yna--2020-03-17--Top headlines in major S. Korean newspapers

Korean-language dailies -- An era of interest rates below 1 percent ( Kyunghyang Shinmun ) -- COVID-19 wreaks havoc on @ @ @ @ @ ) -- Terror continues despite 'zero rate , ' U.S. , European shares plunge again @ @ @ @ @ Following U.S. , BOK chooses 'big cut , ' puts rates at historic low ( @ @ @ @ @ 's 'big cut , ' benchmark rates below 1 percent for first time ( Segye @ @ @ @ @ market opens with nose-dive despite monetary easing ( Chosun Ilbo ) -- Global stocks plummet @ @ @ @ @ ( JoongAng Ilbo ) -- S. Korean economy in uncharted territory with benchmark rates below @ @ @ @ @ -- 'China shock ' more serious than expected , industrial output falls 13.5 pct ( @ @ @ @ @ cuts rates 0.5 percentage point to historic low of 0.75 pct ( Maeil Business Newspaper @ @ @ @ @ to below 1 percent for first time ( Korea Economic Daily )

SEOUL, March 17 (Yonhap) -- The following are the top headlines in major South Korean newspapers on March 17.
Korean-language dailies
-- An era of interest rates below 1 percent (Kyunghyang Shinmun)
-- COVID-19 wreaks havoc on real economy (Kookmin Daily)
-- Terror continues despite 'zero rate,' U.S., European shares plunge again (Donga llbo)
-- Following U.S., BOK chooses 'big cut,' puts rates at historic low (Seoul Shinmun)
-- BOK's 'big cut,' benchmark rates below 1 percent for first time (Segye Times)
-- U.S. stock market opens with nose-dive despite monetary easing (Chosun Ilbo)
-- Global stocks plummet together despite joint monetary easing (JoongAng Ilbo)
-- S. Korean economy in uncharted territory with benchmark rates below 1 percent (Hankyoreh)
-- 'China shock' more serious than expected, industrial output falls 13.5 pct (Hankook Ilbo)
-- BOK cuts rates 0.5 percentage point to historic low of 0.75 pct (Maeil Business Newspaper)
-- BOK slashes rates to below 1 percent for first time (Korea Economic Daily)
English-language dailies
-- BOK cuts interest rate to a historic low of 0.75 percent (Korea JoongAng Daily)
-- Do not gather in enclosed spaces, government urges, as new cases fall (Korea Herald)
-- Quarantine strengthened for travelers from Europe (Korea Times)
(END)


yna--2020-03-17--Trump: S. Korea did 'good job' but had 'tremendous problems' fighting virus

`` And when you look at the projections there 's every chance that we could be Italy , '' he @ @ @ @ @ 's every hope that we will be South Korea if people actually listen , if @ @ @ @ @ if people do the basic public health measures that we 've all been talking about @ @ @ @ @ such as washing your hands , such as covering your cough , and cleaning surfaces @ @

By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, March 16 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that South Korea did a "good job" handling the coronavirus outbreak but also had "tremendous problems" at the start.
Trump made the remark at a White House press briefing as he defended his own administration's response to the growing outbreak in the United States.
"I noticed a lot of people are talking about South Korea because they've done a good job on one side, but on the other side, tremendous problems at the beginning," he said. "They had tremendous problems and great numbers of death."
This EPA photo shows U.S. President Donald Trump delivering remarks during a Coronavirus Task Force press briefing at the White House in Washington on March 16, 2020. (Yonhap)
South Korea has received widespread praise for its handling of one of the worst outbreaks of the virus outside of China.
On Monday South Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 74 new cases the previous day, the second straight day that new infections were in double digits. The total caseload stood at 8,236, with 75 deaths.
Latest figures from the U.S. CDC showed a total of 3,487 cases across the country and 68 deaths.
U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said the country is at a "critical inflection point" and compared the current numbers to Italy's situation two weeks ago.
"We have a choice to make as a nation. Do we want to go the direction of South Korea and really be aggressive and lower our mortality rates or do we want to go the direction of Italy?" he said in an interview on Fox News.
"And when you look at the projections there's every chance that we could be Italy," he continued. "But there's every hope that we will be South Korea if people actually listen, if people actually social distance, if people do the basic public health measures that we've all been talking about as doctors all along, such as washing your hands, such as covering your cough, and cleaning surfaces."
Trump used the press briefing to unveil a set of "coronavirus guidelines for America," which began with the heading, "15 Days to Slow the Spread."
The guidelines call for listening to and following the directions of state and local authorities, staying home if feeling sick, keeping children at home if they feel sick, and keeping the entire household at home if a member tests positive for the coronavirus.
On Friday Trump also announced the introduction of drive-through testing centers in the country while declaring a national emergency to free up to $50 billion in federal funds to fight the outbreak.
A week earlier he had questioned the effectiveness of such testing centers in South Korea, saying, "We're doing the whole thing in one stop. They're doing samples in South Korea. That's a very different thing."
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-17--U.S. maintains positions ahead of new defense talks with S. Korea

`` The recent proposal by the ROK to launch a separate negotiation based solely on labor cost sharing would greatly @ @ @ @ @ mutually acceptable and comprehensive SMA that addresses all facets of the agreement , '' he @ @ @ @ @ be avoided if the United States and the ROK reach agreement on a more equitable @ @ @ @ @ 's view in which allies and partners should cover their fair share of the costs @ @

By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, March 16 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. State Department on Monday reiterated its commitment to a "fair and equitable" agreement on defense cost-sharing with South Korea as the two sides are set to continue negotiations this week.
Jeong Eun-bo, Seoul's chief negotiator, will meet with his American counterpart, James DeHart, in Los Angeles on Tuesday and Wednesday for a seventh round of talks on renewing the allies' Special Measures Agreement.
The U.S. has warned that some 9,000 Korean workers on its military bases will be furloughed beginning April 1 if the two sides are unable to reach a deal.
This photo, provided by Seoul's foreign ministry, shows Jeong Eun-bo (R), South Korea chief negotiator for the Special Measures Agreement, and his American counterpart, James DeHart, posing for a photo at the 6th round of talks in Washington on Jan. 14, 2020. (Yonhap)
"The United States remains committed to a fair and equitable outcome to the Special Measures Agreement negotiations for both countries that will strengthen and sustain the resilient U.S.-ROK Alliance," a State Department spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.
"The U.S.-ROK Alliance is strong, and vital for safeguarding peace on the Peninsula as well as stability in the broader Indo-Pacific region," he added.
Under last year's SMA, which expired at the end of December, Seoul agreed to pay some $870 million to help keep 28,500 American troops stationed on the peninsula.
Washington has demanded a significant increase in Seoul's financial contributions and also called for expanding its coverage.
Asked about Seoul's proposal to first settle the issue of wages for Korean workers, the spokesperson reiterated the department's objection to the idea.
"The recent proposal by the ROK to launch a separate negotiation based solely on labor cost sharing would greatly detract from expeditiously concluding a mutually acceptable and comprehensive SMA that addresses all facets of the agreement," he said. "Furloughs may be avoided if the United States and the ROK reach agreement on a more equitable SMA that supports President Trump's view in which allies and partners should cover their fair share of the costs."
Speaking to reporters Monday before boarding his flight from Incheon to Los Angeles, Jeong acknowledged that gaps between the two countries remain.
"I will make efforts for the early conclusion of the negotiations," he said, especially to ensure "stable working conditions" for the Korean workers.
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


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yna--2020-03-16--(2nd LD) 143 countries, territories restricting entry from S. Korea over coronavirus fears

Eight other countries were moved to this list after toughening their restriction measures for people from South Korea .
Serbia @ @ @ @ @ people from Korea 's two epicenters of the virus outbreak , while Panama and Argentina @ @ @ @ @ from Korea to self-isolate .

(ATTN: UPDATES with latest numbers, minor edits throughout)
By Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, March 16 (Yonhap) -- A total of 143 countries and territories were imposing entry bans or stricter quarantine procedures or plan to do so for people from South Korea over coronavirus concerns Monday, the foreign ministry said.
Five countries -- Peru, Serbia, Panama and Argentina and Cameroon -- had joined the list as of 10 p.m. the ministry's chart showed.
The number of countries and territories set to bar or already barring the entry of people who have visited South Korea in at least the past two weeks was 80.
Peru is set to implement a ban on all arrivals and departures from Tuesday (Peru time) after announcing that it will close its borders to stem the spread of the virus.
Eight other countries were moved to this list after toughening their restriction measures for people from South Korea. Serbia had barred the entry of people from Korea's two epicenters of the virus outbreak, while Panama and Argentina had required people coming in from Korea to self-isolate.
Earlier in the day, Bolivia and South Africa joined the list by announcing plans to enforce entry bans this week. Belize, Tunisia, Ghana and Kenya have also toughened their travel curbs to ban the entry of foreigners from virus-affected nations, as opposed to so far having imposed stricter quarantine systems like a 14-day self-isolation.
Some exceptions apply to those with long-stay visas, residential permits or other essential reasons.
The updates put the number of countries and territories barring the entry of people from southeastern parts of Korea -- Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province -- where the majority of the COVID-19 outbreaks have occurred, at five, minus Serbia.
A total of 17 countries and territories, including 22 cities, provinces and autonomous regions of China, were taking tougher quarantine measures, mostly a two-week mandatory isolation at designated facilities.
Cameroon and the Dominican Republic were the latest to join the list of countries and territories imposing stricter health screenings and requiring or recommending isolation, bringing the number to 46.
South Korea reported 74 new cases of confirmed coronavirus infections Monday, bringing the total infection tally to 8,236, with 75 deaths.
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-16--(7th LD) New virus cases continue to slow, cluster infections still a concern

The pace of daily new infections has shown marked signs of slowing since the second week of this month as @ @ @ @ @ testing of 210,000 Shincheonji followers who are at the center of the rapid spread , @ @ @ @ @ high alert over new clusters of infections , including at a call center in Seoul @ @ @ @ @ government complex in the administrative city of Sejong .

(ATTN: ADDS details in para 5; UPDATES with minor edits throughout)
SEOUL, March 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korea saw another fall in daily new infections of the novel coronavirus Monday, but multiple small-scale cluster infections continued to emerge across the nation, keeping health authorities on edge.
The 74 new cases, which were detected Sunday, brought the nation's total infections to 8,236, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
Sunday saw the lowest number of daily infections in more than three weeks, and it was the second straight day that daily new infections were in double digits.
The KCDC added that 75 people, mostly elderly patients with underlying illnesses, had died across the country from the respiratory virus that emerged in China late last year.
On Monday, health authorities reported six more fatalities, including five in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, areas that have been hit hardest by the virus. The latest deaths have yet to be included in the official update.
The KCDC said 59 virus patients are in critical condition. The flu-like virus causes a fever, cough, runny nose and headache for most healthy people, but the risk of severe infection is high for elderly people with underlying health problems.
In South Korea, the virus has preyed on the elderly and already sick people. The KCDC said 70.6 percent of deaths were in their 70s and above. Another 18.7 percent of fatalities were in their 60s. No death from a virus patient younger than 29 has been reported.
To better shield elderly people from the virus, KCDC Director Jeong Eun-kyeong called for elderly people to stay indoors "as soon as possible" and refrain from visiting crowded places.
Also, people should refrain from visiting hospitals and nursing homes to meet their loved ones, Jeong said.
This graph, provided by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) on March 16, 2020, shows daily new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and total infections in South Korea. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
As people around the world have braced for life under the pandemic, Jeong said people in South Korea must prepare for "everyday containment" measures against a "prolonged war" on the virus.
"The growth pace of daily new inflections has been on a decline, but sporadic cases have continued to emerge," Jeong said.
The relentless threat of the virus has already reshaped everyday life in South Korea, leading to extended school breaks, more work from home and fewer large gatherings.
"To cope with a prolonged war, we must prepare for a new everyday life where following containment measures should be taken for granted," Jeong said.
The education ministry is expected to announce a plan Tuesday to further expand winter breaks for kindergartens and elementary, middle and high schools, possibly for two more weeks.
The ministry has postponed the start of the new semester for those schools until March 23.
South Korea has released a total of 1,137 fully recovered novel coronavirus patients from hospitals as of Sunday, up 303 from a day earlier, the KCDC said.
It took about 15 days on average for a person to be released from isolation after testing positive for the virus, the KCDC said.
Sunday's number of cured people was the biggest one-day increase so far. Last week, the number of daily cured people exceeded the number of daily new infections in South Korea for the first time since Jan. 20, when the virus was first detected on South Korean soil.
About 61 percent of confirmed cases have been linked to a branch of the Shincheonji religious sect in Daegu, which, at a population of 2.5 million, 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 the extensive testing of 210,000 Shincheonji followers who are at the center of the rapid spread, but authorities are still on high alert over new clusters of infections, including at a call center in Seoul's Guro district and the government complex in the administrative city of Sejong.
Of the 74 new cases, 35 are in Daegu and seven 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 6,066 and 1,164, respectively.
While Daegu and North Gyeongsang still account for the majority of daily new infections, cases of community spread with unknown origins, mostly cluster and sporadic outbreaks, are gradually on the rise.
Seoul's confirmed cases rose by six to 253, with at least 79 cases linked to the call center in Guro Ward and another 14 cases linked to Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital in Eunpyeong Ward. Another 13 cases in Seoul came were reported at an apartment building in Seongdong Ward.
Incheon's cases were unchanged at 30, with 18 cases linked to the Guro call center. Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul and Incheon, saw confirmed cases climb by 20 to 231, with 32 cases tied to the Guro call center and another 28 tied to Shincheonji.
Another cluster transmission was reported at a church in Seongnam, south of Seoul, that has affected at least 41 in Gyeonggi Province, three in Seoul and two in Incheon, including the pastor and his wife.
Virus cases in Busan rose by one to 107, with 34 patients linked to a Christian church in the Dongnae district and another eight patients linked to Shincheonji. The 34 patients of the Oncheon church in Busan are tied to the church's three-day retreat that ended on Feb. 17, officials said. It is still unclear how they were infected with the virus.
A nurse takes a sample from a man to test for the new coronavirus through a "glove wall" at Boramae Medical Center in Seoul, in this undated photo released by the hospital on March 16, 2020. The medical center has introduced the system, which separates a suspected patient and a medical worker when a COVID-19 virus test is conducted, for the first time in South Korea. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
In South Chungcheong Province, which includes the city of Cheonan, 104 of the total 112 patients were connected to a Zumba dance class in Cheonan, the KCDC said.
Clusters of infections account for 80.7 percent of the total confirmed cases as of Monday, meaning that people can contract the virus if they are in crowded places.
With unknown virus patients who have not developed symptoms appearing to be the cause of significant numbers of infections, the government has called for people to avoid non-essential gatherings in crowded places, such as religious facilities, nursing homes, internet cafes and karaoke rooms.
As the spread of the virus shows little signs of a let-up in Europe and the Middle East, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said the government would tighten border checks for all travelers from France, Germany, Spain, Britain and the Netherlands.
The stricter immigration procedures require international travelers to get fever checks and submit papers on their health. They are required to download a smartphone app that will allow them to be put under supervision if they show symptoms.
Such requirements have been applied to people who have visited mainland China, Macau, Hong Kong, Iran and Italy.
As the number of imported virus cases grows, South Korea is preparing to expand its stricter border checks to all people coming from abroad, Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip told reporters.
A total of four imported cases of the novel coronavirus in South Korea have been confirmed, including three patients who traveled to European countries and tested positive for the virus last Saturday, Kim said.
Many experts expected the government to extend school breaks for another two weeks to early next month.
Kim said, "We're not at the stage where we talk about easing social distancing."
Kim also hinted that school breaks may be extended, saying, "If schools open, they could become a connecting link to expand local transmissions.
"To help halt the spread of COVID-19 in local communities, social distancing should be put in place over the next two or three weeks," Kim said.
Nurses at Dongsan Hospital in virus-hit Daegu wait in line to put on protective gear before their shift on March 16, 2020. (Yonhap)
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 taxes and utility fees.
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.
The number of people being checked for the virus and under quarantine came to 7,024 as of Sunday, down 229 from the day before, the KCDC said. The country has tested a total of 274,504 suspected cases, with 251,297 testing negative.
Currently, there is no evidence that the new coronavirus is airborne. WHO said the virus is transmitted through droplets or close contact.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-16--(2nd LD) Moon says Seoul, nearby areas in critical fight against virus, vows no let-up in quarantine

`` It is more important from now .
It is the time when success in the quarantining of the Seoul @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said at a Seoul City Hall meeting on responding to the viral @ @ @ @ @ Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon , Gyeonggi Gov .
Lee Jae-myung and Incheon Mayor Park Nam-chun @

(ATTN: ADDS photo, details throughout)
SEOUL, March 16 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in said Monday that South Korea is facing an all-important round of battle against the spread of the novel coronavirus in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, and stressed the government won't let up on efforts to contain the virus.
Daegu, a city located 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, and nearby North Gyeongsang Province saw steady reductions in the number of patients over the past few days. But several cases of mass infections were confirmed in the wider capital zone, with a population of around 25 million, particularly centered on a call center, an internet cafe, a church and a hospital, Moon noted.
President Moon Jae-in (C) talks to city officials responding to the COVID-19 outbreak at Seoul City Hall on March 16, 2020. (Yonhap)
It's a reason why South Korea can't let its guard down, he pointed out.
"It is more important from now. It is the time when success in the quarantining of the Seoul capital area is of importance," he said at a Seoul City Hall meeting on responding to the viral disease. Among attendees were Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, Gyeonggi Gov. Lee Jae-myung and Incheon Mayor Park Nam-chun.
"There is anxiety that all efforts and accomplishments regarding quarantine may return to zero if a more sizable cluster infection or rapid community transmission occurs in the capital zone," Moon said.
President Moon Jae-in (C) presides over a meeting on efforts to contain the COVID-19 outbreak at Seoul City Hall on March 16, 2020. (Yonhap)
The president emphasized the significance of a joint quarantine system of the metropolitan area.
"A joint quarantine system enabled through cooperation between (different) city and provincial governments is critical since the capital region is literally the same living zone," Moon said.
He also pledged full efforts to block the additional inflow of the virus, which is fast spreading across the globe, into South Korea.
As of Monday morning, 253 confirmed COVID-19 cases had been reported in Seoul, 231 in Gyeonggi Province and 30 in Incheon.
The regions are regarded as the last line of defense in the nation's war against the pandemic.
South Korea has so far reported 8,236 cases, with the number of new cases slowing in the last few days.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-17--Over 170,000 overseas Koreans eligible to vote in April general elections

It will be the third time for Korean citizens to participate in parliamentary elections from abroad .
The first was @ @ @ @ @ total of 123,571 overseas voters were registered .

SEOUL, March 17 (Yonhap) -- More than 170,000 overseas Koreans in 119 countries will be allowed to vote in the April 15 general elections, the National Election Commission (NEC) said Tuesday.
The number of eligible overseas voters stood at 171,959, up 11.5 percent from 154,217 four years ago, according to the NEC.
It will be the third time for Korean citizens to participate in parliamentary elections from abroad. The first was in 2012, when a total of 123,571 overseas voters were registered.
Residents in the United States have the lion's share, with 40,562, followed by those in Japan with 21,957, the NEC said.
The commission plans to operate 205 polling stations in the 119 countries from April 1-6. The ballots will be brought to South Korea via diplomatic pouches, the election watchdog said.
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-17--(LEAD) S. Korea to unveil market stabilization measures

`` The stability of the stock and bond markets are growingly under the influence of volatility linked to the outflow @ @ @ @ @ Hong said .
`` There 's the possibility of financial market instabilities due to a @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said .

(ATTN: UPDATES with minister's remarks in paras 1-8; ADDS photo)
SEOUL, March 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will announce a set of measures on Wednesday to stabilize financial markets rattled by the new coronavirus outbreak, the country's chief economic policymaker said Tuesday.
Speaking to a parliamentary session, Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said the government will unveil new steps to address market turmoil, including the readjustment of the cap on domestic banks' foreign currency forward positions.
"(The ministry) is reviewing various measures to stabilize the financial markets, including a limit in currency forward (positions) as suggested by the market," the minister said. The measures will be unveiled at a meeting of economy-related ministers on Wednesday, he added.
The minister warned that financial markets could be subject to more instability due to investors' growing risk-averse tendency.
"The stability of the stock and bond markets are growingly under the influence of volatility linked to the outflow of foreign funds," Hong said. "There's the possibility of financial market instabilities due to a growing trend for risk aversion," he said.
The minister suggested that the local currency market is capable of riding out a shock thanks to "a long-accumulated foreign exchange reserves."
He said the government is working to forge a currency swap agreement with the U.S.
"A currency swap (deal) between South Korea and the U.S. would serve as a reliable safety net ... as in a similar deal in 2008, the government is internally working to make it happen (once more)," according to Hong.
The country's stock market has been suffering an extended rout, sliding for five consecutive days, and the local currency continued to lose ground against the U.S. dollar amid increased risk-off sentiment, as abysmal investor sentiment failed to improve despite a set of drastic monetary easing policies around the globe.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) surrendered 42.42 points, or 2.47 percent, to close at 1,672.44 on Tuesday, the lowest closing since Oct. 5, 2011, when the corresponding figure was 1,666.52 points.
The Korean won closed at the lowest point against the American dollar in 10 years as demand for the greenback increased amid foreign sell-offs.
Foreigners have been net sellers since March 5, having offloaded a total of 7.43 trillion won (US$6 billion). They sold a net 1.31 trillion won on March 9, the largest daily total on record.
Last week, the country announced a six-month ban on stock short selling in an effort to help improve market sentiment. The measures took effect starting on Monday.
The temporary ban marks the third of its kind in South Korea. The country last prohibited short selling in 2011.
The finance minister said it is currently not the time to discuss a second round of extra budget.
The National Assembly is set to approve an 11.7 trillion-won extra budget bill later in the day, supporting the government's move to strengthen quarantine measures and minimize the economic fallout from the new coronavirus.
Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki speaks during a parliamentary session in Seoul on March 17, 2020. (Yonhap)
sam@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-17--S. Korean, Estonian defense chiefs discuss arms industry cooperation, anti-virus measures

`` Expressing deep concerns over the fast spread of the coronavirus in Europe , the Estonian minister praised proactive responses @ @ @ @ @ Korean government and the military , '' the ministry said .

SEOUL, March 17 (Yonhap) -- The defense ministers of South Korea and Estonia held phone talks on Tuesday and discussed measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic, Seoul's defense ministry said.
The talks between South Korea's Jeong Kyeong-doo and Estonia's Jüri Luik took place "to continue their close defense ties amid this COVID-19 situation," according to the ministry.
Luik postponed his planned trip to Seoul in February, when South Korea began to report a dramatic increase in the number of confirmed cases of the novel virus.
They exchanged opinions on a wide range of defense industry issues and cyber security cooperation and agreed to further strengthen the two countries' defense relations, the ministry said.
The ministers also shared the anti-virus measures their governments have taken, according to the ministry.
"Expressing deep concerns over the fast spread of the coronavirus in Europe, the Estonian minister praised proactive responses and measures by the South Korean government and the military," the ministry said.
As of Tuesday, South Korea had 8,320 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, including 81 deaths, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
Estonia had reported 225 virus patients as of Tuesday morning, according to the World Health Organization.
Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo (L) meets military medical staff during his visit to a military hospital in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, on March 16, 2020, in this photo provided by his office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-17--(6th LD) New cases in S. Korea stay low for 3rd day, cluster infections rising in capital area

The number of virus cases in Busan was unchanged at 107 , with 32 patients linked to a Christian church @ @ @ @ @ another eight patients linked to Shincheonji .
The 32 patients of the Oncheon church in @ @ @ @ @ church 's three-day retreat that ended on Feb. 17 , officials said .
It is @ @ @ @ @ infected with the virus .

(ATTN: UPDATES numbers in paras 8, 20)
SEOUL, March 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea recorded daily new infections of the new coronavirus in the double digits for the third straight day Tuesday, but the daily tally in Seoul and neighboring areas surpassed that in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, the two epicenters of the fast-spreading virus.
In an unprecedented measure against the coronavirus pandemic, South Korea decided to extend all school breaks by another two weeks to April 6. All child care centers were also ordered to stay closed until April 6.
The 84 new cases, which were detected on Monday and followed 74 new cases detected on Sunday and 76 new cases last Saturday, brought the nation's total infections to 8,320, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
Of the 84 new cases, 32 are in Daegu and five are in North Gyeongsang, the KCDC said. The total number of confirmed cases in Daegu and North Gyeongsang, the two hardest-hit regions, stood at 6,098 and 1,169, respectively.
Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul and Incheon, saw their new daily infections rise by 44 to 558 on Monday.
It was the first time that a daily tally in the capital area surpassed that in Daegu and North Gyeongsang as health authorities scramble to halt cluster infections across the nation.
This graph, provided by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) on March 17, 2020, shows daily new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and total infections in South Korea. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The KCDC said 81 people, mostly elderly patients with underlying illnesses, had died in South Korea from the respiratory virus that emerged in China late last year.
Three more fatalities, including a 97-year-old woman in North Gyeongsang Province and an 86-year-old man in Daegu, were reported Monday, but they have yet to be included in the official daily tally.
The KCDC said 58 virus patients are in critical condition. The flu-like virus causes a fever, cough, runny nose and headache for most healthy people, but the risk of severe infection is high for elderly people with underlying health problems.
In South Korea, the virus has preyed on the elderly and already sick people. The KCDC said 70.4 percent of deaths were of people in their 70s and above as of Monday. Another 19.8 percent of fatalities were of those in their 60s. No death from a virus patient younger than 29 has been reported.
About 61 percent of 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 slowed markedly 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.
While Daegu and North Gyeongsang saw signs of stabilization in new virus cases, cases of community spread with unknown origins, mostly cluster and sporadic outbreaks, are on a gradual rise.
Seoul's confirmed cases rose by 12 to 265, with at least 82 cases linked to a call center in Guro Ward and another 18 cases linked to a Protestant church and an internet cafe in Dongdaemun Ward.
Incheon's number of cases climbed by one to 31, with 19 cases linked to the Guro call center. Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul and Incheon, saw confirmed cases climb by 31 to 262, with 45 cases linked to the church in Seongnam and another 33 cases tied to the Guro call center.
The number of virus cases in Busan was unchanged at 107, with 32 patients linked to a Christian church in the Dongnae district and another eight patients linked to Shincheonji. The 32 patients of the Oncheon church in Busan are connected to the church's three-day retreat that ended on Feb. 17, officials said. It is still unclear how they were infected with the virus.
In South Chungcheong Province, which includes the city of Cheonan, 104 of the total 115 patients were linked to a Zumba dance class in Cheonan, the KCDC said.
Clusters of infections account for 80.6 percent of the total confirmed cases as of Tuesday, meaning that people can contract the virus if they are in close environment.
The number of people younger than 19 who tested positive for the virus stood at 352, the KCDC said.
A medical worker talks to a patient, infected with the new coronavirus, in front of a CT scanner room at Catholic University Medical Center in the southeastern city of Daegu on March 13, 2020, in this photo released by the hospital on March 17. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Five more people who are tied to a church in Seongnam, south of Seoul, tested positive for the virus Tuesday, raising the total number of infections at the River of Grace Community Church to 54, local officials said.
Starting Thursday, all people coming from abroad to South Korea will be subject to "special entrance procedures," Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip told reporters.
Kim said the government needs "in-depth discussions" before making a decision on whether to ban all religious gatherings.
Unlike other nations, which ban travel to virus-hit nations or put all people visiting virus-hit nations under mandatory two-week quarantine, South Korea has not implemented such draconian measures, except for foreigners who traveled to China's virus outbreak epicenter of Hubei province.
Instead, South Korea has tightened its immigration procedures, requiring international travelers to get fever checks and submit papers on their health conditions. They are required to download a smartphone app that will allow them to be put under supervision if they show symptoms.
Such requirements have been applied to people who have visited mainland China, Macau, Hong Kong, Iran, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Britain and the Netherlands.
Starting Thursday, about 13,000 international travelers per day will be subject to stricter border checks, compared with the current level of some 2,000 travelers, Kim said.
South Korea will deploy about 100 more civilian and military medical teams to stem the virus contagion at airports, Kim said.
"The growth pace of confirmed patients has recently declined, but it is a very grave situation," Kim said, citing new clusters of infections in Seoul and its neighboring areas and signs of growing imported cases.
With unknown virus sufferers who have not developed symptoms apparently causing significant numbers of infections, the government has called for people to avoid non-essential gatherings in crowded places, such as religious facilities, nursing homes, internet cafes and "noraebang," or singing rooms.
KCDC Deputy Director Kwon Jun-wook told reporters that South Korean scientists have begun research on how virus patients' immune systems respond to the coronavirus.
By analyzing blood samples from virus patients, researchers aim to understand how the virus changes as time goes by and why it develops serious respiratory problems for elderly people with underlying illnesses, Kwon said.
Two experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) are set to arrive in South Korea on Wednesday, and they will join the research, Kwon said.
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.
Passengers arriving from Paris undergo special entry procedures at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on March 16, 2020. South Korea expanded its enhanced screening and checks to include those arriving from Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Britain and the Netherlands on the day to stem imported cases of the new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
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 taxes and utility fees.
WHO declared last week that the global coronavirus crisis is a pandemic as the virus has spread to every continent except Antarctica.
South Korea has released a total of 1,401 fully recovered novel coronavirus patients from hospitals as of Monday, up 264 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 17,291 as of Monday, up 2,320 from the day before, the KCDC said. The country has tested a total of 286,716 suspected cases, with 261,105 testing negative.
Currently, there is no evidence that the new coronavirus is airborne. WHO said the virus is transmitted through droplets or close contact.
Meanwhile, a group of software experts volunteered to develop an English-language graphic information service on the situation of the coronavirus in South Korea.
The service is available at http://coronapath.info/eng.html and is based on the daily KCDC data.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-17--(2nd LD) Military reports no additional cases of new coronavirus for 6th day

Of the total infections , 21 were reported in the Army , 13 in the Air Force , two in @ @ @ @ @ one each in the Navy and a unit under the direct control of the ministry @

(ATTN: ADDS more details in paras 6-7)
SEOUL, March 17 (Yonhap) -- The military has reported no additional cases of the new coronavirus among service personnel for six days in a row, the defense ministry said Tuesday, amid signs the outbreak is slowing down in South Korea.
The total number of COVID-19 infections in barracks remained unchanged at 38, including 12 personnel -- eight in the Army and four in the Air Force -- who have fully recovered from the new virus, according to the ministry.
Of the total infections, 21 were reported in the Army, 13 in the Air Force, two in the Marine Corps, and one each in the Navy and a unit under the direct control of the ministry.
"The situation appears to be under control, stably, but as there could be unexpected developments, we are still keeping a close watch," ministry spokesperson Choi Hyun-soo told a regular press briefing.
Around 2,350 service members are currently quarantined in a preventive measure. Of them, some 30 have either shown symptoms or had direct contact with infected patients, while the remainder recently visited the southeastern city of Daegu, the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province or virus-hit foreign nations, including China, the ministry said.
In a move to stem the spread of the virus, the Military Manpower Administration (MMA) on Tuesday announced its decision to extend the suspension of physical checkups for potential draftees until April 12.
The MMA had initially planned to resume the examinations, which have been halted since Feb. 24, on March 23, but decided on the extension "in line with the government's call for social distancing," according to its press release.
South Korea reported 84 new cases of the virus Tuesday, bringing its total infections to 8,320, with 81 deaths. It marks the third straight day daily new infections were in double digits.
Soldiers move to take trains at Seoul Station in Seoul on Feb. 21, 2020. Earlier in the day, the defense ministry said it will restrict all enlisted soldiers from vacationing, staying outside their bases and meeting visitors starting the following day. The move came after the Navy reported the first suspected coronavirus case among the country's service members the previous day. (Yonhap)
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-17--(LEAD) 151 countries, territories restricting entry from S. Korea over coronavirus fears

Canada was the latest in the list with its plan to bring into force an entry ban on Wednesday ( @ @ @ @ @ bars the entry of all foreigners but the citizens of 26 Schengen states or European @ @ @ @ @ applied to the United Kingdom .

(ATTN: ADDS updates and more info throughout)
By Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, March 17 (Yonhap) -- A dozen more countries, including Canada and France, have banned entry of people from South Korea over coronavirus concerns, raising the total number of countries and territories imposing such entry or quarantine restrictions to 151, even though Seoul has seen a marked drop in new infections.
As of 2 p.m., 87 countries and territories were set to impose or were already imposing an entry ban on people from Korea, up from 75 the previous day, the foreign ministry's chart showed Tuesday.
Canada was the latest in the list with its plan to bring into force an entry ban on Wednesday (Canada time). France bars the entry of all foreigners but the citizens of 26 Schengen states or European Union members, with exceptions applied to the United Kingdom.
A few other countries, like Russia, Chile, East Timor and Paraguay, toughened their measures for people from South Korea, as opposed to having imposed stricter quarantine procedures.
Some exceptions apply to diplomats and those with long-stay visas, residential permits or other essential reasons.
Azerbaijan was added to the list of 16 countries and territories, including 24 provinces, cities and autonomous regions in China, imposing stricter quarantine procedures for travelers from South Korea and several other virus-hit nations.
Travelers flying into these countries and territories are required to go into isolation at designated facilities for at least two weeks.
The number of countries and territories implementing stricter health screenings and requiring or recommending self-isolation stood at 43, joined by Greece, the United Arab Emirates and Guinea.
Five countries were barring entry of people who have visited Daegu, southeast of Seoul, and North Gyeongsang Province -- the two epicenters of the virus outbreak -- in at least the past two weeks, unchanged from the previous tally.
The string of new entry bans by foreign countries has left many South Korean tourists and nationals living there unable to travel back home, as such restriction measures have led to an effective border closure.
About 150 Korean tourists became grounded in Peru after the country shut down its border on Tuesday. There are also thousands of South Korean nationals stuck in a northern island in the Philippines as its government closed the island's border.
A foreign ministry official said the government is in talks with other countries, like the United States and Japan, that also have citizens stranded there, to work out a way to help them return home.
"We have held a meeting (with related countries) since there are many tourists not only from Korea, but from the U.S., China, and Japan as well," a ministry official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
"We are urging the Peruvian government to take responsible measures because this is banning people from leaving without any prior notice," the official said.
The official added, however, that the government is not yet at the stage of considering sending chartered flights to these countries.
South Korea is also mulling raising the travel advisory to a "blue" level, the lowest of the four-tier travel alert system, calling for caution, for all foreign countries, the official said.
The rise in the number of number of countries restricting travel from South Korea comes as the number of new infections in the country has dropped significantly in recent weeks.
South Korea reported 84 new cases of the virus Tuesday, bringing its total infections to 8,320, with 81 deaths. It was the third straight day that new infections were in double digits.
U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams has also praised South Korea as a model in fighting the coronavirus.
"We have a choice to make as a nation. Do we want to go the direction of South Korea and really be aggressive and lower our mortality rates or do we want to go the direction of Italy?" he asked in an interview on Fox News.
Italy is the worst-hit country outside China, with at least 27,980 cases and 2,158 deaths.
"And when you look at the projections there's every chance that we could be Italy," Adams continued. "But there's every hope that we will be South Korea if people actually listen, if people actually social distance, if people do the basic public health measures that we've all been talking about as doctors all along, such as washing your hands, such as covering your cough, and cleaning surfaces."
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-17--S. Korea to unveil market stabilization measures

The country 's stock market has been suffering an extended rout , sliding for five consecutive days , and the @ @ @ @ @ ground against the U.S. dollar amid increased risk-off sentiment , as abysmal investor sentiment failed @ @ @ @ @ of drastic monetary easing policies around the globe .

SEOUL, March 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to unveil a set of measures on Wednesday intended to stabilize the local stock market currently rattled by fears over economic fallout from the new coronavirus, the country's chief economic policymaker said Tuesday.
In a parliamentary session, Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said the government will draw up follow-up measures to address market turmoil. The minister also said the financial authorities are closely monitoring the currency market.
The country's stock market has been suffering an extended rout, sliding for five consecutive days, and the local currency continued to lose ground against the U.S. dollar amid increased risk-off sentiment, as abysmal investor sentiment failed to improve despite a set of drastic monetary easing policies around the globe.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) surrendered 42.42 points, or 2.47 percent, to close at 1,672.44 on Tuesday, the lowest closing since Oct. 5, 2011, when the corresponding figure was 1,666.52 points.
The Korean won closed at the lowest point against the American dollar in 10 years as demand for the greenback increased amid foreign sell-offs.
Foreigners have been net sellers since March 5, having offloaded a total of 7.43 trillion won (US$6 billion). They sold a net 1.31 trillion won on March 9, the largest daily total on record.
Last week, the country announced a six-month ban on stock short selling in an effort to help improve market sentiment.
The measures took effect starting on Monday.
The temporary ban marks the third of its kind in South Korea. The country last prohibited short selling in 2011.
The finance minister said it is currently not the time to discuss a second round of extra budget.
The National Assembly is set to approve an 11.7 trillion-won extra budget bill later in the day, supporting the government's move to strengthen quarantine measures and minimize the economic fallout from the new coronavirus.
sam@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-17--Gyeonggi to regulate densely-packed church services to curb virus spread

The administrative order came one day after it was reported that a cluster transmission of the coronavirus had infected more @ @ @ @ @ protestant church in Seongnam , just south of Seoul .
Two other churches , in @ @ @ @ @ near Seoul , have reported 10 and 15 COVID-19 infections , respectively , among their @ @ @ @ @ about the spread of cluster infections originating from churchgoers .

SEOUL, March 17 (Yonhap) -- The government of Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul, issued an administrative order on Tuesday imposing strict conditions on church worship services to help combat the coronavirus outbreak.
Under the administrative order, the first of its kind issued in South Korea, the provincial government will enforce guidelines for mass gatherings at 137 churches that have been caught failing to comply with its guidance for preventing the spread of COVID-19.
The government said it will enforce seven requirements for worship services at the 137 churches from Tuesday to March 29 on the basis of the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act.
The churches are ordered to provide a list of attendees and their contact numbers and not to offer meals to them, while being instructed to observe the five existing requirements -- fever checkup, mask wearing, installation of hand sanitizer, 2-meter distance among participants and disinfection before and after services.
Churches caught violating the guidelines will face an outright ban on offline services or a fine, officials said. If coronavirus infections occur from violators, the government will also demand an indemnity over the relevant quarantine and treatment expenses, they added.
The administrative order came one day after it was reported that a cluster transmission of the coronavirus had infected more than 50 members of a protestant church in Seongnam, just south of Seoul. Two other churches, in Suwon and Bucheon, both near Seoul, have reported 10 and 15 COVID-19 infections, respectively, among their followers, escalating public concern about the spread of cluster infections originating from churchgoers.
South Korea on Tuesday reported 84 new cases of the coronavirus to total 8,320, marking the third consecutive day the number of new cases was below 100. Seoul has so far reported 265 confirmed cases, while Gyeonggi Province's coronavirus patients increased to 262.
Lee Jae-myung, governor of Gyeonggi Province, met with the province's religious leaders on Feb. 28 to encourage them to hold online services to help curb the coronavirus outbreak. But a large number of churches have failed to heed the request.
According to provincial officials, 2,635, about 40 percent, of the province's 6,578 churches went ahead with offline worship services last Sunday, with many of them failing to observe the quarantine guidance.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-17--(LEAD) S. Korea, China, Japan hold conference call on coronavirus response

`` I think the three countries share an understanding on the need for the ministers ' talks , though no @ @ @ @ @ specifics , '' he said .
`` I heard that the countries hope to hold @ @ @ @ @ possible date . ''

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 6-9)
SEOUL, March 17 (Yonhap) -- The foreign ministries of South Korea, China and Japan held a working-level conference call on Tuesday to discuss cooperation in stemming the regional and global spread of the new coronavirus, officials said.
Kim Jung-han, director-general for Asian and Pacific affairs at Seoul's foreign ministry, joined the call with his Chinese and Japanese counterparts, Wu Jianghao and Shigeki Takizaki.
In the call, they agreed to explore ways to hold trilateral talks among the foreign ministers of their countries at an early date and continue close communication in the efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
"South Korea, China and Japan shared the understanding that cooperation through various channels is crucial to stamp out the infectious disease and prevent its transmission among the countries," the foreign ministry said in a press release.
"Also, the officials exchanged views on the need to make efforts to ensure that the containment efforts would not impede trilateral or bilateral exchanges," it added.
In the three-way call, Seoul made the proposal for the countries to ease or remove entry restrictions for at least businesspeople or others with "compelling reasons" to travel to each other's territories.
"But I heard that we did not get any answer to that proposal yet," a senior foreign ministry official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
Touching on the format of the potential talks among the top diplomats of the three countries, the official said that they could hold a video or teleconference depending on the ministers' schedules.
"I think the three countries share an understanding on the need for the ministers' talks, though no decision has been made on specifics," he said. "I heard that the countries hope to hold the talks at the earliest possible date."
Diplomats of the three countries have recently been stepping up communication to share information about their containment efforts and practices and beef up joint anti-virus efforts.
Last Friday, the foreign ministries and health authorities of South Korea and China held a videoconference on joint efforts to stop the virus outbreaks, including ensuring the stable supply of face masks and other quarantine items
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


Yonhap News Summary

`` Can not underscore enough how great KCDC has been for us to work with .
Open , transparent , @ @ @ @ @ They have been tireless , around the clock for over a month and going strong @ @ @ @ @ .
KCDC stands for Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday.
----------------
(3rd LD) S. Korea again pushes back new school year on virus fears
SEOUL -- South Korea said Tuesday it will be postponing the new school year for another two weeks as it fights COVID-19 group infections that have occurred at churches, hospitals and even Zumba classes.
Under the measure, the new school year at kindergartens and elementary, middle and high schools nationwide will begin on April 6, five weeks later than in normal years, according to the education ministry.
----------------
(3rd LD) Seoul stocks extend headlong slide to 5th consecutive day, Korean won at 10-year
SEOUL -- South Korean stocks suffered an extended rout on Tuesday, falling sharply for the fifth consecutive session as abysmal investor sentiment failed to improve despite a set of drastic monetary easing policies around the globe. The Korean won sank to the lowest in 10 years against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) surrendered 42.42 points, or 2.47 percent, to close at 1,672.44, the lowest closing since Oct. 5, 2011, when the corresponding figure was 1,666.52 points.
----------------
(LEAD) Cluster infections, incoming travelers threaten capital area
SEOUL -- South Korea reported fewer than 100 new coronavirus cases for a third straight day on Tuesday, but concerns lingered in the metropolitan area as group transmission and imported cases emerged as new risks in the anti-virus fight.
Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul, reported a sharp increase of 31 cases, which brought the total in the province to 262, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
----------------
(LEAD) Protestant churches under fire for holding Sunday services despite coronavirus epidemic
SEOUL -- Protestant churches in South Korea have been under fire for continuing with Sunday services that pose the risk of mass infection amid the country's anti-coronavirus fight.
South Korea on Tuesday reported 84 new cases of the COVID-19, bringing the total to 8,320 and marking the third consecutive day the number was below 100, according to the quarantine authorities.
----------------
USFK commander praises S. Korea's handling of coronavirus outbreak
SEOUL -- U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Robert Abrams has praised South Korea's response to the coronavirus outbreak, commending local health authorities as "extraordinary partners" for their professionalism, transparency and coordination efforts.
"Cannot underscore enough how great KCDC has been for us to work with. Open, transparent, collaborative and extremely helpful. They have been tireless, around the clock for over a month and going strong," Abrams tweeted Monday. KCDC stands for Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
----------------
(5th LD) New cases in S. Korea stay low for 3rd day, cluster infections rising in capital area
SEOUL -- South Korea recorded daily new infections of the new coronavirus in the double digits for the third straight day Tuesday, but the daily tally in Seoul and neighboring areas surpassed that in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, the two epicenters of the fast-spreading virus.
In an unprecedented measure against the coronavirus pandemic, South Korea decided to extend all school breaks by another two weeks to April 6. All child care centers were also ordered to stay closed until April 6.
----------------
S. Korea, China, Japan hold conference call on coronavirus response
SEOUL -- The foreign ministries of South Korea, China and Japan held a working-level conference call on Tuesday to discuss cooperation in stemming the regional and global spread of the new coronavirus, officials said.
Kim Jung-han, director-general for Asian and Pacific affairs at Seoul's foreign ministry, joined the call with his Chinese and Japanese counterparts, Wu Jianghao and Shigeki Takizaki.
----------------
(LEAD) S. Korea increasingly turns eyes on imported cases amid slowing virus infections
SEOUL -- South Korea on Tuesday decided to expand its special quarantine procedures to people coming from all countries of the world as concerns about imported cases are rising after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic.
Starting Thursday, all people arriving in South Korea will be subject to the special quarantine measures, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
----------------
150 countries, territories restricting entry from S. Korea over coronavirus fears
SEOUL -- Ten more countries have banned the entry of people from South Korea over coronavirus concerns, raising the total number of countries and territories imposing such entry or quarantine restrictions to 150, even though Seoul has seen a marked drop in new infections.
Eighty-five countries and territories were set to impose or were already imposing an entry ban on people from Korea, up from 75 the previous day, the foreign ministry's chart showed Tuesday.
(END)


yna--2020-03-17--(2nd LD) Defense minister: No excuse possible for security breaches at military bases

The case came less than two weeks after the military failed to detect two civic activists intruding into a naval @ @ @ @ @ of Jeju and wandering around for about two hours .
They have long opposed the @ @ @ @ @ on the island , the JCS said .

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead as meeting takes place; ADDS more details in paras 2-3, 7-9)
By Oh Seok-min
SEOUL, March 17 (Yonhap) -- Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo strongly reprimanded top commanders on Tuesday over a series of embarrassing civilian intrusions into military bases, saying that there is no excuse for such lapses.
Jeong also called for "extraordinary" measures to prevent any recurrence during an emergency meeting convened with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Park Han-ki and other top generals to discuss the security breaches at Army and Navy bases in recent months.
In the latest such incident, an intoxicated man in his 50s dug under the fence surrounding an air defense outpost in Siheung, south of Seoul, on Monday and went inside to collect wild greens, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
The case came less than two weeks after the military failed to detect two civic activists intruding into a naval compound on the southern island of Jeju and wandering around for about two hours. They have long opposed the construction of such military facilities on the island, the JCS said.
Military officials also belatedly disclosed another case of security breach that happened on Jan. 3 in which a mentally ill man in his 70s got into the Jinhae Naval Command in the southeastern city of Changwon without being stopped.
"All commanders must recognize the seriousness of the situation, and we must thoroughly repent first," Jeong said, stressing that there are no excuses for the breaches, as the military pledged a watertight posture last year following the undetected arrival of a wooden boat carrying four North Koreans at a South Korean eastern port.
The wooden boat case sparked intense public criticism for lax discipline in the military and prompted opposition parties to demand the minister's resignation.
After Tuesday's meeting, Jeong also issued a letter to all service personnel and called for the examination of all security equipment and related facilities at each base, the possible modification of their initial response system and the management of surveillance resources, and further education and training for related operations and tighter discipline, according to the ministry.
"We feel sorry that such incidents that took place at a time when the military have been striving to fight the new coronavirus to support and give hope to the people," ministry spokesperson Choi Hyun-soo told a regular briefing.
About 20 military officers have conducted investigations into the Siheung case, and five Navy inspectors were sent to the Jinhae base on Monday for an additional probe, according to the JCS.
Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo (L) presides over a video conference with Navy commanders in the Navy Submarine Force Command in the southeastern city of Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, on March 11, 2020, in this photo provided by his office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-17--(LEAD) S. Korea's COVID-19 test kits exported to UAE: Cheong Wa Dae

`` Various requests have come in and the foreign ministry hopes to help the countries .
But the first and @ @ @ @ @ that any shipments should not influence the domestic supply , '' the official said .

(ATTN: ADDS more details from 5th para)
SEOUL, March 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has sent 51,000 coronavirus test kits to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in "emergency exports," Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday.
So far, 17 countries have formally requested the items from South Korea, it added, amid the global attention being paid to the country's rapid testing regime that is apparently behind a lower-than-average mortality rate.
The UAE is the country South Korea can ship the kits to the fastest, according to a Cheong Wa Dae official, who added that the move is part of "important international cooperation" on the pandemic.
The kits arrived in the UAE earlier this week, the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
The test kit shipments signaled that South Korea is now undertaking an active role in helping foreign countries battle the pandemic -- a change from its earlier inward-looking approach focusing on stemming domestic outbreaks, a senior foreign ministry official said.
"I believe it marks a turning point at which we are embracing a role in helping foreign countries fight the new coronavirus," he told reporters on condition of anonymity.
The official stressed that the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and manufacturers of the test kits repeatedly examined the shipments' potential impact on domestic demand to ensure that the exports will not cause any local supply shortages.
The UAE currently wants to secure more test kits, he added.
"I understand that there are discussions between the UAE and local company officials on the possibility of a long-term contract for additional orders," the official said.
The foreign ministry has supported the UAE's efforts to secure test kits in consideration of the two countries' special strategic partnership, he pointed out.
Recently, a number of countries, mostly developing nations, have issued calls for the foreign ministry to help their efforts to purchase South Korean-made test kits or receive them free of charge under an official development assistance scheme.
"Various requests have come in and the foreign ministry hopes to help the countries. But the first and foremost consideration for us is that any shipments should not influence the domestic supply," the official said.
South Korea has started to gain international recognition for its aggressive containment efforts, which have led to a decline in new infections and a low fatality rate.
The country's COVID-19 caseload stands at 8,320 with 81 fatalities.
A file photo of Cheong Wa Dae, provided by Yonhap News TV (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-17--Worshippers, priests wear masks during Mass service in Pyongyang

`` The service was carried out in compliance with all necessary precautions ... the parishioners who were quarantined and those @ @ @ @ @ and the rituals were performed in sanitary conditions , '' the embassy said in a @ @ @ @ @ Facebook page .

VLADIVOSTOK, March 17 (Yonhap) -- Russia's Embassy in North Korea has released photos showing all priests and worshippers wearing masks during a recent Mass service at a Russian Orthodox church in Pyongyang in an indication that the country is on high alert for the coronavirus.
"The service was carried out in compliance with all necessary precautions ... the parishioners who were quarantined and those attending the mass wore masks and the rituals were performed in sanitary conditions," the embassy said in a post Monday on its official Facebook page.
The Mass was held a day earlier at Holy Trinity Church, the first Russian Orthodox Church to be built in Pyongyang.
North Korea has not reported any case of COVID-19 virus infection, but it has called for nationwide efforts to prevent the virus from breaking out on its soil through intensified border controls and a tightened quarantine process.
Concerns are lingering that North Korea could be vulnerable as it shares a long and porous border with China, and lacks key medical supplies and the infrastructure to test and treat infected people.
Priests wear masks during a Mass service at the Holy Trinity Church in Pyongyang in this photo captured from the Facebook page of the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang on March 17, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
A priest and worshippers, assumed to be employees at the Russian embassy in Pyongyang, wear masks during a Mass service at the Holy Trinity Church in Pyongyang in this photo captured from the Facebook account of the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang on March 17, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
A priest wears a mask during a Mass service at the Holy Trinity Church in Pyongyang in this photo captured from the Facebook account of the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang on March 17, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-17--BOK minutes show board foresaw need for rate cut to support virus-hit economy

`` Some members stressed the need to check the possibility of a delayed recovery in the IT industry due to @ @ @ @ @ noting the earlier outlook that the country 's economy will rebound this year was partly @ @ @ @ @ the IT industry will rebound in the latter half of the year , '' it @ @

SEOUL, March 17 (Yonhap) -- Several members of the Bank of Korea (BOK) monetary policy board had mentioned a possible need to lower the policy rate, depending on the scope of the new coronavirus outbreak, BOK minutes showed Tuesday.
In its latest rate-setting meeting, held on Feb. 27, the seven-member board voted 5-2 to keep the base rate steady at 1.25 percent.
Though the meeting came more than a month after South Korea reported its first confirmed case of COVID-19, the BOK board had then insisted that the fallout from the virus outbreak could be better addressed by microeconomic and industry or business-specific support measures.
The minutes of the February meeting released Tuesday showed that several board members still highlighted the need to cut the rate when and if the virus continued to spread.
In this photo provided by the Bank of Korea (BOK), BOK Gov. Lee Ju-yeol conducts an emergency rate-setting meeting in Seoul on March 16, 2020, in which the BOK slashed the base rate by 50 basis points to a new record low of 0.75 percent. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"Some members stressed the need to check the possibility of a delayed recovery in the IT industry due to the spread of COVID-19, noting the earlier outlook that the country's economy will rebound this year was partly premised on the view that the IT industry will rebound in the latter half of the year," it said.
On Feb. 27, the BOK slashed its growth outlook for the local economy to 2.1 percent from the previous 2.3 percent.
"Some members noted the revised growth outlook suggests the new coronavirus will work as a great shock but that our economy will recover quickly once such a factor is removed," the BOK minutes said.
"Still, they also said the uncertainties on the path to growth remained very high due to the high uncertainties regarding the path of the virus outbreak," it added.
On Monday, the BOK cut the base rate by 0.5 percentage point in its first emergency rate cut since 2009, sending the key rate to a new record low of 0.75 percent.
The move followed two emergency rate reductions by the U.S. Federal Reserve this month that sent its key rate to a target range of 0-0.25 percent.
BOK Gov. Lee Ju-yeol earlier said the U.S. rate decisions may have expanded the room for South Korea's monetary policy moves, but that it was the speed and scope of the virus outbreak that had triggered the BOK's rate cut and not the U.S. move.
"COVID-19 spread much faster and to more regions than anticipated, and thus the board decided its impact on economic activities will be much greater than earlier expected and that its effect will also be prolonged as the virus spreads throughout the globe," Lee said in a press briefing held shortly after Monday's emergency rate-setting meeting.
The BOK chief refused to offer a direct answer when asked if the central bank may again slash the key rate, only noting the bank has room for additional maneuvers.
The BOK is set to hold its next rate-setting meeting on April 9.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-17--(3rd LD) S. Korea again pushes back new school year on virus fears

The ministry also cited feedback from experts and health authorities that raised concerns over infections at schools spilling over to @ @ @ @ @ society .
It will take at least two to three weeks to see whether schools @ @ @ @ @ said .

(ATTN: ADDS details on private-sector cram schools in paras 15-17)
By Lee Minji
SEOUL, March 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea said Tuesday it will be postponing the new school year for another two weeks as it fights COVID-19 group infections that have occurred at churches, hospitals and even Zumba classes.
Under the measure, the new school year at kindergartens and elementary, middle and high schools nationwide will begin on April 6, five weeks later than in normal years, according to the education ministry.
Child care centers, which provide care for toddlers and children up to 7 years old, will also close for another two weeks and open April 6, the health ministry said.
"The government judges that while the COVID-19 (outbreak) has entered a downtrend, it is early to let down our guard. It aims to again encourage people to actively take part in 'social distancing' with the school year postponement," the ministry said in a press release.
The ministry also cited feedback from experts and health authorities that raised concerns over infections at schools spilling over to households and other areas of society. It will take at least two to three weeks to see whether schools can safely open, they said.
Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae, however, left room for another rescheduling.
"In the worst case scenario, we may have to again postpone the beginning of the new school year, but (the schedule) may also move forward when the situation gets better."
A composite image of file photos of a health worker disinfecting a classroom, a notice about school closure and an unidentified middle school (Yonhap)
This is the third time the government has postponed the school year as part of anti-virus measures. It was first postponed by a week to March 9, then by two weeks to March 23 on concerns of children contracting the new coronavirus at schools.
The government said it will have to further review the idea of delaying the national college entrance exam. The exam, a key event in high schools here, usually takes place in November.
The latest measure comes amid growing concerns over group transmissions, which account for around 80 percent of all infections reported in South Korea.
While some parents have opposed the rescheduling, citing lack of child care programs and confusion in academic schedules, more parents are calling for further closure until the virus risk passes.
South Korea's Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae speaks at a press briefing at the government complex in Seoul on March 17, 2020. (Yonhap)
The ministry said it plans to distribute updated guidelines on school quarantine measures and ensure a safe school environment, such as increasing the distance between desks in classrooms, staggering lunch hours and making hand sanitizer and masks available.
To prevent a learning vacuum, the ministry said it plans to expand online classes and provide computers and other hardware to create a stable online education environment for all students.
For parents who cannot look after their children, the ministry said it will continue to provide emergency child care programs at kindergartens and elementary schools until 7 p.m. on weekdays.
The government also urged private-sector education institutions to take part in the anti-virus fight, saying the it will push for other measures if the current situation continues.
Despite concerns over group transmissions among students, many cram schools are still running due to financial reasons or demand among some parents.
Major institutions in Seoul resumed classes on Monday, while the city education office's data showed that more than 80 percent of the cram schools in the affluent Gangnam area are in operation.
South Korea has so far reported 8,320 cases, with the number of new cases falling below 100 for three straight days.
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-17--(3rd LD) Seoul stocks extend headlong slide to 5th consecutive day, Korean won at 10-year low

But such measures did not soothe fragile market sentiment amid expectations that the impact of the new coronavirus on the @ @ @ @ @ what had been previously anticipated and that further steps are necessary to put a brake @ @ @ @ @ give the economy and financial markets some breathing room .

(ATTN: CHANGES photos; ADDS bond yields at bottom)
SEOUL, March 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks suffered an extended rout on Tuesday, falling sharply for the fifth consecutive session as abysmal investor sentiment failed to improve despite a set of drastic monetary easing policies around the globe. The Korean won sank to the lowest in 10 years against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) surrendered 42.42 points, or 2.47 percent, to close at 1,672.44, the lowest closing since Oct. 5, 2011, when the corresponding figure was 1,666.52 points.
Trading volume was moderate at 641 million shares worth 9.5 trillion won (US$7.65 billion), with losers far outnumbering gainers 635 to 238.
After falling more than 4 percent at the opening bell, the market trimmed some of the losses, and briefly stayed in positive terrain, as individuals and institutions sought bargains, offsetting another selling spree by foreign investors.
Dealers watch monitors in the dealing room of KB Kookmin Bank in Seoul on March 17, 2020. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) surrendered 42.42 points, or 2.47 percent, to close at 1,672.44. (Yonhap)
Nations around the globe have been in a rush to unveil massive and drastic monetary easing steps to provide a buffer against the economic fallout from the COVID-19 outbreak. On Monday, the Bank of Korea (BOK) slashed its policy rate by half a percentage point to an all-time low of 0.75 percent to add more liquidity into the economy as well as calm market turmoil.
South Korea's key rate had been at 1.25 percent since October.
"Despite the rate cut from the central bank, the market is facing jitters as investors are still dumping shares on virus-ridden fear," said Seo Sang-young, a researcher at Kiwoom Securities Co.
On Sunday (local time), the U.S. Federal Reserve decided to slash its key rate by 1 percentage point to a range of zero to 0.25 percent and roll out a quantitative easing program worth US$700 billion.
Investors' fears further escalated as the U.S. imposed an entry ban on European countries, sparking concerns over global business activities.
But such measures did not soothe fragile market sentiment amid expectations that the impact of the new coronavirus on the economy will be greater than what had been previously anticipated and that further steps are necessary to put a brake on the headlong dive and give the economy and financial markets some breathing room.
South Korea is showing signs of a letup in new virus infections. The country added 84 new cases on Tuesday, bringing the total to 8,320 infections, the third straight day that daily new infections rose by only double digits.
The number of infections in the U.S., however, exceeded 4,000 on Monday, up 770 from a day earlier.
Foreigners were net sellers for a ninth consecutive session, dumping 1 trillion won on Tuesday.
Institutions bought a net 356 billion, and retail investors scooped up 600 billion won.
Shown in the photo taken on March 17, 2020, is the dealing room of KB Kookmin Bank in western Seoul. The local currency closed at 1,243.50 won against the U.S. dollar, down 17.50 won from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)
Most large-cap stocks plunged across the board.
Market kingpin Samsung Electronics moved down 3.27 percent to 47,300 won, and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix fell 0.25 percent to 80,400 won.
Financial firms also finished lower, with KB Financial dipping 7.01 percent to 29,850 won and Shinhan Financial falling 5.97 percent to 25,200 won.
Top pharmaceutical firm Samsung BioLogics moved down 2.91 percent to 417,500 won and Hanmi Pharmaceutical slid 0.62 percent to 239,500 won. Celltrion, on the other hand, increased 1.51 percent to 168,000 won.
No. 1 Hyundai Motor decreased 3.38 percent to 80,100 won and its smaller sister Kia Motors plunged 6.46 percent to 25,350 won. Auto parts producer Hyundai Mobis shed 5.57 percent, closing at 152,500 won.
The local currency closed at 1,243.50 won against the U.S. dollar, down 17.50 won from the previous session's close. It was the lowest rate since the 1,246.10 won posted on June 11, 2010.
Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, closed higher. The yield on three-year Treasurys fell 6.9 basis points to 1.030 percent, and the return on the benchmark five-year government bond shed 7.2 basis points to 1.196 percent.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-17--S. Korean Bond Yields on Mar. 17, 2020

S. Korean Bond Yields on Mar. 17, 2020

(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--2020-03-17--(LEAD) Protestant churches under fire for holding Sunday services despite coronavirus epidemic

To slow the spread of the highly infectious virus , the government has urged the religious community to refrain from @ @ @ @ @ densely packed religious gatherings in closed spaces are the most likely to lead to virus @ @ @ @

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 6, 9-11, 17-18)
SEOUL, March 17 (Yonhap) -- Protestant churches in South Korea have been under fire for continuing with Sunday services that pose the risk of mass infection amid the country's anti-coronavirus fight.
South Korea on Tuesday reported 84 new cases of the COVID-19, bringing the total to 8,320 and marking the third consecutive day the number was below 100, according to the quarantine authorities.
Quarantine officials disinfect the entrance of the River of Grace Community Church in Seongnam, south of Seoul, on March 16, 2020. (Yonhap)
According to recent data, many new infections in the capital region involve the River of Grace Community Church, located in Seongnam on the southern outskirts of Seoul.
A total of 51 people, 49 of them congregants of the church, have tested positive for COVID-19 after six members, including the pastor and his wife, were found to be infected over the past week.
The authorities have been conducting tests on all 135 church followers who attended services on March 1 and 8.
The Seongnam church became the second-largest cluster of infections in the capital area after a Seoul insurance call center, which has so far reported about 130 infections.
Another Protestant church in eastern Seoul is suspected of being the site of another infection cluster in the capital city, after 24 people, including followers, were affected.
To slow the spread of the highly infectious virus, the government has urged the religious community to refrain from holding services and meetings because densely packed religious gatherings in closed spaces are the most likely to lead to virus infections en masse.
The request came as about 60 percent of South Korea's infections are associated with the minor religious sect of Shincheonji.
A Shincheonji church in Daegu, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, has become a hotbed of coronavirus infections since one of its members tested positive in mid-February after attending several services.
Since then, new clusters of infections have emerged from religious events across the nation, including at churches in Busan; Bucheon, just west of Seoul; and Geochang, some 300 kilometers south of the capital.
In response, the Catholic Church suspended all Masses across the country on Feb. 25, and Buddhists have stopped holding public services and events.
Seats at Yoido Full Gospel Church in western Seoul are nearly empty on March 15, 2020, as the church replaced Sunday services with online ones for members' safety amid the spread of the COVID-19 virus. (Yonhap)
However, Protestant churches have been reluctant to comply with the government recommendation to have online worship on Sundays.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, about one-third of Protestant churches in the capital city held Sunday services over the weekend.
Large big-name churches including Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul -- with 560,000 followers, the biggest Protestant church in South Korea -- closed their doors and converted their chapels for online services.
But many mid-sized and small churches like the River of Grace Community Church in Seongnam have refused to go on hiatus since the virus outbreak, sparking harsh criticism over their reckless, intransigent strategy.
Insiders said Protestant churches have no universal, centralized decision-making body like the Catholic Church to order affiliate churches to take action in a consistent and compulsory manner.
Moreover, such small-scale churches largely depend for their weekly incomes on contributions made by members who participate in offline worship, they noted.
According to the pastor of the virus-hit Seongnam church, many financially strapped churches like his cannot afford to switch mode swiftly.
"I'm so sorry for bringing trouble to Korean society and the church," the pastor, who has been hospitalized with the virus infection, said. "But small churches on a tight budget or run by senior pastors can't spend money setting up online streaming infrastructure."
The United Christian Churches of Korea (UCCK), which has major Protestant orders including the Presbyterian Church of Korea, under its wing, complained of the negative social atmosphere around the community.
"Worship is an inviolable value and the goal that the church cannot give up," the UCCK said in a statement released last week, calling the government-led request to cease offline services a "threat."
Amid growing calls for the prohibition of all on-site religious services, however, the South Korean government is taking a prudent approach.
"Some say that it should be cautious when imposing measures to ban all religious events," Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip said in a daily briefing on Tuesday. "As freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Constitution, we need thorough review and preparation before enforcing such measures."
He said the government is, instead, seeking ways to provide technical assistance to help churches carry out online broadcasting or map out detailed guidelines on virus prevention.
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-17--Foreigners extend selling streak to 9th day amid market rout

The massive sell-off came as investor sentiment has been hit by ongoing coronavirus disruption to the economy , prodding foreign @ @ @ @ @ of their investments from emerging countries .

SEOUL, March 17 (Yonhap) –– Foreign investors extended their selling binge of local stocks to a ninth consecutive session, further exacerbating the already shaky investor sentiment hit hard by the coronavirus, data showed Tuesday.
Offshore investors dumped a net 1.01 trillion won (US$813.4 billion) worth of local stocks on Tuesday. The country's benchmark index, the KOSPI, extended its headlong fall to a fifth consecutive session by shedding 2.47 percent to close at 1,672.44 points.
Foreigners have been net sellers since March 5, having offloaded a total of 7.43 trillion won. They sold a net 1.31 trillion won on March 9, the largest daily total on record.
An electronic signboard at the KEB Hana Bank in Seoul shows the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) plunging 2.47 percent to close at 1,672.44 points on March 17, 2020. (Yonhap)
The massive sell-off came as investor sentiment has been hit by ongoing coronavirus disruption to the economy, prodding foreign investors to pull out part of their investments from emerging countries.
The U.S. Federal Reserve's emergency rate cut to a range of zero to 0.25 percent, as well as a quantitative easing plan worth US$700 billion, failed to prevent the market crash.
The Dow Jones industrial average tumbled as much as 12.93 percent on Monday (local time). Nasdaq and S&P also plummeted 12.32 percent and 11.98 percent, respectively.
The Bank of Korea (BOK) on Monday made its first emergency rate cut on in over 10 years, slashing the key rate by half a percentage point to 0.75 percent.
In the emergency rate cut meeting, BOK Gov. Lee Ju-yeol acknowledged that the COVID-19 spread much faster and wider than expected, and that an additional downward revision for the South Korean economy is inevitable.
The BOK earlier slashed its growth estimate for the South Korean economy to 2.1 percent from 2.3 percent forecast late last year.
jwc@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-17--(LEAD) Cluster infections, incoming travelers threaten capital area

SEOUL , March 17 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korea reported fewer than 100 new coronavirus cases for a third @ @ @ @ @ but concerns lingered in the metropolitan area as group transmission and imported cases emerged as @ @ @ @ @ fight .

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details throughout)
SEOUL, March 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported fewer than 100 new coronavirus cases for a third straight day on Tuesday, but concerns lingered in the metropolitan area as group transmission and imported cases emerged as new risks in the anti-virus fight.
Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul, reported a sharp increase of 31 cases, which brought the total in the province to 262, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In Seoul, cases increased by 12 to 265, while Incheon, west of Seoul, added just one case from the previous day.
The recent cases apparently trace to a group transmission at a church in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, which has emerged as an infection cluster that has affected at least 51 people in the greater Seoul area.
In a separate case, an insurance call center, in the Sindorim neighborhood of the southwestern Seoul ward of Guro, has also been identified as an infection cluster. Cases related to the call center reached 134.
Eighteen cases have been also reported in relation to a Protestant church and an internet cafe in the Imun neighborhood of the eastern Seoul ward of Dongdaemun.
Most recently, some Korean nationals arriving from Europe also tested positive, reflecting the alarming pace of new infections being reported in the region.
South Korea overall reported 84 new cases, bringing the country's total infections to 8,320.
Seoul and its surrounding areas are home to some 26 million people, slightly more than half the South Korean population.
Health authorities stressed the need to step up quarantine efforts to prevent small-scale infections in the metropolitan area from spreading across the nation.
"The growth of confirmed cases has slowed, but we judged that we are now in a very grave period," Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip told a press briefing.
The capital and its nearby areas will use each other's hospitals and designated treatment facilities for patients with mild symptoms, if needed, when cluster infections result in a shortage of beds, Kim noted.
This photo, taken on March 16, 2020, shows disinfection taking place at a church in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. At least 46 cases reported in the metropolitan area trace to the church. (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-18--(LEAD) S. Korea, U.S. resume defense cost-sharing negotiations

Since last September , the two countries have held six rounds of SMA talks , including the last in Washington @ @ @ @ @ failed to bridge differences over how much Seoul should shoulder this year and beyond and @ @ @ @ @ the SMA .

(ATTN: ADDS more info in 7th para; RECASTS 8th para)
By Song Sang-ho
SEOUL, March 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States have opened a new round of defense cost-sharing talks in Los Angeles, the foreign ministry said Wednesday, as Korean workers in the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) face unpaid leave absent a deal to bankroll their wages.
Seoul's top negotiator Jeong Eun-bo and his U.S. counterpart, James DeHart, began the two-day negotiation session on Tuesday, following a two-month hiatus that underscored the deadlock over how much Seoul should pay for stationing the 28,500-strong USFK.
The seventh round of the talks for the cost-sharing deal, called the Special Measures Agreement (SMA), came as some 9,000 Korean employees in the USFK have faced furloughs that would begin on April 1 unless a new deal is struck.
Last year's SMA, which called for Seoul to pay around US$870 million to cover part of the Korean workers' wages and offer other forms of support for American troops here, expired in December.
The Korean workers at U.S. military installations across Korea have been carrying out administrative, health, transportation, communication and cleaning services -- integral parts of the USFK's day-to-day operations.
Apparently mindful of the repercussions of their furloughs, USFK Commander Gen. Robert Abrams has said that the U.S. will continue to explore funding alternatives up to and even during the required furlough.
Seoul's negotiation team entered the new round of talks with an eye to reconciling differences on the total amount of Korea's payments for the USFK. But if the gaps are hard to bridge, it hopes to first address the Korean workers' wage issue.
In earlier SMA talks, Seoul proposed that the two sides first settle the wage issue under a separate arrangement using the budget that Seoul has already earmarked for its financial contributions to the USFK this year.
If that arrangement is struck, Seoul hopes to incorporate it into this year's new SMA upon the negotiations' conclusion. Both the wage arrangement and the SMA are subject to parliamentary ratification.
Since last September, the two countries have held six rounds of SMA talks, including the last in Washington in January. But they failed to bridge differences over how much Seoul should shoulder this year and beyond and what should be covered by the SMA.
The U.S. has revised downward its initial demand for a fivefold increase of Seoul's financial contribution to the USFK to some $5 billion. But it is known to currently call for about $4 billion, with Seoul insisting on an increase of about 10 percent.
Jeong Eun-bo (R), South Korea's chief negotiator in defense cost-sharing talks with the United States, shakes hands with his U.S. counterpart, James DeHart, at their talks in Washington on Jan. 14, 2020, in this photo provided by the foreign ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-18--BTS postpones ticketing for Europe leg of new world tour over coronavirus

Part of the following North American leg of the tour in April and May is also at risk of potential @ @ @ @ @ for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) has recently recommended that for the next @ @ @ @ @ organizers cancel or postpone in-person events that consist of 50 people or more throughout the @ @

SEOUL, March 18 (Yonhap) -- K-pop boy band BTS has postponed ticket sales for the European leg of its new world tour, "Map of the Soul Tour," set for July, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
"Due to recent events, BTS 'Map of the Soul Tour - Europe' ticket sale will be rescheduled," the British branch of Live Nation, which organizes the European leg, said in an SNS message Tuesday (local time).
According to the message, ticket presales for the members of Army, the official BTS fandom, has been rescheduled to April 20 from the original date on Wednesday.
Tickets will go on sale for the general public May 1, later than April 29 as previously scheduled.
"Please note that the schedule may change depending on the situation," Live Nation said.
The European leg is to kick off in London on July 3 and then move to Berlin and Barcelona.
BTS in February canceled the inaugural Seoul leg of the upcoming tour, set for mid-April, amid COVID-19 transmissions.
Part of the following North American leg of the tour in April and May is also at risk of potential cancellation after the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently recommended that for the next eight weeks till early May organizers cancel or postpone in-person events that consist of 50 people or more throughout the U.S.
An image of BTS, provided by Big Hit Entertainment (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-18--Seoul shares open higher on U.S. stimulus hope

On Monday , the Bank of Korea slashed its policy rate by half a percentage point to an all-time low @ @ @ @ @ to add more liquidity into the economy as well as calm market turmoil .

SEOUL, March 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks opened sharply higher Wednesday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street, as investor sentiment was buoyed by a new stimulus package unveiled by Washington to cope with the economic fallout from the new coronavirus outbreak.
The Korean won gained against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 17.75 points, or 1.06 percent, to 1,690.19 as of 9:15 a.m. The KOSPI slipped to the lowest point since October 2011 in the previous session.
The rebound apparently came as investors cheered a set of additional stimulus packages under review by the United States.
Washington announced Tuesday (local time) it is considering a stimulus package of a whopping US$1 trillion to cope with the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, including providing cash payments to its citizens.
On the back of the stimulus package, the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 5.2 percent overnight after posting its worst daily plunge since 1987 a session earlier. The tech-heavy NASDAQ advanced 6.23 percent.
The rescue measure follows the Federal Reserve's sharp rate cut and a quantitative easing program worth US$700 billion announced earlier this week.
On Monday, the Bank of Korea slashed its policy rate by half a percentage point to an all-time low of 0.75 percent as well to add more liquidity into the economy as well as calm market turmoil.
Signs of a slowdown in the new cases of COVID-19 in South Korea also improved the investors' sentiment.
The country added 84 new cases Tuesday, bringing the nation's total infections to 8,320, rising in the double digits for the third straight day.
Shares gained ground across the board.
Top market cap Samsung Electronics increased 1.69 percent, and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix added 1.99 percent. Home appliances maker LG Electronics increased 1.72 percent.
Leading chemical firm LG Chem gained 0.33 percent and No. 1 cosmetics maker AmorePacific edged up 1.94 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,238.05 won against the U.S. dollar, up 5.45 won from the previous session's close.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)