yna--2020-03-21--Eastar Jet to shut down all flights over novel coronavirus

`` Travel demand has dropped sharply due to the novel coronavirus , '' an Eastar Jet official said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ we lose money when we operate flights .
To minimize the damage , we thought @ @ @ @ @ down our flights for a month . ''

SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korean low-cost carrier Eastar Jet Co. will shut down all of its flights, company officials said Saturday, amid a travel slump triggered by the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Eastar Jet will halt operation of its domestic flights from Tuesday to April 25, according to the officials. The budget carrier already suspended all of its international flights earlier this month.
Eastar Jet will be the first South Korean airline to close all of its air services due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
This photo provided by Easter Jet Co. shows the company's aircraft in service. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"Travel demand has dropped sharply due to the novel coronavirus," an Eastar Jet official said. "In the current situation, we lose money when we operate flights. To minimize the damage, we thought it was better to shut down our flights for a month."
For those who already booked Eastar Jet flights, the company will help them to use flights of Jeju Air Co., the country's largest low-cost carrier. Jeju Air earlier this month signed a deal to acquire Easter Jet for 54.5 billion won (US$43.7 million).
Local air carriers have been suffering badly from the novel coronavirus outbreak. Of the South Korean airlines, three -– Air Seoul, Air Busan and T'Way Air -- currently are operating only domestic flights after shutting down their international services.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-21--(2nd LD) New virus infections up again; cluster outbreaks, imported cases in focus

The 147 new cases , which were detected Friday , brought the nation 's total infections to 8,799 , according @ @ @ @ @ Disease Control and Prevention ( KCDC ) .
It was so far the second highest @ @ @ @ @ week following 152 new cases identified on Wednesday .

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 11-13)
SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea saw a slight uptick in daily new infections of the novel coronavirus on Saturday as the country braced for sporadic cluster infections and a rise in imported cases.
The 147 new cases, which were detected Friday, brought the nation's total infections to 8,799, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). It was so far the second highest number of new cases this week following 152 new cases identified on Wednesday.
This image provided by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) shows virus cases and related data on March 21, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The country's death toll has surpassed 100 since it reported its first fatality a month ago.
So far, 102 people, mostly elderly patients with underlying illnesses, have died from the respiratory virus that emerged in China late last year,
The pace of daily new infections has shown marked signs of slowing since the second week of this month as health authorities completed extensive testing of 210,000 Shincheonji followers at the center of the rapid spread.
But the authorities are still on high alert over new clusters of infections, including at a call center in Seoul's Guro district and nursing hospitals in Daegu and surrounding North Gyeongsang Province.
Of the 147 new cases, 69 are in Daegu and 40 are in North Gyeongsang, the KCDC said. The total number of confirmed cases in Daegu and North Gyeongsang, the two epicenters of the virus outbreak here, stood at 6,344 and 1,243, respectively.
Other major provinces and cities have also reported some infections, with Seoul identifying 15 additional cases and its surrounding Gyeonggi Province adding 12 more cases.
The total number of imported virus cases rose by six to 23.
This photo, taken on March 20, 2020, shows an empty duty-free shop zone at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. (Yonhap)
To better control imported cases, South Korea will require all arrivals from European nations to get tested for the virus and self-isolate for two weeks starting Sunday. South Korea already tightened border checks for all people coming from abroad earlier this week.
Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health ministry official who is in charge of containment measures, said the government has prepared temporary shelters that can house a total of 1,000 travelers from Europe where they can stay and wait for test results.
South Korea has yet to consider conducting virus tests on arrivals from North American regions where COVID-19 cases are increasing rapidly.
Of the 80 people who arrived in South Korea on Thursday from virus-hit Iran, one tested positive for COVID-19 and was transferred to a hospital, according to Yoon. Other 79 evacuees were ordered to self-isolate at a temporary shelter in Seongnam, south of Seoul, he said.
With unknown virus sufferers who have not developed symptoms apparently causing significant numbers of infections, the government has called for people to avoid nonessential gatherings in crowded places, such as religious facilities, nursing homes, internet cafes and karaoke rooms.
Since raising the virus alert level to "red," the highest level, on Feb. 23, health authorities have focused on halting the spread of the virus in Daegu and North Gyeongsang.
On Sunday, the government designated Daegu and three other hard-hit areas in North Gyeongsang as "special disaster zones," allowing it to subsidize about half of the recovery spending and exempt people there from paying taxes and utility fees.
This photo taken on March 20, 2020, shows health workers at a coronavirus testing clinic at Bundang Jesaeng Hospital in Seongnam, south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
The World Health Organization declared last week that the global coronavirus crisis is a pandemic as the virus has spread to every continent except Antarctica.
South Korea had released a total of 2,612 fully recovered novel coronavirus patients from hospitals as of Friday, up 379 from a day earlier, the KCDC said.
The number of daily cured people exceeded the number of daily new infections in South Korea last week for the first time since Jan. 20, when the virus was first detected on South Korean soil.
The number of people being checked for the virus and under quarantine came to 15,704 as of Friday, up 179 from the day before, the KCDC said. The country has tested a total of 327,509 suspected cases, with 303,006 testing negative.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-21--PM says disaster management funds can be used for small businesses, vulnerable people

Under a current law , state disaster management funds can be used only for the prevention of disaster situations and @ @ @ @ @ some municipal governments have been urging the central government to allow the use of such @ @ @ @ @ income to help virus-hit households after the COVID-19 pandemic has weighed down people 's economic @ @

SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Saturday that the government will allow state disaster management funds to be used to help small businesses and support those socially vulnerable in regards to the novel coronavirus crisis.
"We are now facing an unprecedented situation, so we need to use all possible means to handle the situation," Chung said during a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters in Seoul.
Under a current law, state disaster management funds can be used only for the prevention of disaster situations and emergency recovery efforts. But some municipal governments have been urging the central government to allow the use of such funds for so-called disaster-related basic income to help virus-hit households after the COVID-19 pandemic has weighed down people's economic activities.
South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun speaks at a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters in Seoul on March 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
"We believe 17 cities and municipalities can utilize a maximum 3.8 trillion won (US$3 billion) of funds," he said. "Since those are funds created by taxpayers' money, I want to ask mayors and governors to use the funds efficiently to overcome the crisis."
With the novel coronavirus declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, South Korea has been focusing on preventing imported cases. Starting Sunday, the country decided to conduct virus test on all arrivals from Europe.
Chung said such measures were "inevitable" in South Korea's fight against the novel coronavirus.
In regards to South Korea's decision to push back the start of the schools' new academic year to April 6, Chung also asked for people's understanding, saying that the country couldn't allow students to attend school in a situation where safety is not guaranteed.
"In order to open the new school semester as planned, we need a special measure that needs help from every citizen," he said. "We may require bigger sacrifice than what we experienced in the past."
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-21--(LEAD) New virus infections up again; cluster outbreaks, imported cases in focus

(ATTN: CHANGES headline; ADDS more info from 7th para, photo)
SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea saw a slight uptick in daily new infections of the novel coronavirus on Saturday as the country braced for sporadic cluster infections and a rise in imported cases.
The 147 new cases, which were detected Friday, brought the nation's total infections to 8,799, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). It was so far the second highest number of new cases this week following 152 new cases identified on Wednesday.
This image provided by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) shows virus cases and related data on March 21, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The country's death toll has surpassed 100 since it reported its first fatality a month ago.
So far, 102 people, mostly elderly patients with underlying illnesses, have died from the respiratory virus that emerged in China late last year,
The pace of daily new infections has shown marked signs of slowing since the second week of this month as health authorities completed extensive testing of 210,000 Shincheonji followers at the center of the rapid spread.
But the authorities are still on high alert over new clusters of infections, including at a call center in Seoul's Guro district and nursing hospitals in Daegu and surrounding North Gyeongsang Province.
Of the 147 new cases, 69 are in Daegu and 40 are in North Gyeongsang, the KCDC said. The total number of confirmed cases in Daegu and North Gyeongsang, the two epicenters of the virus outbreak here, stood at 6,344 and 1,243, respectively.
Other major provinces and cities have also reported some infections, with Seoul identifying 15 additional cases and its surrounding Gyeonggi Province adding 12 more cases.
The total number of imported virus cases rose by six to 23.
This photo, taken on March 20, 2020, shows an empty duty-free shop zone at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. (Yonhap)
To better control imported cases, South Korea will require all arrivals from European nations to get tested for the virus and self-isolate for two weeks starting Sunday. South Korea already tightened border checks for all people coming from abroad earlier this week.
With unknown virus sufferers who have not developed symptoms apparently causing significant numbers of infections, the government has called for people to avoid nonessential gatherings in crowded places, such as religious facilities, nursing homes, internet cafes and karaoke rooms.
Since raising the virus alert level to "red," the highest level, on Feb. 23, health authorities have focused on halting the spread of the virus in Daegu and North Gyeongsang.
On Sunday, the government designated Daegu and three other hard-hit areas in North Gyeongsang as "special disaster zones," allowing it to subsidize about half of the recovery spending and exempt people there from paying taxes and utility fees.
This photo taken on March 20, 2020, shows health workers at a coronavirus testing clinic at Bundang Jesaeng Hospital in Seongnam, south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
The World Health Organization declared last week that the global coronavirus crisis is a pandemic as the virus has spread to every continent except Antarctica.
South Korea had released a total of 2,612 fully recovered novel coronavirus patients from hospitals as of Friday, up 379 from a day earlier, the KCDC said.
The number of daily cured people exceeded the number of daily new infections in South Korea last week for the first time since Jan. 20, when the virus was first detected on South Korean soil.
The number of people being checked for the virus and under quarantine came to 15,704 as of Friday, up 179 from the day before, the KCDC said. The country has tested a total of 327,509 suspected cases, with 303,006 testing negative.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-21--S. Korea reports 147 new virus cases, total now at 8,799

SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea saw a slight uptick in daily new infections of the novel coronavirus on Saturday as the country braced for sporadic cluster infections and a rise in imported cases.
The 147 new cases, which were detected Friday, brought the nation's total infections to 8,799, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). It was so far the second highest number of new cases this week following 152 new cases identified on Wednesday.
The country's death toll has surpassed 100 since it reported its first fatality a month ago.
So far, 102 people, mostly elderly patients with underlying illnesses, have died from the respiratory virus that emerged in China late last year,
The pace of daily new infections has shown marked signs of slowing since the second week of this month as health authorities completed extensive testing of 210,000 Shincheonji followers at the center of the rapid spread.
But the authorities are still on high alert over new clusters of infections, including at a call center in Seoul's Guro district and nursing hospitals in Daegu and surrounding North Gyeongsang Province.
This photo, taken on March 20, shows an empty duty-free shop szone at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. (Yonhap)
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-21--(3rd LD) N. Korea fires 2 short-range ballistic missiles toward East Sea: JCS

The last such test took place on March 9 when it fired at least three short-range projectiles believed to have @ @ @ @ @ rocket launcher , which came a week after the firing of two short-range projectiles of @ @ @ @ @ to the JCS .

(ATTN: ADDS more details in paras 2-5, 7-8, 9-13, 15-17, photo)
By Oh Seok-min
SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Saturday fired two projectiles presumed to be short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, the latest in a series of such launches this month.
They were fired northeastward from areas near its western county of Sonchon in North Pyongan Province at 6:45 a.m. and 6:50 a.m., respectively, the JCS said, adding that they flew around 410 kilometers, reaching a maximum altitude of around 50 km.
"South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities are analyzing other specifics," the authorities said. "Our military is monitoring the situation in case there are additional launches and maintaining a readiness posture."
Calling the launch "a very inappropriate act" at a time when the whole world has been facing difficulties due to the coronavirus pandemic, the JCS called on the regime to immediately halt such military moves.
It is the third time that the North has carried out such weapons tests so far this year after they began in March following months of hiatus.
The last such test took place on March 9 when it fired at least three short-range projectiles believed to have come from a super-large multiple rocket launcher, which came a week after the firing of two short-range projectiles of the same type, according to the JCS.
It is not immediately known if leader Kim Jong-un guided the latest firing, but officers hinted at the possibility. According to the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Saturday, North Korea held an "artillery fire competition" of its army on its western front the previous day under Kim's watch.
The previous rounds, which occurred from its eastern regions under Kim's guidance, appear to have been part of its artillery strike drill for the wintertime exercise, JCS officers said, noting that the drill is likely to continue throughout this month.
North Korea conducts a long-range artillery strike drill on March 9, 2020, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the following day. The report came one day after South Korea's military said the North fired three short-range projectiles off its east coast in what appears to be part of an artillery strike drill involving multiple rocket launchers. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
Watchers say the projectiles involved in the latest launch could be the North Korean version of the United States' Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) that the North showed off last year for the first time and tested twice in August.
But this type of weapon has not been tested in its western regions, though the North fired two projectiles believed to be its version of Russia's Iskander ballistic missiles in North Pyongan Province in May.
Its adjacent South Pyongan Province was also the venue for two other tests -- held in September and October -- when it fired two projectiles each from its super-large multiple launcher system.
North Korea has often brought its weapons to western regions to fly them all the way across its territory before they splashed into the East Sea in a move to verify their reliability, according to experts.
Throughout 2019, North Korea carried out a total of 13 rounds of weapons tests, including the latest one in November, involving several new types of short-range ballistic missiles and a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM).
This composite photo, released by the North's Korean Central News Agency on Aug. 11, 2019, shows the test-firing of missiles, one day after their launch from the eastern North Korean coastal city of Hamhung. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
The recent military moves appear to have been intended to beef up leader Kim's internal grip on power amid fears over the spread of COVID-19 and economic difficulties.
The North has intensified its efforts to contain the novel coronavirus, though it has said that not a single confirmed case has been reported, a claim doubted by many.
State media earlier reported that it will convene a rubber-stamp parliamentary session on April 10, a meeting expected to discuss measures aimed at cushioning the fallout from growing coronavirus fears.
The meeting could also deal with its stance on nuclear weapons negotiations with the U.S. that have been stalled since the no-deal summit between Kim an U.S. President Donald Trump in February last year.
In the face of prolonged international sanctions amid the stalled denuclearization talks with the United States, the regime has also called for boosting self-defense capabilities.
In his New Year's Day message, leader Kim warned he will show off a "new strategic weapon" in the near future, which experts said may mean an advanced type of its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) or an SLBM.
Instead of completely turning away from dialogue, however, the North appears to have taken low-intensity steps, though it is banned from all ballistic missile activity under U.N. Security Council resolutions.
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-21--(URGENT) S. Korea releases 379 more fully recovered coronavirus patients, total cured people at 2,61

(URGENT) S. Korea releases 379 more fully recovered coronavirus patients, total cured people at 2,612

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


yna--2020-03-21--(URGENT) S. Korea confirms 8 more coronavirus fatalities, death toll now at 102


Sunday's weather forecast

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


yna--2020-03-22--(LEAD) N.K. says leader Kim oversaw test of newly developed tactical guided weapon

The latest weapon test came as the North is making all-out efforts to block the new coronavirus from breaking out @ @ @ @ @ fast global outbreak .
Though it has not reported any confirmed case , Pyongyang has @ @ @ @ @ quarantine measures and restricted movement of people and goods .

(ATTN: ADDS more info in last 8 paras, photos)
By Koh Byung-joon
SEOUL, March 22 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has overseen a test of a newly developed "tactical guided weapon," state media reported Sunday, a day after South Korea said the communist nation fired what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea.
The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Saturday that the North conducted the launches from areas near its western county of Sonchon in North Pyongan Province, and the missiles flew around 410 kilometers, reaching a maximum altitude of around 50 km.
It was the North's third such weapons test so far this year.
On Sunday, Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency said leader Kim attended the test-firing.
This photo released by the Korean Central News Agency on March 22, 2020, shows Kim Jong-un observe through binoculars a test of a newly-developed tactical weapon the previous day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
"The fire was aimed at reconfirming and showing to the KPA commanding officers the tactical characters and power of a new weapon system to be delivered to KPA units," KCNA said. KPA stands for the Korean People's Army.
"The fire clearly proved the characters of different flight trajectories and falling angles, accuracy of guided shells and their power," it said.
KCNA said it was the latest in a series of newly developed weapons systems, and cited Kim saying that the "successive birth of the new weapon systems of our style serves as a great event in making development and a difference in the armed forces of our state."
"The new-type weapon systems which we have recently developed and the tactical and strategic weapon systems in the development stage will make decisive contributions to the realization of the Party's strategic plan to make a radical change in the national defense strategy," Kim was also quoted as saying.
Watchers have said that the projectiles involved in the latest launch could be the North Korean version of the United States' Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), or Russia's Iskander ballistic missile.
Rather than following a general parabolic trajectory, Saturday's missiles were detected to have shown a more complicated path by doing a so-called pull-up maneuver over the course of their flight.
Military officers have said that the feature had been shown with the ATACMS or Iskander.
The latest weapon test came as the North is making all-out efforts to block the new coronavirus from breaking out on its soil amid its fast global outbreak. Though it has not reported any confirmed case, Pyongyang has tightened its border, toughened quarantine measures and restricted movement of people and goods.
On Saturday, South Korea denounced the launches as "a very inappropriate act" coming at a time when the whole world has been facing difficulties due to the coronavirus pandemic, and urged Pyongyang to immediately halt such military activities.
This photo released by the Korean Central News Agency on March 22, 2020 shows a projectile being fired during a test of a newly-developed tactical weapon a day earlier. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
North Korea conducted missile tests 13 times last year, with the latest on carried out in November in show of force and frustration over stalemated denuclearization talks with Washington.
Nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington have stalled since the no-deal summit between Kim and Trump in February last year.
Kim told a party meeting late in December that he does not feel bound anymore by his self-imposed moratorium on testing long-range ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, saying that the world will witness a "new strategic weapon" in the near future.
Despite long-stalled denuclearization talks and threats for provocations, North Korea and the U.S. have boasted of good relationship between their leaders by exchange of personal letters.
Earlier in the day, Kim Yo-jong, the sister of the North's leader Kim, said that Trump has sent a letter to offer help with the country's fight against the coronavirus, calling it "a good example showing the special and firm personal relations"
The sister said that leader Kim also "mentioned his special personal relations with President Trump again and appreciated the personal letter," but she also cautioned against misjudging the two countries' ties based only on the personal relations of the two leaders.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-22--N.K. says leader Kim oversaw test of newly developed tactical guided weapon

KCNA said it was the latest in a series of newly developed weapons systems , and cited Kim saying that @ @ @ @ @ the new weapon systems of our style serves as a great event in making development @ @ @ @ @ armed forces of our state . ''

By Koh Byung-joon
SEOUL, March 22 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has overseen a test of a newly developed "tactical guided weapon," state media reported Sunday, a day after South Korea said the communist nation fired what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles.
The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Saturday that the North conducted the launches from areas near its western county of Sonchon in North Pyongan Province, and the missiles flew around 410 kilometers, reaching a maximum altitude of around 50 km.
It was the North's third such weapons test so far this year.
On Sunday, Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency said leader Kim attended the test-firing.
"The fire was aimed at reconfirming and showing to the KPA commanding officers the tactical characters and power of a new weapon system to be delivered to KPA units," KCNA said. KPA stands for the Korean People's Army.
"The fire clearly proved the characters of different flight trajectories and falling angles, accuracy of guided shells and their power," it said.
KCNA said it was the latest in a series of newly developed weapons systems, and cited Kim saying that the "successive birth of the new weapon systems of our style serves as a great event in making development and a difference in the armed forces of our state."
"The new-type weapon systems which we have recently developed and the tactical and strategic weapon systems in the development stage will make decisive contributions to the realization of the Party's strategic plan to make a radical change in the national defense strategy," Kim was also quoted as saying.
Watchers have said that the projectiles involved in the latest launch could be the North Korean version of the United States' Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), or Russia's Iskander ballistic missile.
Rather than following a general parabolic trajectory, Saturday's missiles were detected to have shown a more complicated path by doing a so-called pull-up maneuver over the course of their flight.
Military officers have said that the feature had been shown with the ATACMS or Iskander.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-22--(URGENT) N. Korea says leader Kim oversaw tactical guided weapon test


yna--2020-03-22--(LEAD) Trump sent letter to Kim offering help on virus outbreak: Kim's sister

`` In the letter , he also explained his plan to propel the relations between the two countries of the @ @ @ @ @ expressed his intent to render cooperation in the anti-epidemic work , saying that he was @ @ @ @ @ by the Chairman to defend his people from the serious threat of the epidemic , @ @ @ @ @ to North Korea by its official name , the Democratic People 's Republic of Korea @

(ATTN: UPDATES with details from 5th para)
SEOUL, March 22 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump has sent a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, offering help with the communist nation's fight against the coronavirus, Kim's sister said Sunday.
The letter is a "a good example showing the special and firm personal relations" between Trump and Kim, said Kim Yo-jong, first vice department director of the Central Committee of the North's Workers' Party, in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.
"We regard it as a good judgment and proper action for the U.S. president to make efforts to keep the good relations he had with our Chairman by sending a personal letter again at a time as now when big difficulties and challenges lie in the way of developing the bilateral relations, and think that this should be highly estimated," she said.
"In the letter, he also explained his plan to propel the relations between the two countries of the DPRK and the U.S. and expressed his intent to render cooperation in the anti-epidemic work, saying that he was impressed by the efforts made by the Chairman to defend his people from the serious threat of the epidemic," she added, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
North Korea has not reported a single case of COVID-19 but is widely suspected to be covering up an outbreak. The regime has tightened its borders and enforced tough quarantine measures on its people, according to state media.
Relations between Washington and Pyongyang have chilled due to a deadlock in denuclearization negotiations following the collapse of Trump and Kim's second summit in Vietnam in February 2019.
Kim had set an end-of-year deadline for the U.S. to show flexibility in their negotiations, but 2019 passed without progress and a warning from Kim of a soon-to-come "new strategic weapon."
Still, the leaders have appeared to maintain their warm personal relations, and in January, Trump sent a letter to Kim to congratulate him on his birthday.
"In the personal letter, President Trump said he was glad to hear that his congratulations to Chairman on his birthday was correctly conveyed, and wished the family of the Chairman and our people wellbeing," Kim Yo-jong said.
"Saying that he values his relations with Chairman Kim Jong-un, President Trump said that there were difficulties in letting his thoughts known because communications were not made often recently," she continued. "He expressed his willingness to keep in close touch with the Chairman in the future."
The North Korean leader also "mentioned his special personal relations with President Trump again and appreciated the personal letter," she said.
The sister, however, cautioned against misjudging the two countries' ties based only on the personal relations of the two leaders.
"As they are the close relations between the two men representing the two countries, they would have positive impact but nobody knows how much the personal relations would change and lead the prospective relations between the two countries, and it is not something good to make hasty conclusion or be optimistic about it," she said.
"If impartiality and balance are not provided and unilateral and greedy intention is not taken away, the bilateral relations will continue to aggravate," she warned.
Adding that it is her personal opinion, Kim Yo-jong suggested that dialogue can only be restored when "the equilibrium is kept dynamically and morally and justice ensured between the two countries, not merely by the personal letter between the two leaders."
"Even at this moment we are working hard to develop and defend ourselves on our own under the cruel environment which the U.S. is keen to 'provide,'" she said, likely referring to the U.S.-led international sanctions against the regime.
"We try to hope for the day when the relations between the two countries would be as good as the ones between the two top leaders, but it has to be left to time and be watched whether it can actually happen," she said.
North Korea will "never lose or waste time for nothing, but will keep changing ourselves to be more powerful for that time just as how we made ourselves for the past two years," she added.
She also said she extends "sincere gratitude" to Trump for sending "his invariable faith" to Kim.
The statement came a day after the North fired two short-range projectiles toward the East Sea in its third such weapons test so far this year.
Analysts said that the North's recent military moves appear to have been intended to beef up leader Kim's internal grip on power amid fears over the spread of COVID-19 and economic difficulties.
(END)


yna--2020-03-22--Trump sent letter to Kim offering help on virus outbreak: Kim's sister

`` In the letter , he also explained his plan to propel the relations between the two countries of the @ @ @ @ @ expressed his intent to render cooperation in the anti-epidemic work , saying that he was @ @ @ @ @ by the Chairman to defend his people from the serious threat of the epidemic , @ @ @ @ @ to North Korea by its official name , the Democratic People 's Republic of Korea @ @ @ @

SEOUL, March 22 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump has sent a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressing his desire to improve the two countries' relations and offering help with the communist nation's fight against the coronavirus, Kim's sister said Sunday.
The letter is a "a good example showing the special and firm personal relations" between Trump and Kim, said Kim Yo-jong, first vice department director of the Central Committee of the North's Workers' Party, in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.
"We regard it as a good judgment and proper action for the U.S. president to make efforts to keep the good relations he had with our Chairman by sending a personal letter again at a time as now when big difficulties and challenges lie in the way of developing the bilateral relations, and think that this should be highly estimated," she said.
"In the letter, he also explained his plan to propel the relations between the two countries of the DPRK and the U.S. and expressed his intent to render cooperation in the anti-epidemic work, saying that he was impressed by the efforts made by the Chairman to defend his people from the serious threat of the epidemic," she added, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
(END)


yna--2020-03-22--(URGENT) N.K. leader's sister says Trump sent letter offering help on virus outbreak


(Copyright)

The use of the content for any other purposes other than personal and noncommercial use is expressly prohibited without the @ @ @ @ @ News Agency .

All information carried by the Yonhap News Agency, including articles, photographs, graphics, audio and video images, and illustrations (collectively, the content) is owned by the Yonhap News Agency.
The use of the content for any other purposes other than personal and noncommercial use is expressly prohibited without the written consent of the Yonhap News Agency.
Any violation can be subject to a compensation claim or civil and criminal lawsuits.
Requests to use the content for any purpose besides the ones mentioned above should be directed in advance to Yonhap's Information Business Department at 82-2-398-3557 or 82-2-398-3552.
(END)


yna--2020-03-21--(2nd LD) PM urges suspension of facilities vulnerable to virus infections for 15 days

`` We should not forget that we need to keep the social distancing drive in a stronger way than ever @ @ @ @ @ spread and to give back a peaceful routine to our children , '' he said @

(ATTN: ADDS more info in last 3 paras)
SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's prime minister strongly called for suspending the operation of religious, indoor sports and entertainment facilities for 15 days on Saturday in an effort to contain the new coronavirus.
In a public message on the "social distancing" drive, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun warned that the government will issue an administrative order to ban gatherings if the facilities do not abide by the sectoral guidelines on business operations.
Chung called the next 15 days a "critical" time in deciding whether the government could succeed in fighting the spread of COVID-19.
"The government strongly urges religious, indoor sports and entertainment facilities that are susceptible to cluster infections to suspend operations for 15 days," he stressed.
The number of new daily cases has been on a downtrend in recent weeks, with the country's total infections reaching 8,799. But concerns about sporadic cluster infections and imported cases are mounting.
Despite the government's call for restraint, some churches have pressed ahead with weekend religious services. In recent weeks, group infections were reported at Protestant churches after the bulk of cases tied to the Shincheonji religious sect subsided.
Many nightclubs and other entertainment facilities are still in operation, risking mass transmissions of the new coronavirus.
Chung warned that the government is ready to take stronger actions against facilities that do not abide by authorities' administrative orders.
"For facilities that do not follow the orders, the government will take every legal action, including entity closures and filing compensation suits," he noted.
The message came as the government postponed the new school year for another two weeks until April 6 to prevent cluster infections.
"We should not forget that we need to keep the social distancing drive in a stronger way than ever to clearly stem the virus spread and to give back a peaceful routine to our children," he said.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun makes a public announcement on the government's "social distancing" drive at the Seoul government complex on March 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
The government said those who violate the administrative order will be fined up to 3 million won (US$2,400) and will be liable for medical expenses if their customers test positive for the coronavirus.
At the same time, the government will compensate such businesses for losses caused by the temporary suspension.
"We are well aware that self-employed business people are in trouble due to social distancing," Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said. "We are preparing special supportive measures for them."
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-22--(2nd LD) Gov't issues special coronavirus quarantine rules for civil servants

It has provided media with briefings twice a day , one at the government office complex in the administrative town @ @ @ @ @ south of Seoul , and the other at the Korea Centers for Disease Control and @ @ @ @ @ the nearby town of Osong .
But reporters wo n't be allowed to enter briefing @ @ @ @ @ They will be able to ask questions via Kakao Talk messenger , an official said @

(ATTN: UPDATES with details on measures related to foreign diplomats in paras 4-6)
SEOUL, March 22 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government announced Sunday a set of tough "social distancing" measures for civil servants, employees of public organizations and soldiers nationwide, kicking off a two-week intensive campaign against the spread of the coronavirus.
The guidelines call for the expansion of telecommuting among public officials, flexible working hours and restrictions on after-work activities out of home.
At work, they are required to minimize face-to-face meetings or briefings and business trips abroad.
The foreign ministry will refrain from holding events for foreign diplomats here and ask them to join the social distancing drive.
In particular, it plans to send official letters to 136 foreign diplomatic missions and international organization offices in South Korea requesting the postponement or cancellation of formal receptions and other public events, if possible.
The justice ministry will curtail the transfer of inmates. The transport ministry is introducing the "top-notch quarantine system" for public transit services, in which the passenger seats of KTX bullet trains will be separated, amid a continued curfew and restrictions on leave for active-duty troops.
The measures apply not only to central government workers but also to those at local authorities and other public organizations.
In addition, the operation of all public libraries, museums, concert halls and other facilities run by the government will be suspended.
The move shows the public sector coming to the fore in the social distancing campaign.
Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo (front) walks into a conference room for a government meeting on responding to the coronavirus outbreak, held at the government office complex in Seoul, on March 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
"The government will use all available maximum measures for strong support of social distancing for 15 days (from Sunday), making all-out efforts to curb community spread of COVID-19 infections," Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo said at a press briefing after an Interagency session of the Central Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.
The government, meanwhile, has decided to replace daily press briefings on additional coronavirus cases and its response with online ones starting on Monday.
It has provided media with briefings twice a day, one at the government office complex in the administrative town of Sejong, 130 kilometers south of Seoul, and the other at the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) in the nearby town of Osong. But reporters won't be allowed to enter briefing rooms until April 5. They will be able to ask questions via Kakao Talk messenger, an official said.
This undated file photo shows the health ministry's press briefing room in the government office complex in Sejong City, south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-22--Gov't not yet considering chartered flight to repatriate nationals from Spain: minister

Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo said an association of South Korean residents is preparing to get out of @ @ @ @ @ one of the hardest-hit nations in Europe with close to 25,000 confirmed infections and more @ @ @ @ @ Saturday .
An estimated 4,000 South Koreans live in Spain .

SEOUL, March 22 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government has no plan to charter a flight to bring its citizens home from Spain, where the new coronavirus is fast spreading, as commercial planes are still in operation, Seoul's health minister said Sunday.
Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo said an association of South Korean residents is preparing to get out of the country. Spain is one of the hardest-hit nations in Europe with close to 25,000 confirmed infections and more than 1,300 deaths as of Saturday. An estimated 4,000 South Koreans live in Spain.
Speaking at a press briefing, Park pointed out that commercial airlines are still in service between South Korea and Spain.
The association has made a contract with a South Korean flag carrier to return home.
If airports there are shut down or there's no commercial flight service, the government would step in to help South Koreans, according to Park.
"But such a situation has not occurred," he added.
Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo (2nd from R) attends a government meeting on the coronavirus response at the government office complex in Seoul on March 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-22--(LEAD) Gov't issues special coronavirus quarantine rules for civil servants

(ATTN: UPDATES with online press briefing plan, other details from 5th para; ADDS photos)
SEOUL, March 22 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government announced Sunday a set of tough "social distancing" measures for civil servants, employees of public organizations and soldiers nationwide, kicking off a two-week intensive campaign against the spread of the coronavirus.
The guidelines call for the expansion of telecommuting among public officials, flexible working hours and restrictions on after-work activities out of home.
At work, they are required to minimize face-to-face meetings or briefings and business trips abroad.
The foreign ministry will refrain from holding events for foreign diplomats here and the justice ministry will curtail the transfer of inmates. The transport ministry will impose the "top-notch quarantine system" for public transit services, in which the passenger seats of buses and trains will be separated, amid a continued curfew and restrictions on leave for service members.
The measures apply not only to central government workers but also to those at local authorities and other public organizations.
In addition, the operation of all public libraries, museums, concert halls and other facilities run by the government will be suspended.
The move shows the public sector coming to the fore in the social distancing campaign.
Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo (front) walks into a conference room for a government meeting on responding to the coronavirus outbreak, held at the government office complex in Seoul, on March 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
"The government will use all available maximum measures for strong support of social distancing for 15 days (from Sunday), making all-out efforts to curb community spread of COVID-19 infections," Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo said at a press briefing after an Interagency session of the Central Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.
The government, meanwhile, has decided to replace daily press briefings on additional coronavirus cases and its response with online ones starting on Monday.
It has provided media with briefings twice a day, one at the government office complex in the administrative town of Sejong, 130 kilometers south of Seoul, and the other at the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) in the nearby town of Osong. But reporters won't be allowed to enter briefing rooms until April 5. They will be able to ask questions via Kakao Talk messenger, an official said.
This undated file photo shows the health ministry's press briefing room in the government office complex in Sejong City, south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-22--Gov't issues special coronavirus quarantine rules for civil servants

The foreign ministry will refrain from holding events for foreign diplomats here and the justice ministry will curtail the transfer @ @ @ @ @ ministry will impose the `` top-notch quarantine system '' for public transit services , in @ @ @ @ @ buses and trains will be separated , amid a continued curfew and restrictions on leave @ @ @ @

SEOUL, March 22 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government announced Sunday a set of tough "social distancing" guidelines for civil servants, public firm employees and soldiers nationwide, kicking off a two-week intensive campaign against the spread of the coronavirus.
The guidelines call for the expansion of telecommuting among public officials, flexible working hours and restrictions on after-work activities out of home.
At work, they are required to minimize face-to-face meetings or briefings and business trips abroad.
The foreign ministry will refrain from holding events for foreign diplomats here and the justice ministry will curtail the transfer of inmates. The transport ministry will impose the "top-notch quarantine system" for public transit services, in which the passenger seats of buses and trains will be separated, amid a continued curfew and restrictions on leave for service members.
"The government will use all available maximum measures for strong support of social distancing for 15 days (from Sunday), making all-out efforts to curb community spread of COVID-19 infections," Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo said at a press briefing after an Interagency session of the Central Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-22--S. Korean firm signs deal with Romania to export coronavirus testing kits: ministry

The two sides recently signed a contract on the trade , with the goods to be shipped in order .
@ @ @ @ @ for 100 tests , according to the ministry .

SEOUL, March 22 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean company has agreed to ship 20,000 novel coronavirus testing kits to Romania in a government-arranged deal, Seoul's foreign ministry said Sunday.
The ministry said South Korea's diplomatic mission there learned of demand for the device amid the spread of COVID-19 and connected related authorities with the firm.
The two sides recently signed a contract on the trade, with the goods to be shipped in order. Each kit can be used for 100 tests, according to the ministry.
It withheld other details, including the name of the private exporter and the amount of contract money.
South Korea is recognized for its early tracing, testing and treatment in connection with the deadly viral disease. Besides thorough quarantine efforts at home, it has campaigned for international cooperation against the pandemic.
In this undated file photo, boxes of South Korea-made coronavirus testing kits are stored near Incheon International Airport before being shipped to the United Arab Emirates. It was provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.(PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-22--(3rd LD) Many churches press ahead with services despite pleas for social distancing

Despite the government 's call for restraint , many churches , including some nearly 540 churches in the southeastern city @ @ @ @ @ their weekend services with their masked members singing hymns and saying prayers in close proximity @ @ @ @ @ fears that they could cause an increase in cluster infections .

(ATTN: RECASTS 2nd para; ADDS more info in last 2 paras)
SEOUL, March 22 (Yonhap) -- Hundreds of South Korean Protestant churches pressed ahead with their worship services Sunday, defying the government's repeated appeals to call off large gatherings and deepening fears of coronavirus cluster infections.
Most churches tried to comply with infection prevention guidelines, such as wearing masks and keeping a certain distance between worshipers, but raised the ire of quarantine officials focusing on a stepped-up social distancing campaign.
Amid the defiant religious services, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun warned of a "stern" legal action against any breach of the government's quarantine guidelines or orders -- in his latest plea to rally public support for the anti-virus efforts.
"There can't be tolerance any more when it comes to acts that impede the government's quarantine efforts and do harm to our community," Chung said during a session of the Central Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.
"We should take stern legal action, such as punishing those who breach the (quarantine-related order)," he added.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun speaks during a session of the Central Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters at the government complex in Seoul on March 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
The premier also stressed the need to focus on enforcing the government-recommended suspension of the operation of religious, indoor sports and entertainment facilities for 15 days until April 5.
Earlier in the day, Culture Minister Park Yang-woo renewed an appeal for religious circles to "actively" join the social distancing efforts, during his visit to Youngnak Presbyterian Church in central Seoul.
"I make this earnest call for the religious sector to actively partake in this measure based on the understanding that this is an inevitable step to protect the life and safety (of citizens), though the recommended social distance measure is difficult," Park told church officials.
"I also would like to extend my deep gratitude for the Korean churches' best efforts to prevent COVID-19 by turning services into online ones," he added.
South Korea had reported 8,897 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of midnight with 80.9 percent of them considered mass infections, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A total of 104 people have died from the virus.
Culture Minister Park Yang-woo (R) speaks during a visit to Youngnak Presbyterian Church in central Seoul on March 22, 2020, in this photo provided by his ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Despite the government's call for restraint, many churches, including some nearly 540 churches in the southeastern city of Busan, have held their weekend services with their masked members singing hymns and saying prayers in close proximity to one another, raising fears that they could cause an increase in cluster infections.
Among the defiant churches was Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul.
Its members entered a Sunday morning service after being checked for fever and identifying themselves on the church's visitors' book. Some squabbled with municipal officials deployed to the church premises to check the situation.
A Seoul city official pointed out that the church failed to adhere to the guideline of maintaining a distance between worshipers during the service as the chamber was crowded.
"We requested that the breach be addressed, and we will consider issuing an administrative order banning such a gathering if (the church) continues to flout that guideline," the official said.
Residents of the Oryu-1 neighborhood in southwestern Seoul hold a protest rally in front of a Protestant church in their neighborhood that went ahead with a Sunday service on March 22, 2020, despite a recommendation from the government not to hold services to prevent further group transmissions of COVID-19 at churches. (Yonhap)
Other churches also conducted their routine weekend services, though they tried to strictly comply with state-recommended containment guidelines.
Their members stepped into the main chambers after sanitizing their hands and checking body temperatures. Only registered members were admitted into the chapels, with the entrances plastered with a blunt warning: "One that provides a source of COVID-19 infection could face legal responsibility."
During the unusually muted services, the members sat one or two meters away from one another, with the stages, once replete with devout choir members, emptied out.
Before the services, some churches sent out a notice that they would not provide any lunch or transportation services "until the COVID-19 situation calms down."
In line with the government recommendations, many other churches held online services, using their own broadcasting systems or such global platforms as YouTube.
Some large churches created a fund for cash-strapped churches that have been struggling to fund online services and pay rental fees amid declining membership.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-22--(3rd LD) S. Korea tightens quarantine on arrivals from Europe; new virus cases dip below 100 again

The 98 new COVID-19 cases , which were detected Saturday , brought the nation 's total number of infections to @ @ @ @ @ Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( KCDC ) .
The daily infection rate @ @ @ @ @ digits last week , except for the 152 new cases reported on Wednesday and 147 @ @ @

(ATTN: ADDS more details in paras 10, 19-21)
SEOUL, March 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea recorded fewer than 100 new daily virus cases again on Sunday, but health authorities remained on high alert over new cluster infections and imported cases, mainly from Europe.
The 98 new COVID-19 cases, which were detected Saturday, brought the nation's total number of infections to 8,897, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). The daily infection rate had been in the double digits last week, except for the 152 new cases reported on Wednesday and 147 on Friday.
Of the newly confirmed cases, 15 people, or 15.3 percent, tested positive for COVID-19 after overseas trips, the KCDC.
Eight of the imported cases came from Europe, with another five from the United States, the health authorities said.
This file photo shows an official of the National Medical Center conveying medical supplies to a COVID-19 screening clinic in Seoul on March 3, 2020. (Yonhap)
The KCDC said 80.9 percent of the country's virus infections are considered mass infections, with 19.1 percent categorized as cases of community spread with unknown origins, mostly cluster and sporadic outbreaks.
So far, 104 people, mostly elderly patients with underlying illnesses, have died in South Korea from the respiratory virus that emerged in China late last year.
One more death was reported in the southeastern city of Daegu but was not added to an official tally.
In South Korea, the virus has mostly preyed on the elderly and already sick people.
The average mortality rate stood at 1.17 percent as of Saturday according to the KCDC. For those age 80 and above, the fatality rate was the highest at 10.46 percent.
The KCDC said a total of 89 COVID-19 patients are in critical condition, with 61 of them at very dangerous status.
About 60 percent of the confirmed cases have been linked to a branch of the Shincheonji religious sect in Daegu, which has a population of 2.5 million and is the country's fourth-largest city.
The pace of daily new infections has shown marked signs of slowing since the second week of this month as health authorities completed extensive testing of 210,000 Shincheonji followers.
But the authorities are still on high alert over new clusters of infections, including at a call center in Seoul's Guro district and Protestant churches in Gyeonggi Province surrounding Seoul.
Four new cases from the Guro call center were confirmed on Saturday, bringing the total number of infections linked to the center to 152, the KCDC said. It is the largest cluster case in the capital city.
An additional three people tied to Bundang Jesaeng Hospital in Seongnam, south of Seoul, tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total to 45, it said.
Starting earlier in the day, the Seoul government began limiting mass gathering events in social distancing efforts to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.
The government calls for suspending the operation of religious, indoor sports and entertainment facilities for 15 days until April 5.
Also, the authorities are closely monitoring new confirmed cases coming from outside of the country as 11 new cases were reported. Earlier in the day, the country began conducting new coronavirus tests on all arrivals from Europe and requiring even those with negative results to undergo a 14-day self-quarantine.
Starting at midnight, the government set in motion the screening measure for both its citizens and foreigners, amid growing concerns over a steady rise in the number of imported COVID-19 cases.
The Seoul government, however, said it is leaning more toward tightening quarantine on inbound travelers rather than imposing entry restrictions.
"A policy will be consistently carried out to prevent the inflow of the virus from entrants, in line with the global COVID-19 outbreak situation," KCDC Deputy Director Kwon Jun-wook said.
A total of 174 countries, including Canada and France, have banned entry of people from South Korea over coronavirus concerns.
Of the 98 new cases, 43 are in Daegu and 11 are in surrounding North Gyeongsang Province, the KCDC said. The total number of confirmed cases in Daegu and North Gyeongsang, the two epicenters of the virus outbreak here, stood at 6,387 and 1,254, respectively.
Other major provinces and cities have also reported some infections, with Seoul reporting 10 additional cases, bringing the total confirmed cases to 324.
Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul and Incheon, saw its new daily infections rise by 16 to 337 on Saturday.
Health workers transfer a novel coronavirus patient at a nursing hospital in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, on March 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-22--(2nd LD) Many churches press ahead with services despite pleas for social distancing

(ATTN: CHANGES slug, headline, lead; ADDS photo; UPDATES throughout)
SEOUL, March 22 (Yonhap) -- Hundreds of South Korean Protestant churches pressed ahead with their worship services Sunday, defying the government's repeated appeals to call off large gatherings and deepening fears of coronavirus cluster infections.
Many of the churches tried to comply with the quarantine guidelines, such as wearing masks and keeping a certain distance between worshipers, but raised the ire of quarantine officials focusing on a stepped-up social distancing campaign.
Amid the defiant religious services, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun warned of a "stern" legal action against any breach of the government's quarantine guidelines or orders -- in his latest plea to rally public support for the anti-virus efforts.
"There can't be tolerance any more when it comes to acts that impede the government's quarantine efforts and do harm to our community," Chung said during a session of the Central Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.
"We should take stern legal action, such as punishing those who breach the (quarantine-related order)," he added.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun speaks during a session of the Central Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters at the government complex in Seoul on March 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
The premier also stressed the need to focus on enforcing the government-recommended suspension of the operation of religious, indoor sports and entertainment facilities for 15 days until April 5.
Earlier in the day, Culture Minister Park Yang-woo renewed an appeal for religious circles to "actively" join the social distancing efforts, during his visit to Youngnak Presbyterian Church in central Seoul.
"I make this earnest call for the religious sector to actively partake in this measure based on the understanding that this is an inevitable step to protect the life and safety (of citizens), though the recommended social distance measure is difficult," Park told church officials.
"I also would like to extend my deep gratitude for the Korean churches' best efforts to prevent COVID-19 by turning services into online ones," he added.
South Korea had reported 8,897 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of midnight with 80.9 percent of them considered mass infections, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A total of 104 people have died from the virus.
Culture Minister Park Yang-woo (R) speaks during a visit to Youngnak Presbyterian Church in central Seoul on March 22, 2020, in this photo provided by his ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Despite the government's call for restraint, many churches, including some nearly 540 churches in the southeastern city of Busan, have held their weekend services with their masked members singing hymns and saying prayers in close proximity to one another, raising fears that they could cause an increase in cluster infections.
Among the defiant churches was Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul.
Its members entered a Sunday morning service after being checked for fever and identifying themselves on the church's visitors' book. Some squabbled with municipal officials deployed to the church premises to check the situation.
A Seoul city official pointed out that the church failed to adhere to the guideline of maintaining a distance between worshipers during the service as the chamber was crowded.
"We requested that the breach be addressed, and we will consider issuing an administrative order banning such a gathering if (the church) continues to flout that guideline," the official said.
Residents of the Oryu-1 neighborhood in southwestern Seoul hold a protest rally in front of a Protestant church in their neighborhood that went ahead with a Sunday service on March 22, 2020, despite a recommendation from the government not to hold services to prevent further group transmissions of COVID-19 at churches. (Yonhap)
Other churches also conducted their routine weekend services, though they tried to strictly comply with state-recommended containment guidelines.
Their members stepped into the main chambers after sanitizing their hands and checking body temperatures. Only registered members were admitted into the chapels, with the entrances plastered with a blunt warning: "One that provides a source of COVID-19 infection could face legal responsibility."
During the unusually muted services, the members sat one or two meters away from one another, with the stages, once replete with devout choir members, emptied out.
Before the services, some churches sent out a notice that they would not provide any lunch or transportation services "until the COVID-19 situation calms down."
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-22--(LEAD) S. Korea begins coronavirus tests on all flying from Europe

On Sunday , more than 8,510 people are to arrive in Korea from overseas .
Of them , about 1,000 @ @ @ @ @ has become a new front line in the global fight against the virus , with @ @ @ @ @ 4,820 deaths .

(ATTN: ADDS more info in last 2 paras, photos)
SEOUL, March 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Sunday began conducting new coronavirus tests on all arrivals from Europe and requiring even those with negative results to undergo a 14-day self-quarantine as part of efforts to prevent any inflow of the virus from outside.
Starting at midnight, the government set in motion the screening measure for both its citizens and foreigners, amid growing concerns over a steady rise in the number of imported COVID-19 cases.
On Sunday, more than 8,510 people are to arrive in Korea from overseas. Of them, about 1,000 are from Europe, which has become a new front line in the global fight against the virus, with Italy having clocked more than 4,820 deaths.
Passengers who arrived at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, aboard a flight from Frankfurt, Germany, head to where they can be tested for the new coronavirus on March 22, 2020, as the South Korean government tightened its quarantine procedures for inbound travelers from Europe to prevent any inflow of the virus from outside. (Yonhap)
Among the arrivals from Europe, those with symptoms will get tested in separate quarantine facilities, while those without symptoms will be sent to temporary accommodations for tests in facilities near Seoul.
If they test positive, they will be sent to hospitals or mild symptom treatment facilities depending on their health conditions.
Those with negative test results who have arrived here for a long-term stay will be required to self-isolate at home for two weeks. If they have no homes, they will be sent to government-arranged facilities.
If foreigners arrive here from Europe for a short-term stay, they will not be put into quarantine. But health authorities will check their health conditions on a daily basis by phone.
Anyone, either Korean national or foreigner, who violates the rules on self-isolation will be punished under Korean law, officials said.
The government plans to provide financial support for those from Europe who undergo self-isolation.
On Sunday, South Korea's health authorities added 98 new COVID-19 cases in its daily tally, bringing the total to 8,897. Of the total new infections, 15 cases, including eight from Europe, are infections of foreign origin.
Amid growing concerns over the inflow of the virus, Seoul has been tightening its quarantine programs for those flying in from overseas, while stepping up its containment drive to curb local transmission.
Passengers who arrived at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, aboard a flight from Frankfurt, Germany, head to where they can be tested for the new coronavirus on March 22, 2020, as the South Korean government tightened its quarantine procedures for inbound travelers from Europe to prevent any inflow of the virus from outside. (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-22--(2nd LD) S. Korea tightens quarantine on arrivals from Europe, new virus cases dip below 100 again

(ATTN: UPDATES with more information throughout; ADDS photo)
SEOUL, March 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea recorded fewer than 100 new daily virus cases again on Sunday, but health authorities remained on high alert over new cluster infections and imported cases, mainly from Europe.
The 98 new COVID-19 cases, which were detected Saturday, brought the nation's total number of infections to 8,897, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). The daily infection rate had been in the double digits last week, except for the 152 new cases reported on Wednesday and 147 on Friday.
Of the newly confirmed cases, 15 people, or 15.3 percent, tested positive for COVID-19 after overseas trips, the KCDC.
Eight of the imported cases came from Europe, with another five from the United States, the health authorities said.
This file photo shows an official of the National Medical Center conveying medical supplies to a COVID-19 screening clinic in Seoul on March 3, 2020. (Yonhap)
The KCDC said 80.9 percent of the country's virus infections are considered mass infections, with 19.1 percent categorized as cases of community spread with unknown origins, mostly cluster and sporadic outbreaks.
So far, 104 people, mostly elderly patients with underlying illnesses, have died in South Korea from the respiratory virus that emerged in China late last year.
One more death was reported in the southeastern city of Daegu but was not added to an official tally.
In South Korea, the virus has mostly preyed on the elderly and already sick people.
The average mortality rate stood at 1.17 percent as of Saturday according to the KCDC. For those age 80 and above, the fatality rate was the highest at 10.46 percent.
About 60 percent of the confirmed cases have been linked to a branch of the Shincheonji religious sect in Daegu, which has a population of 2.5 million and is the country's fourth-largest city.
The pace of daily new infections has shown marked signs of slowing since the second week of this month as health authorities completed extensive testing of 210,000 Shincheonji followers.
But the authorities are still on high alert over new clusters of infections, including at a call center in Seoul's Guro district and Protestant churches in Gyeonggi Province surrounding Seoul.
Four new cases from the Guro call center were confirmed on Saturday, bringing the total number of infections linked to the center to 152, the KCDC said. It is the largest cluster case in the capital city.
An additional three people tied to Bundang Jesaeng Hospital in Seongnam, south of Seoul, tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total to 45, it said.
Starting earlier in the day, the Seoul government began limiting mass gathering events in social distancing efforts to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.
The government calls for suspending the operation of religious, indoor sports and entertainment facilities for 15 days until April 5.
Also, the authorities are closely monitoring new confirmed cases coming from outside of the country as 11 new cases were reported. Earlier in the day, the country began conducting new coronavirus tests on all arrivals from Europe and requiring even those with negative results to undergo a 14-day self-quarantine.
Starting at midnight, the government set in motion the screening measure for both its citizens and foreigners, amid growing concerns over a steady rise in the number of imported COVID-19 cases.
Of the 98 new cases, 43 are in Daegu and 11 are in surrounding North Gyeongsang Province, the KCDC said. The total number of confirmed cases in Daegu and North Gyeongsang, the two epicenters of the virus outbreak here, stood at 6,387 and 1,254, respectively.
Other major provinces and cities have also reported some infections, with Seoul reporting 10 additional cases, bringing the total confirmed cases to 324.
Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul and Incheon, saw its new daily infections rise by 16 to 337 on Saturday.
Health workers transfer a novel coronavirus patient at a nursing hospital in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, on March 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-22--(2nd LD) Trump sent letter to Kim offering help on virus outbreak: Kim's sister

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 20-24)
SEOUL, March 22 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump has sent a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, offering help with the communist nation's fight against the coronavirus, Kim's sister said Sunday.
The letter is a "a good example showing the special and firm personal relations" between Trump and Kim, said Kim Yo-jong, first vice department director of the Central Committee of the North's Workers' Party, in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.
"We regard it as a good judgment and proper action for the U.S. president to make efforts to keep the good relations he had with our Chairman by sending a personal letter again at a time as now when big difficulties and challenges lie in the way of developing the bilateral relations, and think that this should be highly estimated," she said.
"In the letter, he also explained his plan to propel the relations between the two countries of the DPRK and the U.S. and expressed his intent to render cooperation in the anti-epidemic work, saying that he was impressed by the efforts made by the Chairman to defend his people from the serious threat of the epidemic," she added, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
North Korea has not reported a single case of COVID-19 but is widely suspected to be covering up an outbreak. The regime has tightened its borders and enforced tough quarantine measures on its people, according to state media.
Relations between Washington and Pyongyang have chilled due to a deadlock in denuclearization negotiations following the collapse of Trump and Kim's second summit in Vietnam in February 2019.
Kim had set an end-of-year deadline for the U.S. to show flexibility in their negotiations, but 2019 passed without progress and a warning from Kim of a soon-to-come "new strategic weapon."
Still, the leaders have appeared to maintain their warm personal relations, and in January, Trump sent a letter to Kim to congratulate him on his birthday.
"In the personal letter, President Trump said he was glad to hear that his congratulations to Chairman on his birthday was correctly conveyed, and wished the family of the Chairman and our people wellbeing," Kim Yo-jong said.
"Saying that he values his relations with Chairman Kim Jong-un, President Trump said that there were difficulties in letting his thoughts known because communications were not made often recently," she continued. "He expressed his willingness to keep in close touch with the Chairman in the future."
The North Korean leader also "mentioned his special personal relations with President Trump again and appreciated the personal letter," she said.
The sister, however, cautioned against misjudging the two countries' ties based only on the personal relations of the two leaders.
"As they are the close relations between the two men representing the two countries, they would have positive impact but nobody knows how much the personal relations would change and lead the prospective relations between the two countries, and it is not something good to make hasty conclusion or be optimistic about it," she said.
"If impartiality and balance are not provided and unilateral and greedy intention is not taken away, the bilateral relations will continue to aggravate," she warned.
Adding that it is her personal opinion, Kim Yo-jong suggested that dialogue can only be restored when "the equilibrium is kept dynamically and morally and justice ensured between the two countries, not merely by the personal letter between the two leaders."
"Even at this moment we are working hard to develop and defend ourselves on our own under the cruel environment which the U.S. is keen to 'provide,'" she said, likely referring to the U.S.-led international sanctions against the regime.
"We try to hope for the day when the relations between the two countries would be as good as the ones between the two top leaders, but it has to be left to time and be watched whether it can actually happen," she said.
North Korea will "never lose or waste time for nothing, but will keep changing ourselves to be more powerful for that time just as how we made ourselves for the past two years," she added.
She also said she extends "sincere gratitude" to Trump for sending "his invariable faith" to Kim.
Some observers said that Trump's latest personal letter to Kim might be aimed at discouraging the North from engaging in any major provocation that could tarnish the American leader's diplomatic credentials and hamper his reelection campaign.
It remains uncertain whether the North will accept the U.S. offer for cooperation in the anti-pandemic efforts, as Pyongyang might be carefully scrutinizing Trump's intention behind the overture, especially absent progress in the nuclear negotiations.
But Washington's continued display of willingness to engage with Pyongyang has created more diplomatic maneuvering space for Seoul to seek inter-Korean cooperation that has been at a standstill due to the deadlock in the talks between the U.S. and the North.
"The (Seoul) government basically holds the basic position that quarantine cooperation between the South and the North is needed," a Seoul official said.
"We will closely watch how the dialogue between the North and the U.S. will unfold down the road," the official added.
The statement by Kim Yo-jong came a day after the North fired two short-range projectiles toward the East Sea in its third such weapons test so far this year.
Analysts said that the North's recent military moves appear to have been intended to beef up leader Kim's internal grip on power amid fears over the spread of COVID-19 and economic difficulties.
(END)


yna--2020-03-22--Today in Korean history

Today in Korean history

2017 -- The Sewol ferry is raised from waters off South Korea 's southwest coast , nearly three years after @ @ @ @ @ over 300 lives in one of the worst maritime disasters in history .
( END @

March 23
1949 -- The United States dispatches John Muccio as its first ambassador to South Korea.
1990 -- South Korea establishes diplomatic relations with Bulgaria.
1992 -- South Korea establishes diplomatic relations with Azerbaijan.
2000 -- The North Korean navy announces its own version of the inter-Korean maritime border, drawing the line farther south of the Northern Limit Line demarcated earlier by South Korea.
2007 -- Daewoo Group founder Kim Woo-choong apologizes to former executives of the defunct conglomerate, saying he feels guilt that all their past efforts have been discredited.
2011 -- North Korea warns it is ready to take action against a plan by South Korean activists to send anti-Pyongyang leaflets to the communist country.
2017 -- The Sewol ferry is raised from waters off South Korea's southwest coast, nearly three years after its tragic sinking that claimed over 300 lives in one of the worst maritime disasters in history.
(END)


yna--2020-03-22--Coronavirus testing at all nursing hospitals in Daegu almost completed

DAEGU , March 22 ( Yonhap ) -- Testing for the novel coronavirus on patients and staff at all nursing @ @ @ @ @ of Daegu , the nation 's epicenter of the outbreak , has almost been completed @ @ @ @ @ Sunday .

DAEGU, March 22 (Yonhap) -- Testing for the novel coronavirus on patients and staff at all nursing hospitals in the southeastern city of Daegu, the nation's epicenter of the outbreak, has almost been completed, city government officials said Sunday.
The Daegu city government has been testing for COVID-19 on all patients and staff at a total of 394 care hospitals located in the city, after a number of cluster infections occurred in such facilities.
A total of 33,610 people, or 94.6 percent, underwent testing over the past 10 days, with testing of the 1,856 people remaining scheduled to be completed within the day, they said.
Out of the total, 227 people have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, the officials said.
This photo, taken on March 20, 2020, shows a nursing hospital in the southeastern city of Daegu where 57 people have tested positive for COVID-19 over the past three days. (Yonhap)
While Daegu and neighboring North Gyeongsang Province saw signs of stabilization in the number of new virus infections, cases of community spread with unknown origins, mostly cluster and sporadic outbreaks, have been on a gradual rise.
An additional 25 people from nursing hospitals and other medical facilities in the city were newly confirmed on Saturday.
The city government said 36 such facilities have been placed under cohort isolation as part of a precautionary measure.
Cohort isolation is the separating of a group of patients with the same infectious disease from others. The method has proven effective in preventing the further spread of disease within medical facilities.
The country reported fewer than 100 new daily virus cases again on Sunday, bringing the total to 8,897, but health authorities remained on high alert over new cluster infections and imported cases, mainly from Europe.
The pace of daily new infections has slowed markedly as health authorities completed extensive testing of 210,000 followers of the Shincheonji religious sect at the center of the rapid spread.
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-22--(LEAD) Culture minister renews call for churches to join toughened social distancing measures

Despite the government 's plea for restraint , some churches have held their weekend services with their masked members singing @ @ @ @ @ close proximity to one another , raising fears that they could cause an increase in @ @ @

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 8-11)
SEOUL, March 22 (Yonhap) -- Culture Minister Park Yang-woo on Sunday renewed an appeal for religious circles to "actively" join the government's social distancing efforts to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.
The minister made the appeal during his visit to Youngnak Presbyterian Church in central Seoul, a day after the government called for suspending the operation of religious, indoor sports and entertainment facilities for 15 days until April 5.
"I make this earnest call for the religious sector to actively partake in this measure based on the understanding that this is an inevitable step to protect the life and safety (of citizens) though the recommended social distance measure is difficult," Park told church officials.
"I also would like to extend my deep gratitude for the Korean churches' best efforts to prevent COVID-19 by turning services into online ones," he added.
Culture Minister Park Yang-woo (R) speaks during a visit to Youngnak Presbyterian Church in central Seoul on March 22, 2020, in this photo provided by his ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Despite the government's plea for restraint, some churches have held their weekend services with their masked members singing hymns and saying prayers in close proximity to one another, raising fears that they could cause an increase in cluster infections.
Among the defiant churches was Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul.
Its members entered a Sunday morning service after taking fever checks and identifying themselves on the church's visitors' book. Some squabbled with municipal officials deployed to the church premises to check the situation.
Some other churches in Suwon, just south of Seoul, and other regions also conducted their routine weekend services, though they tried to be in strict compliance with state-recommended containment guidelines.
Their members stepped into the main chambers after sanitizing their hands and checking body temperatures. Only registered members were admitted into the chapels, with the entrances plastered with a blunt warning: "One that provides a source of COVID-19 infection could face legal responsibility."
During the unusually muted services, the members sat one or two meters away from one another, with the stages, once replete with devout choir members, emptied out.
Before the services, some churches sent out a notice that they would not provide any lunch or transportation services "until the COVID-19 situation calms down."
On Saturday, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun made the call for carrying out social distancing efforts, warning of stronger actions against facilities that do not abide by administrative virus prevention orders.
As of midnight, South Korea's COVID-19 caseload reached 8,897 with 104 deaths.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-22--Culture minister renews call for churches to join toughened social distancing measures

SEOUL, March 22 (Yonhap) -- Culture Minister Park Yang-woo on Sunday renewed an appeal for religious circles to "actively" join the government's social distancing efforts to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.
The minister made the appeal during his visit to Youngnak Presbyterian Church in central Seoul, a day after the government called for suspending the operation of religious, indoor sports and entertainment facilities for 15 days until April 5.
"I make this earnest call for the religious sector to actively partake in this measure based on the understanding that this is an inevitable step to protect the life and safety (of citizens) though the recommended social distance measure is difficult," Park told church officials.
"I also would like to extend my deep gratitude for the Korean churches' best efforts to prevent COVID-19 by turning services into online ones," he added.
Culture Minister Park Yang-woo (R) speaks during a visit to Youngnak Presbyterian Church in central Seoul on March 22, 2020, in this photo provided by his ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Despite the government's plea for restraint, some churches have held their weekend services with their masked members singing hymns and saying prayers in close proximity to one another, raising fears that they could cause an increase in cluster infections.
Among the defiant churches was Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul.
Its members entered a Sunday morning service after taking fever checks and identifying themselves on the church's visitors' book. Some squabbled with municipal officials deployed to the church premises to check the situation.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun made the call for carrying out social distancing efforts, warning of stronger actions against facilities that do not abide by administrative virus prevention orders.
As of midnight, South Korea's COVID-19 caseload reached 8,897 with 104 deaths.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-22--(2nd LD) N.K. says leader Kim oversaw test of newly developed tactical guided weapon

The North 's version of the ATACMS unit is known to be capable of firing two missiles in succession and @ @ @ @ @ .
Should the interval between the launches be shorter than two minutes , it would @ @ @ @ @ the launching platform , observers noted .

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 9, 11-13)
By Koh Byung-joon
SEOUL, March 22 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has overseen a test of a newly developed "tactical guided weapon," state media reported Sunday, a day after South Korea said the communist nation fired what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea.
The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Saturday that the North conducted the launches from areas near its western county of Sonchon in North Pyongan Province, and the missiles flew around 410 kilometers, reaching a maximum altitude of around 50 km.
It was the North's third such weapons test so far this year.
On Sunday, Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency said leader Kim attended the test-firing.
This photo released by the Korean Central News Agency on March 22, 2020, shows Kim Jong-un observe through binoculars a test of a newly-developed tactical weapon the previous day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
"The fire was aimed at reconfirming and showing to the KPA commanding officers the tactical characters and power of a new weapon system to be delivered to KPA units," KCNA said. KPA stands for the Korean People's Army.
"The fire clearly proved the characters of different flight trajectories and falling angles, accuracy of guided shells and their power," it said.
KCNA said it was the latest in a series of newly developed weapons systems, and cited Kim saying that the "successive birth of the new weapon systems of our style serves as a great event in making development and a difference in the armed forces of our state."
"The new-type weapon systems which we have recently developed and the tactical and strategic weapon systems in the development stage will make decisive contributions to the realization of the Party's strategic plan to make a radical change in the national defense strategy," Kim was also quoted as saying.
Military officials and experts here have presumed that the projectiles involved in the latest launch could be the North Korean version of the United States' Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS).
Rather than following a general parabolic trajectory, Saturday's missiles were detected to have shown a more complicated path by doing a so-called pull-up maneuver over the course of their flight.
As seen in the ATACMS flight trajectory, the pull-up maneuver, designed to avoid interception, has raised concerns that it could outmaneuver anti-missile systems in the South, such as the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) interceptors.
The North's version of the ATACMS unit is known to be capable of firing two missiles in succession and then quickly receding into concealment. Should the interval between the launches be shorter than two minutes, it would be difficult to preemptively strike the launching platform, observers noted.
The ATACMS unit deployed to the South Korean military is known to be able to destroy an area three or four times bigger than a soccer field.
The latest weapon test came as the North is making all-out efforts to block the new coronavirus from breaking out on its soil amid its fast global outbreak. Though it has not reported any confirmed case, Pyongyang has tightened its border, toughened quarantine measures and restricted movement of people and goods.
On Saturday, South Korea denounced the launches as "a very inappropriate act" coming at a time when the whole world has been facing difficulties due to the coronavirus pandemic, and urged Pyongyang to immediately halt such military activities.
This photo released by the Korean Central News Agency on March 22, 2020 shows a projectile being fired during a test of a newly-developed tactical weapon a day earlier. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
North Korea conducted missile tests 13 times last year, with the latest on carried out in November in show of force and frustration over stalemated denuclearization talks with Washington.
Nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington have stalled since the no-deal summit between Kim and Trump in February last year.
Kim told a party meeting late in December that he does not feel bound anymore by his self-imposed moratorium on testing long-range ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, saying that the world will witness a "new strategic weapon" in the near future.
Despite long-stalled denuclearization talks and threats for provocations, North Korea and the U.S. have boasted of good relationship between their leaders by exchange of personal letters.
Earlier in the day, Kim Yo-jong, the sister of the North's leader Kim, said that Trump has sent a letter to offer help with the country's fight against the coronavirus, calling it "a good example showing the special and firm personal relations"
The sister said that leader Kim also "mentioned his special personal relations with President Trump again and appreciated the personal letter," but she also cautioned against misjudging the two countries' ties based only on the personal relations of the two leaders.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-22--(LEAD) S. Korea tightens quarantine on arrivals from Europe, new virus cases dip below 100 again

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; ADDS more details in paras 2-5, 10, 13)
SEOUL, March 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea recorded fewer than 100 new daily virus cases again on Sunday, but health authorities remained on high alert over new cluster infections and imported cases, mainly from Europe.
The 98 new COVID-19 cases, which were detected Saturday, brought the nation's total number of infections to 8,897, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). The daily infection rate had been in the double digits last week, except for the 152 new cases reported on Wednesday and 147 on Friday.
So far, 104 people, mostly elderly patients with underlying illnesses, have died in South Korea from the respiratory virus that emerged in China late last year.
In South Korea, the virus has mostly preyed on the elderly and already sick people.
The average mortality rate stood at 1.17 percent as of Saturday according to the KCDC. For those age 80 and above, the fatality rate was the highest at 10.46 percent.
About 60 percent of the confirmed cases have been linked to a branch of the Shincheonji religious sect in the southeastern city of Daegu, which has a population of 2.5 million and is the country's fourth-largest city.
The pace of daily new infections has shown marked signs of slowing since the second week of this month as health authorities completed extensive testing of 210,000 Shincheonji followers.
This file photo shows an official of the National Medical Center conveying medical supplies to a COVID-19 screening clinic in Seoul on March 3, 2020. (Yonhap)
But the authorities are still on high alert over new clusters of infections, including at a call center in Seoul's Guro district and Protestant churches in Gyeonggi Province surrounding Seoul.
Also, the authorities are closely monitoring new confirmed cases coming from outside of the country as 11 new cases were reported. Earlier in the day, the country began conducting new coronavirus tests on all arrivals from Europe and requiring even those with negative results to undergo a 14-day self-quarantine.
Starting at midnight, the government set in motion the screening measure for both its citizens and foreigners, amid growing concerns over a steady rise in the number of imported COVID-19 cases.
Of the 98 new cases, 43 are in Daegu and 11 are in surrounding North Gyeongsang Province, the KCDC said. The total number of confirmed cases in Daegu and North Gyeongsang, the two epicenters of the virus outbreak here, stood at 6,387 and 1,254, respectively.
Other major provinces and cities have also reported some infections, with Seoul reporting 10 additional cases, bringing the total confirmed cases to 324.
Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul and Incheon, saw its new daily infections rise by 16 to 337 on Saturday.
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-22--N.K. newspaper mentions 'at least 1 meter distance' in anti-virus efforts

`` We should not let children go outside , especially to public places or areas crowded with people , '' @ @ @ @ @ article about protecting the health of young children .

SEOUL, March 22 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's main newspaper on Sunday called public attention to keeping "at least one meter distance" from others in what appears to be a social distancing effort to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.
Introducing foreign countries' measures to curb COVID-19 outbreaks, the Rodong Sinmun, the daily of the North's ruling Workers' Party, mentioned such social distancing measures as staying away from others and avoiding public transportation.
Pyongyang has claimed to have no COVID-19 cases yet, although speculation about possible outbreaks in the communist state has persisted due to its beefed-up public awareness campaign and a lack of diagnostic capabilities.
"We should not let children go outside, especially to public places or areas crowded with people," the newspaper said in an article about protecting the health of young children.
The newspaper also stressed the need to avoid "listening" to each other, as well eating food and drinking in public places or touching anything there.
Meanwhile, the North's propaganda outlet, Meari, pointed out the possibility of virus infection through birds or animals rather than person-to-person transmission, urging people to immediately cordon off areas where wild animals are found.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-22--LG Uplus to supply 5G VR content to Hong Kong's top telco

LG Uplus has been trying to expand its presence in the VR content market in recent years .
Last year @ @ @ @ @ with Google to collaborate on VR content creation and global distribution .

SEOUL, March 22 (Yonhap) -- LG Uplus Corp., South Korea's No. 3 mobile carrier, said Sunday it will supply 5G virtual reality (VR) content to Hong Kong's largest telecommunication firm.
LG Uplus' VR content will be also available on Hong Kong Telecommunications (HKT) Ltd.'s 5G service starting next month, the company said.
This is the second time that LG Uplus has exported its 5G content to a foreign company. Last year, LG Uplus signed a deal with China Telecom Corp. to supply its 5G content and solutions.
HKT, an affiliate of PCCW Group, is Hong Kong's top telecommunication firm with some 4.3 million subscribers. It plans to commercialize 5G service on April 1.
LG Uplus has been trying to expand its presence in the VR content market in recent years. Last year, it signed a partnership with Google to collaborate on VR content creation and global distribution.
In this photo provided by LG Uplus Corp. on March 22, 2020, LG Uplus officials pose for a photo at the company's office building in Seoul after signing an agreement with PCCW Group, which runs Hong Kong's top telecommunication firm, on supplying 5G VR content. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)