign to end it based on scientific evidence rather than taking action that would fan public panic."
The minister also cast Seoul's approach in dealing with the viral outbreaks as "people-centered" and fully transparent.
"We are informing the public of every development and every government action with full transparency, and beefing up the capacity of our disease control and medical facilities, which are already of the highest standards," she said.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


KOSPI 2,075.55 DN 3.49 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 639.28 DN 0.01 points (open)


Tuesday's weather forecast

SEOUL , Feb. 25 ( Yonhap ) -- The following is the weather forecast for South Korea 's 12 major @ @ @ @ @ .


yna--2020-02-25--Dollar opens at 1,220.5 won UP from 1,220.2 won


yna--2020-02-25--(2nd LD) BTS' 'Map of the Soul: 7' on way to No. 1 on Billboard 200

`` The set , which was released Feb. 21 via Big Hit Entertainment , could earn 300,000 equivalent album units @ @ @ @ @ week ending Feb. 27 , with most of that sum driven by album sales , @ @ @ @ @ website Monday ( U.S. time ) .

(ATTN: UPDATES with more info in last 3 paras)
SEOUL, Feb. 25 (Yonhap) -- "Map of the Soul: 7," the new album of K-pop super band BTS, is bound to debut atop the Billboard 200 next week, the band's historic fourth No. 1 on the chart, the company has said.
"The set, which was released Feb. 21 via Big Hit Entertainment, could earn 300,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 27, with most of that sum driven by album sales," Billboard said on its website Monday (U.S. time).
This image was captured from the website of Billboard on Feb. 25, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
If confirmed as forecast, it marks the band's fourth Billboard No. 1 in a row in a span of two years after its three previous albums, including "Map of the Soul: Persona" and "Love Yourself: Answer," all topped the album chart, starting in April 2019.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums and streaming equivalent albums.
The upcoming chart dated March 7 will be fully posted on the Billboard website on Sunday (U.S. time), the pop magazine said.
"Remarkably, Map of the Soul: 7 is selling strongly without the aid of a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer, nor any merchandise/album bundles, as has become the norm for many major releases," Billboard said.
"Map of the Soul: 7 is trending well in sales thanks in large part to the availability of four elaborate collectible CD packages," it said.
The mainstream British music tally, Official Charts, also said on Monday (British time) that "Map of the Soul: 7" is set to take the No. 1 spot on its album chart.
"The K-pop band's seventh studio album tops the U.K.'s midweek Official Albums Chart Update, outselling its three nearest competitors combined. Map of the Soul: 7 is the best-selling album of the week so far on CD and download formats," Official Charts said on its website.
If confirmed, it marks BTS' second No. 1 on the chart after "Map of the Soul: Persona" landed atop the tally last year.
This photo of BTS during a press conference on Feb. 24, 2020, was provided by Big Hit Entertainment. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-25--(LEAD) S. Korea, U.S. considering scaling back military exercises due to coronavirus

`` General Abrams and General Park are looking at scaling back the command post training due to concerns about the @ @ @ @ @ at a joint press conference with Jeong , referring to U.S .
Forces Korea Commander @ @ @ @ @ Korea 's Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Park Han-ki .

(ATTN: UPDATES with details; ADDS photo)
By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States are considering scaling back combined military exercises due to concerns over the new coronavirus, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Monday.
Esper made the remark after talks with South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo at the Pentagon, likely referring to the computer-simulated training exercises planned for March.
South Korea has seen a sharp rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in recent days, with more than 800 confirmed cases and eight deaths as of Monday.
"General Abrams and General Park are looking at scaling back the command post training due to concerns about the coronavirus," Esper said at a joint press conference with Jeong, referring to U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Robert Abrams and South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Park Han-ki.
Jeong said the two generals are looking into the "serious" situation caused by the coronavirus but stopped short of confirming Esper's remarks.
The allies will decide how to conduct the exercises after completing a joint assessment, he said.
This AP photo shows South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo (R) and U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper at the Pentagon in Washington on Feb. 24, 2020. (Yonhap)
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-25--FM calls Israel's entry ban on Koreans over new coronavirus 'excessive'

GENEVA/SEOUL, Feb. 25 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has described Israel's recent entry ban on South Koreans over concerns of the new coronavirus as "excessive," noting Seoul's ongoing diplomacy to prevent such unwarranted restrictions.
Kang made the remarks as more than a dozen countries have imposed entry restrictions against visitors from South Korea that has so far reported 833 infections and eight fatalities despite its stepped-up containment efforts.
"My assessment is that it was an excessive response. ... Repatriating people who have already entered the country is different from just imposing entry restrictions," the minister said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency in Geneva on Monday.
"We are closely watching measures by each country, and our diplomatic missions are closely communicating with their host countries to prevent them from making excessive responses," she added.
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha speaks during an interview with Yonhap News Agency in Geneva on Feb. 24, 2020, in this photo provided by her ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Last Saturday, Israel abruptly barred nearly 180 foreigners, including 130 Koreans, aboard a Korean Air flight, from entering the country and turned them back -- a move that led to the suspension of planes to South Korea and made it difficult for other Korean tourists to find flights back home.
On Monday, about 400 South Korean tourists, who were already in Israel and stranded due to the suspension of flights, returned home on two flights that the Israeli government provided in cooperation with Seoul.
Touching on growing public calls to prevent people from China and other COVID-19-stricken countries from entering Korea, Kang reiterated that Seoul has already banned the entry of foreigners from China's central Hubei province, where the epicenter of the virus is located.
"Though the safety of our citizens is the top priority, South Korea is a country heavily reliant on trade," Kang said. "We need to make decisions based on our exhaustive considerations of what results those decisions would bring about."
Kang was in Geneva to attend a set of international conferences, including the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council.
At the session on Monday, Kang voiced concerns over incidents of travel restrictions against people from the coronavirus-affected countries and stressed the need for joint efforts to prevent them.
"I am deeply concerned about incidents of xenophobia and hatred, discriminatory immigration controls and arbitrary repatriation programs against individuals from the affected countries," the minister said.
"As more and more countries become affected by this disease, it is crucial that governments take steps to prevent these incidents and join forces in the global campaign to end it based on scientific evidence rather than taking action that would fan public panic."
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-25--(LEAD) S. Korea to swiftly conduct virus tests on all Shincheonji followers

The government said it has elicited cooperation from the religious sect after expressing its commitment to take legal measures against @ @ @ @ @ fully join the government 's drive to contain the virus .

(ATTN: TRIMS headline; UPDATES with more details throughout)
SEOUL, Feb. 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea said Tuesday it will swiftly conduct tests on the new coronavirus on all followers of Shincheonji as the minor religious sect has agreed to provide the complete list of its members.
The government said the Shincheonji church has agreed to offer the list of its worshipers and their contact numbers to support state quarantine efforts to curb the fast spread of COVID-19.
The move comes as about 60 percent of all infection cases are linked to a Shincheonji church in the southeastern city of Daegu. South Korea has reported 833 cases of the new coronavirus, with eight deaths.
"(Once Shincheonji provides the list), the government will complete the tests on all Shincheonji followers as soon as possible and unveil the outcome transparently," said the central headquarters for disaster control in a statement.
Concerns about the fast spread of the virus in communities have heightened since last week, prompting the government to raise its alert level against COVID-19 to the highest level.
The church claimed it is cooperating with the government's quarantine efforts, but the government has viewed it as inadequate.
The government said it has elicited cooperation from the religious sect after expressing its commitment to take legal measures against Shincheonji if it does not fully join the government's drive to contain the virus.
Quarantine officials disinfect a Shincheonji church in the southeastern city of Daegu on Feb. 23, 2020. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-25--(LEAD) BTS' 'Map of the Soul: 7' on way to No. 1 on Billboard 200

(ATTN: UPDATES from 3rd para)
SEOUL, Feb. 25 (Yonhap) -- "Map of the Soul: 7," the new album of K-pop super band BTS, is bound to debut atop the Billboard 200 next week, the band's historic fourth No. 1 on the chart, the company has said.
"The set, which was released Feb. 21 via Big Hit Entertainment, could earn 300,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 27, with most of that sum driven by album sales," Billboard said on its website Monday (U.S. time).
If confirmed as forecast, it marks the band's fourth Billboard No. 1 in a row in a span of two years after its three previous albums, including "Map of the Soul: Persona" and "Love Yourself: Answer," all topped the album chart, starting in April 2019.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums and streaming equivalent albums.
The upcoming chart dated March 7 will be fully posted on the Billboard website on Sunday (U.S. time), the pop magazine said.
"Remarkably, Map of the Soul: 7 is selling strongly without the aid of a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer, nor any merchandise/album bundles, as has become the norm for many major releases," Billboard said.
"Map of the Soul: 7 is trending well in sales thanks in large part to the availability of four elaborate collectible CD packages," it said.
This image was captured from the website of Billboard on Feb. 25, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-25--Defense ministry shuts down pressroom, briefing room over coronavirus concerns

In a notice to reporters , the ministry said the facilities on the first floor of the ministry 's main @ @ @ @ @ closed until Wednesday as a precaution against the COVID-19 virus .

SEOUL, Feb. 25 (Yonhap) -- The defense ministry on Tuesday said it has temporarily shut down its pressroom and briefing room for anti-coronavirus disinfection work after a cameraman with a local news outlet was admitted to a hospital with symptoms of the virus.
In a notice to reporters, the ministry said the facilities on the first floor of the ministry's main building in Seoul will be closed until Wednesday as a precaution against the COVID-19 virus.
The cameraman was admitted to a hospital for pneumonia and a coronavirus infection is suspected, officials said. Test results will be available later Tuesday, they said.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) has also banned visitors from accessing its building located in the same compound, they added.
As of late Monday, South Korea had reported 13 confirmed cases of the virus among its service personnel. They are among the country's 833 infection cases. Eight civilians have been killed so far.
As part of efforts to stop the virus from spreading further in barracks, the authorities came up with additional measures, including halting off-installation drills and physical examinations for potential draftees.
On Monday, U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) also reported a first COVID-19 case among related individuals, as "a USFK widowed dependent" living in Daegu tested positive for the virus.
In order to protect the force, the military has raised the risk level from moderate to high, and called for limiting non-mission essential in-person meetings and gatherings, as well as temporary duty travel and assignments.
The entrance of the defense ministry's main building in Seoul (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-25--S. Korea to swiftly conduct virus tests on all followers of Shincheonji

SEOUL , Feb. 25 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korea said Tuesday it will swiftly conduct tests on the new @ @ @ @ @ Shincheonji as the minor religious sect has agreed to provide the complete list of its @ @

SEOUL, Feb. 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea said Tuesday it will swiftly conduct tests on the new coronavirus on all followers of Shincheonji as the minor religious sect has agreed to provide the complete list of its members.
The move comes as South Korea has reported 833 cases of the new coronavirus, with eight deaths, since its first case in January.
About 60 percent of all infection cases are linked to a Shincheonji church in the southeastern city of Daegu.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-25--(URGENT) Esper: U.S. will begin furloughing S. Korean workers in April if no defense cost deal is re

(URGENT) Esper: U.S. will begin furloughing S. Korean workers in April if no defense cost deal is reached


yna--2020-02-25--BTS' 'Map of the Soul: 7' on way to No. 1 on Billboard 200

`` The set , which was released Feb. 21 via Big Hit Entertainment , could earn 300,000 equivalent album units @ @ @ @ @ week ending Feb. 27 , with most of that sum driven by album sales , @ @ @ @ @ website .

SEOUL, Feb. 25 (Yonhap) -- "Map of the Soul: 7," the new album of K-pop super band BTS, is bound to debut atop the Billboard 200 next week, the band's historic fourth No. 1 on the chart.
"The set, which was released Feb. 21 via Big Hit Entertainment, could earn 300,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 27, with most of that sum driven by album sales," Billboard said on its website.
If confirmed as forecast, it marks the band's fourth Billboard No. 1 in a span of two years.
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-25--S. Korea, U.S. considering scaling back military exercises due to coronavirus

South Korea has seen a sharp rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in recent days , with more than @ @ @ @ @ deaths as of Monday .

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States are considering scaling back combined military exercises due to concerns over the new coronavirus, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Monday.
Esper made the remark after talks with South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo at the Pentagon.
South Korea has seen a sharp rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in recent days, with more than 800 confirmed cases and eight deaths as of Monday.
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-25--Esper urges S. Korea to pay more for combined defense

`` Shouldering the cost of our common defense can not fall disproportionately to the American taxpayer , '' Esper said @ @ @ @ @ we must find a more sustainable and equitable means of sharing the costs of our @ @ @ @ @ Republic of Korea as a global economic powerhouse and an equal partner in the preservation @ @ @ @ @ .
South Korea can and should contribute more to its defense . ''

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Monday that South Korea can and should contribute more to its defense in terms of financial contributions to the upkeep of American troops on the peninsula.
Esper made the remark during a joint press conference with South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo after a bilateral meeting at the Pentagon.
The two countries have been negotiating a new Special Measures Agreement to split the cost of the U.S. troop presence in South Korea.
"Shouldering the cost of our common defense cannot fall disproportionately to the American taxpayer," Esper said. "As such, we must find a more sustainable and equitable means of sharing the costs of our combined defense, with the Republic of Korea as a global economic powerhouse and an equal partner in the preservation of peace on the peninsula. South Korea can and should contribute more to its defense."
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


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(END)


yna--2020-02-28--Court blocks conservative group's Sunday rally amid coronavirus fears

The group has said that it will cancel its Saturday rally this week and instead host a YouTube broadcast .
@ @ @ @ @ go ahead with a demonstration on Sunday .

SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- A local court on Friday ruled against a conservative civic group's push to invalidate a police order to ban public demonstrations in central Seoul amid growing concerns over the fast-spreading new coronavirus.
The Seoul Administrative Court's ruling blocked the civic group from holding its planned rally at Gwanghwamun Plaza on Sunday.
The group holds weekly anti-government rallies in central Seoul. Rev. Jun Kwang-hoon, head of the group, has been detained since Monday for violating election law by asking participants in a street rally last year to support a specific political party in April's general election.
The group has said that it will cancel its Saturday rally this week and instead host a YouTube broadcast. But it has sought to go ahead with a demonstration on Sunday.
South Korea is struggling with the fast-spreading new coronavirus outbreaks, with the number of confirmed infection topping 2,300 on Friday and the death toll rising to 16.
(END)


yna--2020-02-28--(6th LD) S. Korea's virus cases approach 2,400, people urged to avoid mass gatherings

The other two were confirmed to have been infected before their deaths and were being treated at hospitals .
Authorities @ @ @ @ @ determine the exact cause of the fatalities and taking steps to check people they may @ @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details on deaths in paras 3-4)
SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's confirmed cases of the new coronavirus approached 2,400, with an additional three deaths being reported, on Friday as the nation worked to aggressively counter the fast-spreading virus with extensive testing. Health authorities renewed calls for citizens to keep away from others and avoid mass gatherings such as religious services over the weekend.
The 571 new cases -- the sharpest daily spike yet, outnumbering 327 new cases reported in China earlier in the day -- brought the nation's total infections to 2,337, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Two days ago, the number of infections surpassed the 1,000 mark.
The latest fatalities all occurred in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, with the death toll here rising to 16. Health authorities said one of the latest victims posthumously tested positive for the virus after dying on Thursday,
The other two were confirmed to have been infected before their deaths and were being treated at hospitals. Authorities said they are trying to determine the exact cause of the fatalities and taking steps to check people they may have contacted.
South Korea confirmed its first new coronavirus case from a Chinese woman from the city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus outbreak, on Jan. 20.
A patient is moved from Seoul Medical Center in Seoul to another hospital on Feb. 27, 2020, after the center was designated as a COVID-19-only hospital. (Yonhap)
Of the newly confirmed cases, 447 are in Daegu and 64 are in the neighboring North Gyeongsang Province. The totals for Daegu and North Gyeongsang stand at 1,579 and 409, respectively.
About 42 percent of confirmed cases here, or 840 cases, had been tied to a branch of the Shincheonji religious sect in the southeastern city of Daegu. Most other cases with unknown origins are believed to be linked to the religious sect, KCDC said.
Only 1.6 percent of the total infections, or 33 cases, are tied to people who had recently traveled overseas or come in contact with them, KCDC said.
Other major provinces and cities have also reported some infections, with Seoul's total rising to 62.
In another worrisome development, the cumulative number of virus patients in Busan -- South Korea's second-largest city with 3.5 million people -- rose to 65, with 32 patients linked to a Christian church in the Dongnae district.
The 32 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.
Since raising the virus alert level to "red," the highest level, on Sunday, 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 jump 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.
In the photo provided by Songpa Ward Office, quarantine officials carry out disinfection operations in the district in southeastern Seoul on Feb. 27, 2020, to help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus that has infected 55 people in Seoul and 1,595 people throughout the nation. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip said in a daily briefing that tests on 1,299 Shincheonji members who have shown symptoms of the virus in Daegu have been completed.
Official results of the tests will be released over the weekend, and the number of confirmed cases is expected to be "very high," Kim said.
The government also ordered another 1,638 Shincheonji followers to self-isolate as they have shown symptoms, Kim said.
"The most important thing to prevent COVID-19 from spreading nationwide is that people must stay indoors for the time being and minimize human-to-human contacts," Kim said. "In particular, people need to refrain from attending religious gatherings or rallies over the weekend."
Kim Nam-joong, a pulmonologist at Seoul National University Medical School, said, "The number of COVID-19 confirmed cases is expected to increase for the time being."
"Given the huge volume of testing, the number of patients is expected to decline from a peak after a certain period of time goes by," the pulmonologist said.
A driver gets a virus test at a "drive-thru" test facility set up by Yeungnam University Medical Center in Daegu on Feb. 27, 2020. (Yonhap)
Since 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 accelerated virus tests on potential cases.
Across the nation, local governments and hospitals have launched an easier and faster testing method -- "drive-thru" test centers that allow a driver with symptoms to get a test inside his or her car. The whole test procedure takes about 10 minutes, and such facilities are also aimed at helping protect health workers.
With virus fears mounting, K-pop superstar band BTS canceled its four local concerts in April. Hyundai Motor said one of its domestic plants suspended operations after an employee of the plant was diagnosed with the virus.
South Korea has released 27 fully recovered novel coronavirus patients from hospitals as of Friday, the KCDC said.
The number of people being checked for the virus and under quarantine came to 30,237, it added. The country has tested a total of 78,830 suspected cases, with 48,593 testing negative.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-28--(LEAD) S. Korea reports 3 more deaths from coronavirus, death toll rises to 16

The agency said that it is in the process of determining the exact cause of each death and is taking @ @ @ @ @ may have contacted .

(ATTN: UPDATES with more info in lead, paras 2-6)
SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported three additional deaths tied to new coronavirus on Friday, bringing the country's death toll to 16, the national public health agency said.
According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), the deceased were being treated at hospitals in Daegu, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
The KCDC said of those that died, a 62-year-old woman was posthumously diagnosed with the disease at a university hospital. She showed symptoms of infection and died on Thursday.
It said a 93-year-old woman who died had been a long-term patient at a nursing home, before she tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday and was moved to a large medical facility for treatment.
The third person, born in 1950, died at the emergency room of a hospital after she was found to have contracted the illness earlier in the day.
The agency said that it is in the process of determining the exact cause of each death and is taking steps to check people they may have contacted.
As of 4 p.m. on Friday, South Korea reported 2,337 confirmed cases of coronavirus infections, with 81,167 people having been tested since Jan. 3.
Nearly 70 percent of patients have been reported from Daegu, with a cluster of infections tied to the fringe religious group Shincheonji located there.
(END)


yna--2020-02-28--(LEAD) FM voices strong regrets over Vietnam's planned suspension of visa-wavier program for Koreans

Along with the suspension , Vietnam has banned the entry of visitors who have traveled to South Korea 's southeastern @ @ @ @ @ adjacent North Gyeongsang Province , where the lion 's share of infections have been reported @ @ @ @ @ weeks .

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, edits throughout with FM's remarks)
SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha voiced strong regrets on Friday over Vietnam's decision to suspend a visa-waiver program for Korean nationals amid growing coronavirus fears, calling it an "excessive" entry restriction.
Kang made the remark during a phone conversation with her Vietnamese counterpart, Pham Binh Minh, on Friday, hours after the Southeast Asian country announced the plan, according to her ministry.
Kang conveyed South Koreans' deep disappointment with Vietnam's decision, saying that it would not be in the long-term interest of the two countries' bilateral ties, the ministry said.
She urged Vietnam to normalize the program as soon as possible, while requesting extra efforts to protect the rights of South Korean nationals staying in the country despite its implementation, the ministry added.
The Vietnamese minister said it was an inevitable move to stem the spread of COVID-19 and reaffirmed that the suspension will be temporary.
Vietnam's Embassy in South Korea earlier said that it will suspend its visa-waiver program from Saturday, under which Koreans have been able to stay in the Southeast Asian country for up to 15 days without a visa.
It marks the first time that the program has been suspended since it was introduced in 2004.
Along with the suspension, Vietnam has banned the entry of visitors who have traveled to South Korea's southeastern city of Daegu and its adjacent North Gyeongsang Province, where the lion's share of infections have been reported, in the past two weeks.
Health authorities in South Korea have reported a total of 2,337 confirmed cases of coronavirus infections, with the death toll standing at 16.
This file photo shows emergency medical center at Myongji Hospital in Goyang, northwest of Seoul, that has treated people infected with the novel coronavirus. (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-28--(5th LD) S. Korea's virus cases approach 2,400, people urged to avoid mass gatherings

The latest fatalities all occurred in Daegu , 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul , with the death toll here rising @ @ @ @ @ said two of the latest victims posthumously tested positive for the virus , with one @ @ @ @ @ .
All were women in their 60 through 90s , and were being treated at @ @ @ @ @ when they died .
Authorities said they are trying to determine the exact cause of @ @ @

(ATTN: RECASTS lead; UPDATES with 3 new deaths in paras 2-4)
SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's confirmed cases of the new coronavirus approached 2,400, with an additional three deaths being reported, on Friday as the nation worked to aggressively counter the fast-spreading virus with extensive testing. Health authorities renewed calls for citizens to keep away from others and avoid mass gatherings such as religious services over the weekend.
The 571 new cases -- the sharpest daily spike yet, outnumbering 327 new cases reported in China earlier in the day -- brought the nation's total infections to 2,337, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Two days ago, the number of infections surpassed the 1,000 mark.
The latest fatalities all occurred in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, with the death toll here rising to 16. Health authorities said two of the latest victims posthumously tested positive for the virus, with one being confirmed on Feb. 23. All were women in their 60 through 90s, and were being treated at hospitals or in self quarantine when they died. Authorities said they are trying to determine the exact cause of their deaths.
South Korea confirmed its first new coronavirus case from a Chinese woman from Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus outbreak, on Jan. 20.
A patient is moved from Seoul Medical Center in Seoul to another hospital on Feb. 27, 2020, after the center was designated as a COVID-19-only hospital. (Yonhap)
Of the newly confirmed cases, 447 are in Daegu and 64 are in the neighboring North Gyeongsang Province. The totals for Daegu and North Gyeongsang stand at 1,579 and 409, respectively.
About 42 percent of confirmed cases here, or 840 cases, had been tied to a branch of the Shincheonji religious sect in the southeastern city of Daegu. Most other cases with unknown origins are believed to be linked to the religious sect, KCDC said.
Only 1.6 percent of the total infections, or 33 cases, are tied to people who had recently traveled overseas or come in contact with them, KCDC said.
Other major provinces and cities have also reported some infections, with Seoul's total rising to 62.
In another worrisome development, the cumulative number of virus patients in Busan -- South Korea's second-largest city with 3.5 million people -- rose to 65, with 32 patients linked to a Christian church in the Dongnae district.
The 32 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.
Since raising the virus alert level to "red," the highest level, on Sunday, 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 jump 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.
In the photo provided by Songpa Ward Office, quarantine officials carry out disinfection operations in the district in southeastern Seoul on Feb. 27, 2020, to help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus that has infected 55 people in Seoul and 1,595 people throughout the nation. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip said in a daily briefing that tests on 1,299 Shincheonji members who have shown symptoms of the virus in Daegu have been completed.
Official results of the tests will be released over the weekend, and the number of confirmed cases is expected to be "very high," Kim said.
The government also ordered another 1,638 Shincheonji followers to self-isolate as they have shown symptoms, Kim said.
"The most important thing to prevent COVID-19 from spreading nationwide is that people must stay indoors for the time being and minimize human-to-human contacts," Kim said. "In particular, people need to refrain from attending religious gatherings or rallies over the weekend."
Kim Nam-joong, a pulmonologist at Seoul National University Medical School, said, "The number of COVID-19 confirmed cases is expected to increase for the time being."
"Given the huge volume of testing, the number of patients is expected to decline from a peak after a certain period of time goes by," the pulmonologist said.
A driver gets a virus test at a "drive-thru" test facility set up by Yeungnam University Medical Center in Daegu on Feb. 27, 2020. (Yonhap)
Since 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 accelerated virus tests on potential cases.
Across the nation, local governments and hospitals have launched an easier and faster testing method -- "drive-thru" test centers that allow a driver with symptoms to get a test inside his or her car. The whole test procedure takes about 10 minutes, and such facilities are also aimed at helping protect health workers.
With virus fears mounting, K-pop superstar band BTS canceled its four local concerts in April. Hyundai Motor said one of its domestic plants suspended operations after an employee of the plant was diagnosed with the virus.
South Korea has released 27 fully recovered novel coronavirus patients from hospitals as of Friday, the KCDC said.
The number of people being checked for the virus and under quarantine came to 30,237, it added. The country has tested a total of 78,830 suspected cases, with 48,593 testing negative.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-28--S. Korea reports 3 more deaths from coronavirus, death toll rises to 16

According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( KCDC ) , the three -- all women aged @ @ @ @ @ local hospitals or at home -- died of COVID-19 in Daegu , about 300 kilometers @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported three additional deaths tied to new coronavirus on Friday, bringing the country's death toll to 16, the national public health agency said.
According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), the three -- all women aged from 60-90 either quarantined at local hospitals or at home -- died of COVID-19 in Daegu, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
Two were posthumously diagnosed with the disease and the third had received treatment after testing positive for the virus on Sunday. Other details are not yet available.
As of 4 p.m. on Friday, South Korea reported 2,337 confirmed cases of coronavirus infections, with 81,167 people having been tested since Jan. 3.
Nearly 70 percent of patients have been reported from Daegu, with a cluster of infections tied to the fringe religious group Shincheonji located there.
(END)


yna--2020-02-28--(2nd LD) 58 countries restrict entry from coronavirus-hit S. Korea

Vietnam has said it will suspend a visa-waiver program for South Korean visitors this week over coronavirus concerns .
The @ @ @ @ @ the countries that have banned the entry of Koreans and visitors from the South 's @ @ @ @ @ Gyeongsang Province , where the bulk of the confirmed cases were reported .

(ATTN: ADDS South Korean government's advice against visiting countries imposing entry restrictions on its citizens in 2nd and paras 11-12)
By Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- Nearly 60 countries are restricting the entry of travelers from South Korea with bans or tougher quarantine procedures over coronavirus concerns, foreign ministry data showed Friday, as the number of infections rose to more than 2,300 confirmed cases here.
South Korea's government issued an advisory asking its people to reconsider or delay any planned travel to countries that have imposed restrictions due to worries that people could face inconveniences or safety issues.
As of Friday, twenty-seven parts of the world have entry bans on South Koreans and foreigners who have visited the Asian country in the past few weeks, up from the previous day's tally of 22. They include Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Jamaica and two others.
A few more European countries began to toughen quarantine procedures for people from South Korea, including Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Iceland and Croatia. Several African nations, such as Malawi, Zimbabwe and Kenya, as well as Mexico, are enforcing similar measures.
Many of these countries have added China, Japan, Singapore and Italy -- where major outbreaks of the virus have occurred -- on their quarantine lists.
That puts the number of countries with tightened quarantine processes at 31, including China.
Shanghai and eight provinces in China are imposing stricter quarantine processes for all international passengers or those coming from South Korea and Japan, with the list likely to increase further given that many provincial governments have already been enforcing similar measures.
According to the foreign ministry, 19 countries, including the United States, have raised their travel advisories for South Korea, with 29 others having issued infectious disease warnings and safety alerts. Nine countries have so far suspended flights to and from Korea.
Vietnam has said it will suspend a visa-waiver program for South Korean visitors this week over coronavirus concerns. The Southeast Asian nation is among the countries that have banned the entry of Koreans and visitors from the South's city of Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, where the bulk of the confirmed cases were reported.
South Korea's foreign ministry issued a travel advisory against countries imposing entry bans or toughening quarantine processes on its citizens.
"Our citizens who have any plan to travel to those countries are advised to reconsider or postpone them in comprehensive consideration of local situations and actual need for the trips and activities," the ministry said.
South Korea added 571 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, bringing the total number of infections to 2,337 with 13 deaths.
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-28--(LEAD) S. Korea, China agree to advise students against returning to school

`` Most of ( the Korean students ) are currently in the country .
We moved swiftly to reach an @ @ @ @ @ soon have to leave for China when Chinese universities start the new semester , '' @ @ @ @ @

(ATTN: ADDS details from third para, photo)
SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- Education authorities of South Korea and China agreed to advise their students against returning to school in the other country as part of their cooperation to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, Seoul officials said Friday.
The move comes as the spread of the virus is showing little sign of easing in the two countries after it emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late December.
A Chinese student at Gwangju University in the southwestern city of Gwangju is helped by school officials before entering the dormitory on Feb. 28, 2020. (Yonhap)
Under the agreement that has gone into effect as of 6 p.m., the two countries will be advising Korean students enrolled in Chinese universities and Chinese students registered in universities here from returning to school until COVID-19 has phased out.
"Most of (the Korean students) are currently in the country. We moved swiftly to reach an understanding as students here would soon have to leave for China when Chinese universities start the new semester," the education ministry said.
Beijing has advised universities in China to postpone classes and run online classes until situations surrounding the contagious virus have stabilized.
Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae said the ministry will also encourage local schools to run online classes for Chinese students and consult with Beijing for support measures for Korean students.
Around 50,000 Korean nationals are enrolled in universities across China, according to the education ministry.
There are also around 70,000 Chinese students studying at universities here, with 33,000 of them yet to return for the new school year that starts in March.
As part of efforts to prevent the COVID-19 from further spreading, the education ministry has advised universities to postpone the new term by up to four weeks.
It has also ordered kindergartens, elementary, middle and high schools across the country to delay the new semester by a week.
The measures are part of Seoul's efforts to fight the new coronavirus that is rapidly spreading in the country. South Korea has reported 2,337 cases as of Friday since confirming its first case on Jan. 20.
(END)


yna--2020-02-28--S. Korea raises travel advisory for northern Italy

The ministry cited growing concern over person-to-person transmission as the number of infected cases in those areas has been rising @ @ @ @ @ , over 600 coronavirus infections have been reported in the three regions .

SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea raised the travel advisory for three provinces in northern Italy on Friday after the European country reported a rapid increase in new coronavirus infections.
The foreign ministry issued a "yellow warning", which calls for travel restraint and is the third highest out of a four-level scale, for Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto in the country's north, according to the ministry website.
The ministry cited growing concern over person-to-person transmission as the number of infected cases in those areas has been rising fast. As of Thursday, over 600 coronavirus infections have been reported in the three regions.
The ministry called for South Korean nationals residing in the areas to take extra caution for their health and safety, while advising those planning trips there to carefully consider their visits.
This graphic image, provided by Seoul's foreign ministry on Feb. 28, 2020, shows a map of Italy with northern parts of country marked yellow to indicate new travel warnings, following a spike in the new coronavirus outbreaks in three regions. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-28--S. Korea to offer half of promised help to China through int'l agencies: official

SEOUL , Feb. 28 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korea will provide about half of the aid it promised to @ @ @ @ @ the new coronavirus through international assistance agencies in an apparent bid to avoid disrupting supplies @ @ @ @ @ own people , a foreign ministry official said Friday .

SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will provide about half of the aid it promised to China in its fight against the new coronavirus through international assistance agencies in an apparent bid to avoid disrupting supplies of medical items for its own people, a foreign ministry official said Friday.
Late last month, the Seoul government unveiled a plan to provide US$5 million worth of aid to China, including face masks, medical gloves and disinfectants, to help the country at the center of COVID-19 outbreak, which has killed about 2,800 people so far.
The plan drew criticism here as South Korea is also struggling with a fast spreading outbreak of the virus, sending people scrambling to buy masks and other protective products.
Sharp increases in demand, combined with massive hoarding by panicked people and those seeking profits, makes it hard for ordinary people to get masks and other items.
"(The aid plan) will not impact the domestic market since international organizations will procure (medical items) from overseas," the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
Relevant discussions are reportedly under way with the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) to provide the promised aid to China.
South Korea has seen a spike in the number of new coronavirus infections. As of Friday afternoon, the number approached 2,400 with deaths tied to the virus standing at 13.
A post office in Paju, north of Seoul, sells masks on Feb. 28, 2020. Earlier, post offices nationwide were designated as emergency mask supply locations by the government amid the new coronavirus crisis. (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-02-28--S. Korea, China agree to advise students against returning to school

SEOUL , Feb. 28 ( Yonhap ) -- Education authorities of South Korea and China agreed to advise their students @ @ @ @ @ the other country as part of their cooperation to contain the spread of the new @ @ @ @ @ Friday .

SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- Education authorities of South Korea and China agreed to advise their students against returning to school in the other country as part of their cooperation to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, Seoul officials said Friday.
The move comes as the spread of the virus is showing little sign of easing in the two countries after it emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late December.
(END)


yna--2020-02-28--(4th LD) Moon wins bipartisan commitment to anti-virus efforts, including extra budget plan

`` The blow to our economy is very big .
The longer ( the incident ) continues , the more @ @ @ @ @ and added that the government is seeking a package of special measures to curtail the @ @ @ @ @ the economy .

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with agreement, briefings by parties)
By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in visited the National Assembly on Friday and secured a bipartisan commitment to cooperation on "bold and quick special measures" to help fight against the new coronavirus and its economic fallout.
As president, Moon had his first roundtable meeting with the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties at parliament, located in western Seoul. It came as his administration plans to submit a multi-billion-dollar extra budget bill next week.
In the meeting, they agreed that parliament and the government would focus national capabilities in a bipartisan manner to respond to the "grave situations," the statement issued by the parties read.
They agreed on the need for "bold and quick special measures," including the allocation of extra budgets to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, to cope with related damages and reinvigorate the economy, it added.
President Moon Jae-in (C) meets with the leaders of South Korea's major ruling and opposition parties at the Sarangjae house of the National Assembly in Seoul on Feb. 28, 2020. (Yonhap)
At the beginning of the 99-minute meeting, Moon requested that lawmakers swiftly approve the emergency budget plan.
"I think the key is speed," he stressed during the session held at a traditional "hanok" house, called "Sarangjae," inside the National Assembly compound. Sarangjae means a "room of love" in Korean.
"I would like to ask you to discuss it quickly and handle it during the extraordinary session of the National Assembly this time," Moon added.
Public concern has been growing that the COVID-19 outbreak here may spiral out of control, with more than 2,300 confirmed cases reported as of Friday afternoon.
Moon expressed deep concern about the economy as well.
"The blow to our economy is very big. The longer (the incident) continues, the more worrisome," he said and added that the government is seeking a package of special measures to curtail the impact of the virus on the economy.
But Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of the main opposition United Future Party, soon opened fire against the president in front of pool reporters and TV crew.
He urged Moon to offer a public apology, arguing that the government's failed response has "inflicted a decisive effect on the background of this crisis."
He said the government should have prohibited the entry of all people from China in the early stage of its response to the virus that was first reported in South Korea on Jan. 20.
Hwang Kyo-ahn (R), head of the main opposition United Future Party, speaks at a meeting with President Moon Jae-in at the National Assembly in Seoul on Feb. 28, 2020. (Yonhap)
You Sung-yop, who co-heads the Party for People's Livelihoods, also described the Moon administration's early measures as a failure and Sim called for a halt to political strife related to the virus outbreak that is not over yet.
Moon maintained a negative view on such a full entry ban against China, the origin of the virus, saying it would have no actual quarantine-related benefits and only cause more disadvantages for South Koreans, according to Kim Jong-dae, a lawmaker with the Justice Ministry who spoke at a post-meeting press briefing.
Moon was quoted as saying that it's not desirable to engage in a political controversy over the issue.
The president emphasized the need for concentrating all efforts on containing the virus first and discuss the government's responsibility later.
Lee Hae-chan, head of the ruling Democratic Party, pointed out that the nation's ruling and opposition parties have cooperated in the event of a "national difficulty," as shown in the passage of a supplementary budget during the MERS case in 2015.
Sim Sang-jeung, chief of the Justice Party, agreed that the political circles should suspend political strife in connection with the virus issue and make concerted efforts to control it.
It was unprecedented for the president to hold such a group consultation session with the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties at parliament.
Moon had all of his five previous meetings with them at Cheong Wa Dae, usually over a meal. Moon invited them to Cheong Wa Dae on Nov. 10 last year as a gesture of appreciation for their condolence messages over the death of his mother.
President Moon Jae-in (R) is greeted by National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang, both wearing face masks, at the parliamentary building in western Seoul on Feb. 28, 2020. (Yonhap)
He met briefly with National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang in advance of what Cheong Wa Dae officially called a "dialogue" between the president and the ruling and opposition party chiefs.
Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki announced that the government is poised to spend a total of more than 20 trillion won (US$16 billion) in the dual combat against the virus and its economic effects.
He said the government would forward a bill on extra budget, worth at least 6.2 trillion won, to the National Assembly next week.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-28--(3rd LD) Hyundai Motor halts operations at plant following coronavirus case

`` The infected person works at the 300-member paint shop at the plant .
The company delivered the list of @ @ @ @ @ as they may have come into contact with the person , who is being taken @ @ @ @ @ authorities , '' union spokesman Seo Bo-yeon said over the phone .

(ATTN: ADDS details throughout; UPDATES stock prices)
SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's biggest carmaker by sales, said Friday it has halted operations at one of its domestic plants after an employee there was diagnosed with the new coronavirus.
Hyundai Motor immediately brought work at the No. 2 plant in the southeastern port city of Ulsan to a halt, and held an emergency meeting with its union to discuss follow-up measures, according to the company and the union.
"The infected person works at the 300-member paint shop at the plant. The company delivered the list of all employees in the plant as they may have come into contact with the person, who is being taken care of by the health authorities," union spokesman Seo Bo-yeon said over the phone.
This photo taken Feb. 7, 2020, shows Hyundai Motor's main plant in Ulsan, 410 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)
The Korea Centers for Disease Control (KCDC) asked Hyundai to disinfect the paint shop but the company decided to disinfect the entire No. 2 plant, Seo said.
"The infected employee visited a health center in the Ulsan plant and used a restaurant also frequented by fellow workers from other plants. The KCDC is checking on the workers who might have been exposed to the infected worker," he said.
The company said it will restart operations of the No. 2 plant on Monday.
The confirmation of COVID-19 case another negative development for the carmaker, which is already suffering from a shortage of parts from China due to the outbreak there.
The news sent Hyundai Motor shares 5 percent lower to 115,000 won, far underperforming the broader KOSPI's 3.3 percent loss.
At the No. 2 plant, which employs some 4,000 workers, Hyundai produces four SUV models -- the Palisade, the Tucson, the Santa Fe and the GV80 launched in January -- under its independent Genesis brand.
Hyundai has strengthened its SUV lineup to enhance its profitability and meet rising demand for recreational vehicles in global markets.
The company plans to further strengthen its SUV lineup by adding new models such as the all-new Tucson and the Genesis GV70 this year, as well as an all-electric model under the Genesis badge next year.
In 2020, Hyundai aims to sell a total of 4.58 million vehicles in global markets. The target is 3.5 percent higher than the 4.42 million units it sold last year.
For the whole of 2019, its net profit nearly doubled to 3.26 trillion won from 1.65 trillion won a year earlier helped by robust sales of the flagship Palisade.
Hyundai has seven domestic plants -- five in Ulsan, one in Asan and one in Jeonju -- and 10 overseas plants -- four in China and one each in the United States, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Russia, India and Brazil. Their combined capacity reaches 5.5 million vehicles.
Hyundai halted all of its local plants on Feb. 7 and kept them suspended through Feb. 10 as their parts suppliers in China stopped production during an extended Lunar New Year holiday from Jan. 24 to Feb. 9.
The company didn't provide the value of production losses caused by the suspension.
It was the first time that Hyundai had suspended all domestic plants since 1997, when the Asian financial crisis affected local manufacturers and Mando Corp. stopped supplying parts to the carmaker.
South Korea had reported a total of 2,337 confirmed coronavirus cases and 13 deaths as of Friday. The first case in the country was reported on Jan. 20.
This photo provided by Hyundai Motor shows the Palisade SUV. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-28--(2nd LD) Seoul virus cases surpass 60 with rise in hospital infections

`` Seoul is a megacity with a population of 10 million and is connected to cities across the country .
@ @ @ @ @ social isolation is necessary , as well as keeping to everyday life , sustaining hygiene @ @ @ @ @ lot of people , such as at religious events , '' a city official said @

(ATTN: RECASTS lead; UPDATES latest figures in paras 2-3, 7)
By Lee Minji
SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- The number of coronavirus infections in Seoul exceeded 60 on Friday, with a hospital in the northwest of the capital identified as a major cluster of infections and separate cases being reported in some of the capital's busiest areas.
The number of patients in Seoul increased by six from the previous day, bringing the total to 62 as of 4 p.m. Friday, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Separate data from the Seoul Metropolitan Government showed there were 65 patients by 10 a.m.
Total infections in the country reached 2,337 cases on Friday afternoon, with those linked to the fringe religious sect Shincheonji Church of Jesus and a hospital in Cheongdo County together accounting for nearly half.
While Seoul had been deemed relatively safe from the mass outbreak in the southeastern city of Daegu, 300 kilometers away from the capital, its figures have risen due to a cluster of infections at a major hospital.
The city's data showed that 13 of its 65 infections are linked to the Catholic University of Korea Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital in the northwestern ward of Eunpyeong, where hospital employees, patients and their families were among those who were affected.
A building at the Catholic University of Korea Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital in the northwestern ward of Eunpyeong in Seoul is empty on Feb. 28, 2020, after the hospital was temporarily closed following coronavirus infections. (Yonhap)
Concerns are also rising there may be additional COVID-19 infections at Myungsung Church, one of the city's Christian megachurches, which has a following of 80,000, after a pastor there was infected. Two cases have been traced to the church in eastern Seoul.
While the numbers are small, infections have also been reported in the city's bustling neighborhoods like Gwanghwamun and Gangnam, as well as the financial district of Yeouido and Myeongdong, a popular shopping spot for tourists.
The city government has urged people to refrain from outdoor activities and social events over fears that the contagious virus may further spread over the weekend.
"Seoul is a megacity with a population of 10 million and is connected to cities across the country. At times like this, social isolation is necessary, as well as keeping to everyday life, sustaining hygiene and refraining from meeting a lot of people, such as at religious events," a city official said.
The advice comes as a conservative civic group is expected to press ahead with a major gathering this Sunday despite opposition from police and city officials, who have imposed no-rally zones in parts of central Seoul.
With churches emerging as a possible hotbed of infection, the government has also urged people not to take part in Sunday services. Many large Protestant churches in the capital have canceled their services this coming weekend.
A member of a group that represents Shincheonji victims holds signs opposing the fringe religious sect at a rally in front of the Supreme Prosecutors Office on Feb. 27, 2020. (Yonhap)
The city government, meanwhile, is working to identify and quarantine followers of the Shincheonji, whose Daegu branch has been identified as an epicenter of an outbreak in South Korea.
The city said it has wrapped up preliminary research into 28,317 Shincheonji followers in the capital based on a list provided by the central government.
Of the 95 percent who were reached, 2,164 said they had visited Daegu and nearby North Gyeongsang Province or attended a church service in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, where an infection occurred. A total of 217 reported having symptoms, 31 of whom have been tested.
City officials said they plan to continue getting in touch with those who refused to be interviewed or could not be reached and to monitor those who have reported symptoms and have been put under quarantine.
For those who continue to refuse to be interviewed, the city plans to launch a joint probe with the police and notify them of a public health law that carries a sentence of up to two years in jail or a fine of up to 20 million won (US$16,451).
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-28--Moon wins bipartisan commitment to anti-virus efforts including extra budget plan

They agreed on the need for `` bold and quick special measures , '' including the allocation of extra budgets @ @ @ @ @ the new coronavirus , to cope with related damages and reinvigorate the economy , it @ @

SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in reached an agreement Friday with the chiefs of South Korea's four major political parties on bipartisan support for the country's fight against COVID-19, according to their joint statement.
Moon visited the National Assembly for a meeting with the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties, as his administration plans to submit a multibillion-dollar extra budget bill next week.
In the meeting, they agreed that the parliament and the government would focus national capabilities in a bipartisan manner to respond to the "grave situations," the statement read.
They agreed on the need for "bold and quick special measures," including the allocation of extra budgets to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, to cope with related damages and reinvigorate the economy, it added.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-28--(LEAD) Culture minister urges religious groups to halt gatherings amid coronavirus

Myungsung Church in eastern Seoul has closed its facilities and suspended all activities and meetings after two of its members @ @ @ @ @ were confirmed to be infected with the virus .
The church is one of the @ @ @ @ @ world , with 80,000 followers .

(ATTN: UPDATES with latest info in 4th, last para; CORRECTS name of church in 11th para)
SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's culture minister urged local religious groups on Friday to halt regular services and gatherings as the country is struggling to contain mass outbreaks of the novel coronavirus.
"This weekend and next weekend are expected to be critical points in (containing) the spread of COVID-19 and (preventing) the situation's prolongation," Culture Minister Park Yang-woo said in his emergency appeal to religious groups.
"I earnestly ask (such groups) to refrain from any religious services and gatherings for a while in order to prevent further coronavirus infections and the extension of the situation," Park said.
As of 4 p.m. Friday, South Korea had confirmed 2,337 coronavirus infections, with 571 new cases reported during the day. The death toll remained unchanged at 13.
Many large Protestant churches in the country were reluctant to suspend their Sunday services this coming weekend, raising concerns that often densely packed religious gatherings in closed spaces could become a hotbed of virus infections.
A picture of Yoido Full Gospel Church, provided by the church (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The Shincheonji church, a minor Christian sect based in the country, has been at the center of the coronavirus outbreak here, with the lion's share of the total infection cases involving its followers.
Shincheonji has shut down all of its facilities, and the Catholic Church suspended all public masses for the first time in its 236-year history in the country in response to the recent surge in virus infections.
Some Protestant churches were quick to suspend their Sunday services or convert them into online masses, however.
Myungsung Church in eastern Seoul has closed its facilities and suspended all activities and meetings after two of its members, including a pastor, were confirmed to be infected with the virus. The church is one of the biggest Presbyterian churches in the world, with 80,000 followers.
Somang Presbyterian Church, located in the south of the capital city, said earlier it would suspend all public gatherings, including Sunday services, as one of its members tested positive for the virus early this week.
On Friday, Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, the biggest Protestant church in South Korea, with 560,000 followers, joined the move. The church said it said will replace Sunday services with online ones by March 8.
It has already stopped holding weekday public events and gatherings of its worshippers.
Another megachurch, Sarang Community Church in southern Seoul, also announced the suspension of its regular Sunday service Friday, turning it into a live-broadcast online ceremony.
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-28--(LEAD) Galaxy S20 sales 20 pct lower than S10 on 1st day

The Galaxy S20 series smartphones went on sale on Thursday , and their first-day sales volume came to about 80 @ @ @ @ @ previous S10 series phones , launched in March last year , a Samsung Electronics spokeswoman @ @ @ @ @

(ATTN: CHANGES headline and lead; REWRITES throughout)
SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- Sales of Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy S20 smartphones were 20 percent lower than the previous model on their first day amid the spreading coronavirus outbreak, the company said Friday.
The Galaxy S20 series smartphones went on sale on Thursday, and their first-day sales volume came to about 80 percent of those for the previous S10 series phones, launched in March last year, a Samsung Electronics spokeswoman said over the phone.
"The first-day sales figures were collected from offline stores operated by telecom companies, online shops and others," she said without giving any specific numbers.
Samsung Electronics sold an estimated 70,800 units of the latest smartphone series through local telecommunications companies on Thursday, far lower than 140,000 units of the Galaxy S10 series in their first-day sales, industry sources said.
Three telecom firms -- SK Telecom Co., KT Corp. and LG Uplus Corp. -- compete for a bigger share in the local wireless services markets.
The estimated figure didn't include numbers from online transactions and sales through other channels, the spokeswoman said.
"Sales were affected by sharp declines in discounts for new phones and the number of visitors to offline stores due to coronavirus infection fears," a telecom official said, adding that lower-than-expected subsidies were another downside factor.
On Friday, Samsung Electronics fell 3 percent to 54,200 won in line with the broader KOSPI's 3.3 percent loss.
The Galaxy S20 series, which was unveiled early this month in San Francisco, has three models -- the S20, the S20 Plus and the S20 Ultra.
The entry-level S20 is sold for 1.25 million won (US$1,044) here, while the mid-range S20 Plus has a price tag of 1.35 million won. The high-end S20 Ultra, which boasts a 108-megapixel camera, comes with a price tag of 1.59 million won.
South Korea had reported a total of 2,337 confirmed coronavirus cases and 13 deaths as of Friday. The first case in the country was reported on Jan. 20.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-28--(3rd LD) S. Korea struggles to secure more hospital beds, medical staff amid spiking virus cases

Out of the confirmed 1,314 COVID-19 patients in the country 's fourth-largest city , only 634 had been admitted to @ @ @ @ @ awaiting hospital beds while in self-quarantine at their homes as of early Friday , according @ @ @ @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES with more info and tally in last 3 paras)
SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's health authorities said Friday that they are making utmost efforts to secure more health care workers and hospital beds in the southeastern city of Daegu, the local epicenter of the new coronavirus outbreak, where more than 1,300 virus patients have been reported.
Out of the confirmed 1,314 COVID-19 patients in the country's fourth-largest city, only 634 had been admitted to hospitals and another 680 were awaiting hospital beds while in self-quarantine at their homes as of early Friday, according to city government officials.
Daegu, population 2.4 million, has emerged as a hotbed of the coronavirus in South Korea, along with neighboring North Gyeongsang Province, which has seen 394 virus cases alone.
A patient is moved from Seoul Medical Center in Seoul to another hospital on Feb. 27, 2020, after the center was designated a COVID-19-only hospital. (Yonhap)
Concerns over a possible shortage of hospital beds in the hardest-hit regions escalated after a 75-year-old virus patient who is tied to a religious sect in Daegu died of respiratory failure earlier Thursday, bringing the nation's death toll to 13.
The patient, despite having underlying diseases, was in self-quarantine at home and died while awaiting admission to a local hospital.
"It is our principle to designate critical COVID-19 patients to hospitals that can provide intensive-care treatment," said Jeong Eun-kyeong, head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A total of 853 medical staff, including 58 doctors, have volunteered to go to Daegu to help contain the current outbreak.
"The government will not only provide financial compensation for medical staff who have volunteered to participate in preferential COVID-19 virus testing in the Daegu region but also ... praise their efforts for the local community," Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip said in a daily briefing.
Health authorities also said they will first provide 47,000 protective suits and 77,000 facial masks for the medical staff working in the region.
Workers stack a variety of emergency relief goods pouring in from all over the country at Daegu Stadium in COVID-19-hit Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Feb. 28, 2020. (Yonhap)
The KCDC said it has provided guidelines so that doctors can swiftly allocate hospital beds to patients in accordance with the severity of the disease and move serious patients to negative-pressure isolation wards.
As of Thursday, South Korea had 1,077 negative-pressure isolation rooms, which facilitate the treatment of patients with infectious diseases while minimizing the risk of cross-contamination.
As such facilities have been overwhelmed in Daegu, big hospitals in Seoul have said they will accept virus patients who are in critical condition as well.
The city government of Daegu and the provincial government of South Gyeongsang said they will operate COVID-19-only hospitals amid concerns that the country may soon run out of space at negative-pressure isolation wards.
A nursing hospital for seniors in Daegu and another midsized hospital in the central city of Cheonan will now only treat coronavirus patients.
The country reported 517 new cases of the coronavirus on Friday, marking the largest daily increase, to bring the total number of infections here to 2,337. So far, 13 people have died of the disease.
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-28--(2nd LD) Two additional coronavirus cases reported in military, total at 27

It also decided to call off a planned ceremony to mark the 60th anniversary of the March 8 democratic rally @ @ @ @ @ Syng-man , South Korea 's first president , according to its release .
The event @ @ @ @ @ place in the central city of Daejeon next month .

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead with latest figures; UPDATES paras 2-4)
By Oh Seok-min and Choi Soo-hyang
SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- An Air Force officer and an airman based in the central city of Cheongju tested positive for the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the military to 27 on Friday, the defense ministry said.
Of the total, 15 are in the Army, 10 in the Air Force and one each in the Navy and the Marine Corps, the ministry said, adding that 24 of them are active-duty service members.
South Korea's total infections have risen to 2,337 cases and 13 civilian deaths as of 4 p.m.
Around 9,480 service members are quarantined at their bases to stop the virus from spreading. Of them, around 920 have either shown symptoms or had direct contact with infected patients, while the remainder had visited Daegu or its neighboring regions after Feb. 10.
The ministry also launched a weeklong emergency working system for service members in the southeastern city of Daegu. Under the system, non-essential officers are required to work at their residences or designated facilities while core personnel stay at their bases on-call.
A naval service member donates blood at South Korea's Fleet Command in the southern city of Busan on Feb. 26, 2020, as the domestic blood supply is on alert due to the new coronavirus crisis. More than 430 service persons of the command donated their blood during its three-day campaign. (Yonhap)
Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo presided over a video meeting with top commanders Friday upon his return from a visit to the U.S. and called for the military's utmost efforts to prevent further spread of the virus.
"Think of this situation as equivalent to wartime and mobilize all available military resources -- both medical and non-medical -- to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province," he said.
Jeong also said the military's readiness posture should be "watertight" despite the non-military threats.
Daegu and its surrounding North Gyeongsang Province are the hardest-hit areas of South Korea, with more than 80 percent of the total confirmed cases occurring there, with a cluster of infections linked to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus.
The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs pledged Friday to maximize support for a veterans hospital in Daegu after it was designated by the government as a special clinic for coronavirus patients.
By activating an emergency medical system, the ministry also plans to extend medical coverage to veterans to prevent a possible "vacuum" in their treatment for other diseases.
It also decided to call off a planned ceremony to mark the 60th anniversary of the March 8 democratic rally against the government of Rhee Syng-man, South Korea's first president, according to its release. The event was initially scheduled to take place in the central city of Daejeon next month.
A total of 325 military medical staff and nearly 950 officials and soldiers have been mobilized to support government-wide anti-virus efforts, according to the defense ministry.
This photo, provided by the defense ministry, shows a video meeting of top commanders, presided over by Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, at its headquarters in Seoul on Feb. 28, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-29--S. Korea reports 594 new virus cases, total almost 3,000

Experts said the number of confirmed cases is expected to jump in the coming days as health authorities have begun @ @ @ @ @ of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus at the center of the rapid spread in other @ @

SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported a whopping 594 additional cases of the new coronavirus on Saturday, bringing the total infections here to 2,931 as the country intensified its anti-virus fight with a massive program of testing.
So far, 16 people have died in South Korea from the virus that emerged in China.
Of the 594 new cases, 476 are in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, and 60 were reported in neighboring North Gyeongsang Province, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
Troops set up makeshift partitions and beds at the Armed Forces Hospital in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Feb. 28, 2020. The extra beds are being prepared to cope with the spike in patients testing positive for the novel coronavirus in the city. (Yonhap)
Other major provinces and cities have also reported some infections, with Seoul reporting additional 12 cases.
Since raising the virus alert level to "red," the highest level, on Sunday, 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 jump 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.
People wait in a long line for hours to buy just five masks per person at a post office in coronavirus-stricken Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Feb. 28, 2020. (Yonhap)
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-29--71 countries restricting entry from S. Korea over coronavirus concern

As of early Saturday , 33 countries are barring the entry of South Koreans and foreigners who have visited the @ @ @ @ @ few weeks , up from the previous tally of 30 , according to the ministry @ @

By Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- Over 70 countries are imposing entry restrictions and stricter quarantine procedures for travellers from South Korea over coronavirus concerns, foreign ministry data showed Saturday, as the virus is spreading fast in the country, with infection cases nearing 3,000
As of early Saturday, 33 countries are barring the entry of South Koreans and foreigners who have visited the Asian country in the past few weeks, up from the previous tally of 30, according to the ministry website.
Malaysia and Lebanon were the latest to enforce the measure. Kyrgyzstan will begin to impose entry bans on Sunday, stepping up their restrictions from tougher quarantine procedures.
Thirty-seven countries, eight Chinese provinces, and the Chinese city of Shanghai have tougher quarantine processes, most of which require a 14-day mandatory isolation and close monitoring.
Several Eastern European countries have joined the move, including Latvia, North Macedonia and Bulgaria.
Many of these countries have added China, Japan, Singapore and Italy -- where major outbreaks of the virus have occurred -- on their quarantine lists.
South Korea has issued an advisory asking its citizens to reconsider or delay any planned trip to countries that have imposed entry restrictions, citing the inconvenience or safety issues that may occur.
Early Saturday, Seoul issued a "navy" travel alert, the lowest on a four-level scale, for all of Japan, advising its citizens to take precautions. The Fukushima region is currently under a higher alert following the 2011 nuclear disaster.
Japan has reported at least 900 infection cases from the coronavirus, most of which come from the quarantined cruise ship in Yokohama.
On Saturday morning, South Korea added 594 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total infections to 2,931, with 16 deaths.
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-29--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 594 more cases of novel coronavirus, total now at 2,931

Departments and equipment at a hospital in coronavirus-stricken Daegu are moved into containers set up as a makeshift medical facility on the hospital's grounds on Feb. 28, 2020. The step was taken to accommodate COVID-19 patients at the vacated hospital. (Yonhap)


yna--2020-02-29--Seoul shares to trade bearish amid coronavirus fears

`` Concerns over a global pandemic of the virus are looming as the number of new infections outside of China @ @ @ @ @ epicenter , '' Kim Byung-yeon , an analyst at NH Investment & Securities Co. , @ @

SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks are expected to trade weaker next week due to growing concerns over the economic fallout from the global spread of the new coronavirus, analysts said Saturday.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 1,987.01 on Friday, plunging 8.12 percent from a week earlier.
It marked the first time for the index to finish below the psychologically resistant 2,000-point level since September last year.
On Monday, the stock market plummeted nearly 4 percent to see its sharpest fall in 16 months as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases here tripled over the weekend.
This photo shows the trading room of Hana Bank in downtown Seoul on Feb. 28, 2020. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) decreased 67.88 points, or 3.30 percent, to close at 1,987.01. (Yonhap)
It rebounded in the following session as investors sought after bargains. The gain, however, was short-lived as investors braced for growing woes over the spread of the new coronavirus here.
The selling spree extended to Friday, with the main index dipping more than 3 percent after the number of infection cases hovered above 2,000.
Foreigners remained net sellers for five consecutive sessions this week.
They dumped a net 3.4 trillion won (US$2.84 billion) worth of local stocks, while retail investors bought a net 2.5 trillion won. Institutions purchased a net 686 billion won.
Next week, analysts said the market is expected to face further jitters from the COVID-19 spread.
The growing hope for economic stimulus measures by major economies, however, may lend some support to the market.
"Concerns over a global pandemic of the virus are looming as the number of new infections outside of China is outpacing that of the epicenter," Kim Byung-yeon, an analyst at NH Investment & Securities Co., said.
"The hope over economic stimulus measures from the U.S. and China may still support investors' sentiment," Kim added.
This week, technology firms and carmakers were among the major losers.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


Saturday's weather forecast

SEOUL , Feb. 29 ( Yonhap ) -- The following is the weather forecast for South Korea 's 12 major @ @ @ @ @ .

(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--2020-02-29--Number of passengers at Incheon airport dips amid coronavirus spread

On Wednesday , the daily number of passengers traveling through the airport even fell below the 80,000 mark for the @ @ @ @ @ when the figure stood at 55,000 after international flights were canceled due to Typhoon Bolaven @

SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- The daily number of passengers traveling through Incheon International Airport dipped on-year this month, data showed Saturday, following the spread of the new coronavirus around the globe.
The main gateway to Seoul handled around 120,000 passengers on average every day this month, a whopping 42 percent decrease from 206,000 a year earlier, the data showed.
The number of airplanes that arrived or departed from the airport fell 15.6 percent on-year to reach 25,256, the data added.
On Wednesday, the daily number of passengers traveling through the airport even fell below the 80,000 mark for the first time since 2012, when the figure stood at 55,000 after international flights were canceled due to Typhoon Bolaven.
Flights to China have been canceled after the country emerged as the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak.
More flights were suspended recently as a growing number of countries imposed entry bans on travelers from South Korea.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-29--(EDITORIAL from Korea JoongAng Daily on Feb. 29)

Kyunghee University has 3,839 Chinese students and was able to quarantine 480 for two weeks in dorms after they entered @ @ @ @ @ has 3,330 students and was able to quarantine 100 .
Chung-Ang University quarantined 80 out @ @ @ @ @ were told to self-quarantine .
Schools routinely checked on them , but whether they really @ @ @ @ @ remains questionable .
How many were out roaming around can not be known .
According @ @ @ @ @ , only two out of 17 universities with the largest numbers of Chinese students had @ @ @ @ @ .
Schools used part-timers to check on the students , but that would have been @ @ @ @ @ .

Dilemma over schools
The Education Ministry put off the opening of schools from March 2 to 9 because of the coronavirus outbreak. Colleges and universities deferred the new semester for one to two weeks. The education authority should get its act together soon as there are few signs of the epidemic dying down.
Education authorities have been dilly-dallying instead of coming up with practical solutions to prevent risks. It allowed universities to decide how to control Chinese students.
Kyunghee University has 3,839 Chinese students and was able to quarantine 480 for two weeks in dorms after they entered the country. Sungkyunkwan University has 3,330 students and was able to quarantine 100. Chung-Ang University quarantined 80 out of 3,199. Many more were told to self-quarantine. Schools routinely checked on them, but whether they really stayed in self-quarantine or not remains questionable. How many were out roaming around cannot be known. According to the university professor council, only two out of 17 universities with the largest numbers of Chinese students had licensed doctors on their campuses. Schools used part-timers to check on the students, but that would have been no more than a formality.
Some 6.1 million people attend school across the country, making them a potential danger zone. Schools are important parts of a community. They are connected to families, shopping and after-school activity centers. One infection can spread fast. Infectious disease can be easily spread in closed classrooms. Given the rapid spread in churches and hospitals, schools have the potential to become hotbeds for the disease.
Schools must not open until the infection dies down. Pushing back the date by a week will only add to confusion and anxiety. The authority must decide on how long this delay should last and let students and parents know. The Education Ministry and universities must make up for the losses in classes for the sake of all students.
Beijing has ordered online classes. Universities started the new semester last week almost entirely online. Tsinghua University's 3,098 classes in the current semester are all online.
Our universities lack the technology and content to fully go online. The Education Ministry must employ the online model provided by Pohang University of Science and Technology (Postec). Postec offered to share its 57 online classes with other universities and help others open lectures online. The country is full of resources. The government only needs to put them to good use.
(END)