yna--2020-02-21--Summary of domestic news in North Korea this week

`` The performance would be similar to the mass games of 2019 'People 's Country , ' but the title @ @ @ @ @ sections of the performance to mark in what in terms of the DPRK are two @ @ @ @ @ holidays , '' the agency said .

SEOUL, Feb. 21 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of domestic news in North Korea this week.
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N.K. leader visits late father's mausoleum in first public appearance in 22 days
SEOUL, Feb. 16 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a mausoleum in Pyongyang to commemorate the birthday of his late father, state media reported Sunday, in his first reported public appearance in 22 days.
Kim paid tribute at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the bodies of his late father and former leader, Kim Jong-il, and his grandfather and founding leader, Kim Il-sung, are enshrined, the official Korean Central News Agency reported.
Kim "visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on the occasion of the Day of the Shining Star, the greatest auspicious holiday of the nation," the KCNA said, referring to the late leader's birthday by its official name in the communist nation.
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N. Korean media reports on preventive efforts against coronavirus for college students
SEOUL, Feb. 17 (Yonhap) -- A North Korean propaganda outlet on Monday reported about efforts to prevent the outbreak of the new coronavirus among college students set to return to school after winter vacation.
North Korea has not confirmed any infection cases of the COVID-19 virus that originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December, but it has beefed up preventive and quarantine efforts against the highly contagious virus that has been spreading to many other countries.
"Hospital workers in close cooperation with college administrative officials and youth league people are making preemptive efforts to completely brace for any students showing abnormal symptoms in tests after returning from their vacation," Tongil Voice, a North Korean propaganda radio broadcast, said, referring to efforts under way at a hospital affiliated with Kim Chaek University of Technology.
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N. Korea reaffirms no new coronavirus infection
SEOUL, Feb. 18 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's official newspaper reaffirmed Tuesday that there has been no confirmed case of the new coronavirus on its soil amid speculation that Pyongyang might be concealing an outbreak.
The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling party, carried an article in which a public health official emphasized that there has been "no single confirmed case" of COVID-19 infection.
He said the nationwide preventive measures, including the swift implementation of an emergency quarantine system launched immediately after the outbreak in China have paid off in blocking the flow of the highly contagious virus.
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N. Korea expected to hold gymnastic shows in Aug. and Oct.: tour agency
SEOUL, Feb. 18 (Yonhap) -- North Korea is expected to hold its signature mass gymnastic shows to celebrate the country's major holidays in August and October this year, according to a Beijing-based tour agency.
Koryo Tours said on its website that North Korea recently informed the company of its plans to hold the gymnastic propaganda show in time for the 75th anniversary of the Liberation Day from Japan's colonial rule on Aug. 15 and the 75th founding anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party on Oct. 15.
"The performance would be similar to the mass games of 2019 'People's Country,' but the title will change and so will sections of the performance to mark in what in terms of the DPRK are two of the most significant public holidays," the agency said.
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N. Korea's paper warns against lowering guard against coronavirus
SEOUL, Feb. 19 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has seen no confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, but the country should never let its guard down in its nationwide fight to prevent the virus from reaching the country, its official newspaper said Wednesday.
North Korea has repeatedly claimed that there has been no outbreak of COVID-19 on its soil despite speculation it is concealing an outbreak of the virus that emerged from neighboring China and has been spreading into many countries.
"Of course, our country has not seen any single infection yet," the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling party, said in an article. "But we should never let our guard down."
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N. Korea imposes 30-day quarantine to fight coronavirus
SEOUL, Feb. 20 (Yonhap) -- North Korea is making all-out efforts to prevent the new coronavirus from reaching the country, including extending the quarantine period for higher-risk people to 30 days, Pyongyang's ambassador to Geneva was quoted as saying.
Ambassador Han Tae-song made the remarks in an interview with Reuters, stressing that the communist nation has not seen any confirmed case yet of the deadly virus that has killed more than 2,000 people in neighboring China alone.
"I was informed that we extended the quarantine, actually it was 14 days, but according to scientific results, coronavirus could break out even three weeks later. That is why we extended to 30 days quarantine," he was quoted as saying by Reuters. "Prevention is less cost than cure."
------------
N. Korean paper continues to claim no coronavirus cases
SEOUL, Feb. 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's official newspaper reaffirmed Friday that no coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the communist nation, even though the virus originating from China has spread fast in the region, including a surge in South Korea.
Hours after South Korea saw its first death from the new COVID-19 virus on Thursday, the Korean Central TV Broadcasting Station carried a report in detail about the case and reported that the number of confirmed cases in the South spiked to 104.
On Friday, the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling party, continued to claim that the country is free from the coronavirus.
(END)


yna--2020-02-22--(EDITORIAL from Korea JoongAng Daily on Feb. 22)

The Wolseong-1 reactor was refurbished on a government budget of 700 billion won ( $ 580 million ) to extend @ @ @ @ @ years after it reached the end of its original lifespan in 2012 .
The authorities @ @ @ @ @ ramifications to prevent this waste of public resources .
If they did , they should @ @ @ @ @ their findings .

Nothing but crickets from BAI
The Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) has once again postponed releasing the results of its investigation into the process leading up to the decision to permanently retire the Wolseong-1 reactor, breaking its Feb. 29 deadline.
BAI Chairman Choe Jae-hyeong apologized for missing the deadline.
The investigation focused on allegations that Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) fabricated data to persuade the board to shut down the country's oldest nuclear reactor before its extended lifetime ends in 2022. The probe was in part a response to demands from the legislative branch.
The BAI initially planned to release its findings by the end of December but put it off for two months. The National Assembly set the February deadline.
The government watchdog said it was unable to conclude the probe because it did not receive enough materials from KHNP. It had even carried out digital forensics to restore the data erased by the nuclear operator. The delay in the investigation only raises questions about the move from KHNP and the board.
The Wolseong-1 reactor was refurbished on a government budget of 700 billion won ($580 million) to extend its life for another 10 years after it reached the end of its original lifespan in 2012. The authorities should have thoroughly studied the ramifications to prevent this waste of public resources. If they did, they should have no reason to hide their findings.
The BAI's delay also raises suspicions of buying time for the government until the April elections. The results may be unfavorable for the government officials who moved forward with the closure of the old reactor as a part of the administration's policy to phase out of nuclear fuel. The BAI chief met with the prime minister before his announcement delaying the results.
It is a shame for the independent government watchdog if its activities come under political pressure. It could make an interim report to the legislature, even if its investigation is not complete, if it wants to avoid the appearance of playing politics. The BAI, however, claimed it is not required to make an interim report.
But at the same time, there is no regulation saying it shouldn't. It must take action if it does not want to permanently damage the agency's reputation as an independent body.
(END)


yna--2020-02-22--(EDITORIAL from Korea Times on Feb. 22)

(EDITORIAL from Korea Times on Feb. 22)

What is awful is the party is apparently using deep-rooted bias among Koreans toward Chinese and rising virus fears here @ @ @ @ @ election .
As the virus is spreading nationwide , it can not be ruled out @ @ @ @ @ to the outbreak could become a major factor for voters to consider .
A UFP @ @ @ @ @ run in Daegu , where cases of the coronavirus have surged the past few days @ @ @ @ @ the streets holding a placard which reads , `` The Moon Jae-in Pneumonia is killing @ @ @ @ @ claimed the virus hit Daegu because the Moon administration has avoided implementing an entry ban @ @ @ @

Fanning fears for votes
Debates should be based on science, not personal biases
The floor leader of the main opposition United Future Party (UFP), Rep. Shim Jae-cheol, has vowed to push for the impeachment of President Moon Jae-in, if the UFP wins the most seats in the April 15 general election.
Shim raised this idea apparently to drum up support from conservative voters ahead of the election, but it only represents the extreme and irresponsible views of some radical party members who are still sympathetic toward the impeached former President Park Geun-hye. It is a dangerous attempt to use ideological divisions for the election. It only polarizes society, causes political instability and will benefit no one in the end.
This is all the more so because President Moon has not been found to have committed any serious wrongdoings while in office, although the way he governs the nation has indeed been a point of dispute between liberal and conservative parties. Rep. Shim and the UFP should realize mentioning impeachment at this stage will never work; it rather endangers the party's election campaign.
Rep. Shim cited Moon's "dictatorship, election meddling, failed prosecution reform, economic policy failures" and so on as the reasons he should be impeached. Particularly, he said he will continue to call the new coronavirus that originated in Wuhan in central China "Wuhan Pneumonia" instead of COVID-19, the name recommended by the World Health Organization and the government, claiming Moon's "kowtowing" to China in dealing with the virus has worsened the situation in South Korea. The party has consistently urged the government to expand its travel ban to block Chinese from entering Korea as a way to curb the spread of the virus.
"The past three years of Moon's presidency has been an era of disasters for this nation. April 15 will be the 'Judgment Day' for his incompetence and arrogance," Rep. Shim told CBS Radio, Wednesday.
What is awful is the party is apparently using deep-rooted bias among Koreans toward Chinese and rising virus fears here as means to win the election. As the virus is spreading nationwide, it cannot be ruled out that the government's response to the outbreak could become a major factor for voters to consider. A UFP member who is seeking to run in Daegu, where cases of the coronavirus have surged the past few days, is even campaigning on the streets holding a placard which reads, "The Moon Jae-in Pneumonia is killing Daegu citizens." He claimed the virus hit Daegu because the Moon administration has avoided implementing an entry ban on all Chinese.
Whether the government has properly handled the outbreak is a good topic of debate. Such debates will be helpful for voters in choosing a candidate to support. But they should be healthy and sound, based on science, not on fake news or personal biases.
(END)


yna--2020-02-22--Top headlines in major S. Korean newspapers

Korean-language dailies -- Countrywide spread of coronavirus stemming from Christian sect known as Sincheonji ; S. Korea confirms 2nd coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ -- Coronavirus shock stemming from Christian sect known as Sincheonji ; number of infections tops @ @ @ @ @ -- Number of coronavirus cases spikes by 103 in one day ( Donga llbo ) @ @ @ @ @ death from coronavirus , new confirmed cases jump by 101 in one day ( Segye @ @ @ @ @ reported ; number of coronavirus cases jumps by 106 in one day ( Chosun Ilbo @ @ @ @ @ ; number of coronavirus patients jumps by 100 in one day ( JoongAng Ilbo ) @ @ @ @ @ up 102 in one day ; infections stemming from Christian sect known as Sincheonji ( @ @ @ @ @ reported ; number of coronavirus patients rise by 100 in one day ( Hankook Ilbo @ @ @ @ @ patients surpasses 200 across country ( Maeil Business Newspaper ) -- Quarantine system collapses across @ @ @ @ @ second day in a row ( Korea Economic Daily )

SEOUL, Feb. 22 (Yonhap) -- The following are the top headlines in major South Korean newspapers on Feb. 22.
Korean-language dailies
-- Countrywide spread of coronavirus stemming from Christian sect known as Sincheonji; S. Korea confirms 2nd coronavirus death (Kyunghyang Shinmun)
-- Coronavirus shock stemming from Christian sect known as Sincheonji; number of infections tops 200 (Kookmin Daily)
-- Number of coronavirus cases spikes by 103 in one day (Donga llbo)
-- S. Korea reports second death from coronavirus, new confirmed cases jump by 101 in one day (Segye Times)
-- Second death reported; number of coronavirus cases jumps by 106 in one day (Chosun Ilbo)
-- Shocking Black Friday; number of coronavirus patients jumps by 100 in one day (JoongAng Ilbo)
-- Number of coronavirus patients up 102 in one day; infections stemming from Christian sect known as Sincheonji (Hankyoreh)
-- Second death reported; number of coronavirus patients rise by 100 in one day (Hankook Ilbo)
-- Number of coronavirus patients surpasses 200 across country (Maeil Business Newspaper)
-- Quarantine system collapses across country; death reported for second day in a row (Korea Economic Daily)
English-language dailies
-- Virus cases double for 2nd day (Korea JoongAng Daily)
-- Korea struck by soaring number of new virus cases (Korea Times)
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


Saturday's weather forecast

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

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


yna--2020-02-22--K-pop girl band ITZY to return with new album next month

`` IT ' z ME , '' set for official release on March 9 , is the quintet 's second @ @ @ @ @ a sensational debut in February last year , according to JYP Entertainment .

SEOUL, Feb. 22 (Yonhap) -- K-pop 'super rookie' band ITZY will return to the music scene next month with a new EP, "IT'z ME," the band's management agency said Saturday.
"IT'z ME," set for official release on March 9, is the quintet's second EP since the band made a sensational debut in February last year, according to JYP Entertainment.
The band's debut single, "Dalla Dalla," immediately topped local music charts including TV K-pop competition shows, winning the band numerous rookie of the year awards for 2019.
In July last year, the band dropped its first EP, "IT'z ICY," rocking the K-pop scene once again.
Since November, the band has been on a global showcase of their music, touring 11 regions across the world.
"IT'z ME" will be digitally released in the evening of March 9 via major online music streaming services.
This image provided by YJP Entertainment is a concept photo for ITZY's second EP, "IT's ME." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-22--(Yonhap Interview) 'Parasite' producer Kwak respects academy members for making history

`` I was not a cinephile when I was a child .
I just liked to read stories .
My @ @ @ @ @ much , but I did n't that much , '' said Kwak , whose elder @ @ @ @ @ Kyung-taek , who made the box-office hit `` Friend '' ( 2001 ) .
`` @ @ @ @ @ my early 20s , I deeply studied film history , watched piles of movies and @ @ @ @ @ that hard-working period was my turning point . ''

By Kim Boram
SEOUL, Feb. 22 (Yonhap) -- Even a day before the 92nd Academy Awards on Feb. 9, Bong Joon-ho's black comedy thriller was considered an underdog in the Oscar's best picture competition with war film "1917."
Many U.S. media and pundits made predictions that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) members were unlikely to vote the non-English language film for the top Oscar prize.
Kwak Sin-ae, producer of "Parasite" and CEO of its production house Barunson E&M, said that it seemed to be difficult for the film to overcome the barrier of subtitles, considering recent Oscar winners, most of which were English-language films, screenplays and actors.
Kwak Sin-ae, producer of "Parasite," smiles at a press conference in Seoul on Feb. 19, 2020. (Yonhap)
"I thought our film winning the best picture would be a history-making choice by the academy between change and tradition," Kwak said during an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Friday. "It seemed that '1917' was the front-runner, and we had a very slim chance to pull off the upset."
But the AMPAS members chose to make a change and gave the most coveted accolade to the Korean-language "Parasite," along with three other titles: best director, best screenplay and best international feature film.
"The AMPAS members are people working in the film industry. I know it is very hard for them to make an unprecedented choice," she said. "It needs great determination and braveness. ... I respect them."
With the Oscar's novel choice, moreover, Kwak became the first Asian female producer to win best picture from the academy.
The 51-year filmmaker said she was not aware she was the "first" Asian woman to win the title, but it helped her recall her 25-year dedication to the South Korean cinema industry.
Starting her career as a reporter for the film magazine "Kino" in the mid-1990s, she has engaged in a number of films, including "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring" (2003), as a marketing official and a producer.
"I was not a cinephile when I was a child. I just liked to read stories. My early colleagues loved cinema so much, but I didn't that much," said Kwak, whose elder brother is renowned director Kwak Kyung-taek, who made the box-office hit "Friend" (2001). "As a film reporter in my early 20s, I deeply studied film history, watched piles of movies and had interviews. I think that hard-working period was my turning point."
She said she hopes to play a role in expanding the horizons of female filmmakers in the Korean cinematic community, which celebrated its 100th anniversary last year.
It is impressive that many prominent female directors have made a splash in the industry, led by Kim Do-young of "Kim Ji-young, Born 1982" and Kim Bo-ra of "House of Hummingbird," she added.
"If I am given a role, I want to do something good with female filmmakers and creators," she said. "It can be in filmmaking or something else. I'm going to push forward."
Kwan Sin-ae, producer of "Parasite" and CEO of its production house Barunson E&M, smiles in this photo provided by CJ ENM. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-22--Trump again complains about 'Parasite' winning best picture Oscar

`` This year we had a movie , and they said best movie .
They announced a movie from South @ @ @ @ @ all about ?
The movie was made in South Korea .
Look , I get @ @ @ @ @ .
But you know , I never saw that one before .
They used to @ @ @ @ @ .
But now we do it that way .
I do n't get it , @ @ @ @ @ used to be , '' the president said in front of his supporters .

By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump complained again Friday that this year's best picture Oscar went to the South Korean movie, "Parasite," saying he likes to see the United States get honored.
Trump had aired his grievances about the Academy Awards only the night before at a campaign rally in Colorado. This time he brought up the subject at another rally in Las Vegas.
"This year we had a movie, and they said best movie. They announced a movie from South Korea. What's that all about? The movie was made in South Korea. Look, I get along great with South Korea. But you know, I never saw that one before. They used to call it best foreign movie. But now we do it that way. I don't get it, but that's what it used to be," the president said in front of his supporters.
This Reuters photo shows U.S. President Donald Trump addressing a campaign rally at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada on Feb. 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
"This is really an incredible time, I'll tell you what, for our country," he continued. "I like to see things that we do get honored because nobody is doing what we do. Nobody can do it like us. We're the greatest country in the world again."
"Parasite," directed by Bong Joon-ho, became the first foreign language film to win best picture at the Academy Awards earlier this month. The black comedy, centered on the theme of class disparity, also took the Oscars for best director, best original screenplay and best international feature film.
Trump said he was looking for American movies like "Gone with the Wind" to win the top honor, a film he also cited on Thursday, along with "Sunset Boulevard."
"I said, 'What's this all about?' I deal with them. They like me. We're helping them a lot. They're killing us on trade, you know. They beat us on trade and then they win the Academy Award for a freaking movie. But we redid that trade deal," Trump noted, referring to his administration's revision of a free trade agreement between South Korea and the U.S.
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-22--Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin to make spring training debut vs. Twins

`` Depending on how the first inning goes , for sure one inning , and then we 'll go from @ @ @ @ @ of Ryu 's workload against the Twins .
`` ( It 's about ) getting @ @ @ @ @ needs to get .
That 's the whole point . ''

DUNEDIN, United States, Feb. 21 (Yonhap) -- Ryu Hyun-jin will make his first spring training start for the Toronto Blue Jays next Thursday against the Minnesota Twins.
Manager Charlie Montoyo announced on Friday at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida, that Ryu will throw "probably two innings, but no more than that" against the Twins. It will be a home game for the Jays at their brand new spring stadium, starting at 1 p.m. next Thursday in Florida, or 3 a.m. Friday in Seoul.
Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays poses with a baseball during the team photo day at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida, on Feb. 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
The Blue Jays' exhibition season begins Saturday on the road against the New York Yankees. All spring training games will begin at 1 p.m. Eastern Time.
"Depending on how the first inning goes, for sure one inning, and then we'll go from there," Montoyo said of Ryu's workload against the Twins. "(It's about) getting the pitch count wherever it needs to get. That's the whole point."
Ryu, who signed a four-year, US$80 million free agent deal in December to become the highest-paid pitcher in Blue Jays history, has thrown three bullpens and one live batting practice. He's scheduled to do another live pitching on Saturday.
Ryu is the reigning major league ERA champion who finished second in the National League Cy Young Award voting. Barring spring injuries, Ryu will likely get the Opening Day nod against the Boston Red Sox on March 26 at Rogers Centre in Toronto.
Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays plays catch with Shun Yamaguchi (not pictured) at Player Development Complex, outside TD Ballpark, in Dunedin, Florida, on Feb. 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-22--(LEAD) U.S. says much work remains for defense cost deal with S. Korea

`` We 're continuing negotiations , and there are options -- big , medium , small , if you will @ @ @ @ @ and we 're hoping that the negotiations uncover a viable path so that those services @ @ @ @ @ , speaking alongside Hoffman on Wednesday .
`` If needed , we 're going to @ @ @ @ @ those workers provide .
We 're going to have to prioritize life , health and @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES with details, background from 7th para; ADDS photo)
By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 (Yonhap) -- Much work remains to narrow the gap in defense cost-sharing negotiations between South Korea and the United States, a State Department official said Friday, calling on Seoul to make a compromise.
The two countries have been negotiating a new agreement on splitting the cost of keeping 28,500 American troops in South Korea but failed to reach a deal after six rounds of talks.
The previous Special Measures Agreement expired at the end of last year, leaving South Koreans working on U.S. bases to face a potential furlough starting in April.
This AFP file photo shows the U.S. Department of State in Washington. (Yonhap)
"While we are not going to comment or confirm media reports on specifics related to diplomatic discussions between close allies, I can report that significant work remains to narrow the gap between the two sides," the official told Yonhap News Agency on condition of anonymity.
"During the course of negotiations, we have adjusted and compromised. We're looking for compromise from the government of Korea as well," he added.
Washington has demanded a hefty increase in Seoul's financial contributions at U.S. President Donald Trump's urging that allies pay more for their own defense.
Earlier reports had suggested that the U.S. wanted South Korea to pay some US$5 billion this year, up from the $870 million Seoul agreed to pay last year toward Korean workers' wages, the construction of some military facilities and logistical support.
Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman told reporters this week that the subject of burden-sharing will be discussed during next Monday's meeting in Washington between South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper.
This photo shows South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo (L) and U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper at a joint press conference in Bangkok on Nov. 17, 2019. (Yonhap)
If the allies fail to reach a deal in the coming weeks, the U.S. will adjust the services provided by the nearly 9,000 Korean workers on the military bases, according to Rear Adm. William Byrne Jr., vice director of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"We're continuing negotiations, and there are options -- big, medium, small, if you will -- with respect to numbers and we're hoping that the negotiations uncover a viable path so that those services continue," he said, speaking alongside Hoffman on Wednesday. "If needed, we're going to have to prioritize what services those workers provide. We're going to have to prioritize life, health and safety.
"There will certainly be an impact to both the service members and their families," he continued. "Most importantly, we have to focus on the mission. And the mission there is the combined defense of the Republic of Korea."
Earlier this week in Seoul, U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Robert Abrams met with the head of the USFK Korean Employees Union and warned that without a new SMA, "USFK is out of money and must prepare for a potential furlough."
The continuing impasse has raised worries about the health of the decadeslong alliance at a time when both countries face crucial challenges in the region, including North Korea's nuclear threat and China's military rise.
The State Department, which leads the negotiations, sought to allay those concerns.
"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," the department official said. "The United States seeks 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."
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-22--U.S. says much work remains for defense cost deal with S. Korea

`` The U.S.-ROK Alliance is strong , and vital for safeguarding peace on the Peninsula as well as stability in @ @ @ @ @ '' the State Department official said , referring to South Korea by its official name @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The United States seeks a fair and equitable outcome to the Special Measures @ @ @ @ @ that will strengthen and sustain the resilient U.S.-ROK Alliance . ''

By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 (Yonhap) -- Much work remains to narrow the gap in defense cost-sharing negotiations between South Korea and the United States, a State Department official said Friday, calling on Seoul to make a compromise.
The two countries have been negotiating a new agreement on splitting the cost of keeping 28,500 American troops in South Korea but failed to reach a deal after six rounds of talks.
The previous Special Measures Agreement expired at the end of last year, leaving South Koreans working on U.S. bases to face a potential furlough starting in April.
"While we are not going to comment or confirm media reports on specifics related to diplomatic discussions between close allies, I can report that significant work remains to narrow the gap between the two sides," the official told Yonhap News Agency on condition of anonymity.
"During the course of negotiations, we have adjusted and compromised. We're looking for compromise from the government of Korea as well," he added.
Washington has demanded a hefty increase in Seoul's financial contributions at U.S. President Donald Trump's urging that allies pay more for their defense.
Under last year's one-year deal, Seoul agreed to pay US$870 million toward Korean workers' wages, the construction of some military facilities and logistical support.
"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," the State Department official said, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea. "The United States seeks 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."
This AFP file photo shows the U.S. Department of State in Washington. (Yonhap)
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


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(END)


yna--2020-02-21--(9th LD) S. Korea reports 2nd virus death as number of infections nearly doubles

In Geneva , WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters , `` I think the number of cases are really @ @ @ @ @ that South Korea will do everything to contain this outbreak at this early stage .
@

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 4-6)
SEOUL, Feb. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported the second death of a coronavirus patient on Friday as infections almost quadrupled in just three days, prompting the health authorities to declare that the outbreak is in the initial stage of community spread, albeit still "manageable."
The country reported 100 new cases of the novel coronavirus as of 4 p.m. on Friday, bringing the total number to 204, the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
But a few more virus cases, not officially counted by the health authorities, were also reported in many cities.
A woman in her mid-50s, who was confirmed to be infected with the virus, died at a hospital in the southeastern city of Busan at around 6 p.m., hospital officials said.
She had been bedridden with chronic pneumonia at Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo County and was transferred to Busan National University Hospital after she tested positive for the virus earlier Friday.
Daenam is where the nation's first COVID-19 fatality occurred. On Thursday KCDC said a 63-year-old man, who died of pneumonia there on Wednesday, posthumously tested positive for the virus.
The country's most new infections have been traced to church services in the southeastern city of Daegu.
Daegu, where the 2.5 million inhabitants have been asked to stay indoors, and neighboring Cheongdo were designated as a "special management zone" earlier in the day. The nation's capital, Seoul, banned demonstrations in downtown areas.
Medical workers transfer a suspected coronavirus patient from Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, to another hospital on Feb. 21, 2020. Of about 600 patients and medical staff at the hospital, 16 tested positive for COVID-19, health authorities said. (Yonhap)
Of the 100 new cases, 86 are in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, and neighboring North Gyeongsang Province. Another seven were reported in Seoul, the KCDC said.
The health authorities vowed to make more containment efforts as the potentially fatal illness spreads fast across the country.
Health and Welfare Minister Park Neung-hoo told reporters that the health authorities will allow hospitals to separate respiratory patients from others in an effort to prevent human-to-human transmissions at hospitals.
Health authorities will also check all pneumonia patients in Daegu hospitals, Park said.
Still, the authorities have kept the virus alert at the third-highest, or "orange," level, but the virus response will be carried out with an urgency appropriate to the "red" level, Park said.
The spike of infections in Daegu and several cases in Seoul, where routes of infections are not immediately traceable, have prompted health officials to declare that COVID-19 has begun spreading locally.
The KCDC said eight new cases were reported in South Gyeongsang Province. In a sign that the virus may broadly spread nationwide, other provinces, including Jeju, Chungcheong and North Jeolla, reported cases. Gyeonggi Province also reported more new cases.
There were first two new virus cases reported in Busan, the country's second-largest city with a population of 3.4 million. The city has been regarded as relatively free of the virus outbreak since the country reported the first COVID-19 on Jan. 20.
Of the two, a 19-year-old man tested positive for the virus, and had not been abroad recently.
But Busan City officials said his father was released last week after two-week quarantine at a state-designated facility after being airlifted from Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus outbreak.
Of the 100 new cases, 85 are linked to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu, where the 31st patient, the country's probable "super spreader," attended worship services, the KCDC said.
A 61-year-old South Korean woman, who tested positive for the virus earlier this week, attended worship services at the church on Feb. 9 and this past Sunday.
The total accumulated number of confirmed cases in Daegu and its neighboring North Gyeongsang Province stood at 153, with the number of cases linked to the Daegu church coming to 128.
Health and Welfare Minister Park Neung-hoo speaks during a press meeting on quarantine measures to fight the new coronavirus, which is spreading fast across the country, in Seoul, on Feb. 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
"Currently, the COVID-19 situation at home is that the scope of mass outbreak via a single exposure is relatively big," KCDC Director Jung Eun-kyeong said.
Health authorities are investigating how the Daegu church was infected by the virus, Jung said.
The religious organization has branches in China and other nations, Jung said, adding that the investigation included whether the church members visited China's Hubei province, the epicenter of the virus.
Most virus-infected patients are stable, but about seven patients with underlying illness are in relatively critical conditions, Jung said.
The number of confirmed cases at the Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, near Daegu, stood at 17, including five nurses, the KCDC said.
In a separate statement, the KCDC said the man with chronic pneumonia had been hospitalized for a long time, and he died as the illness worsened.
A group of health experts suspected the man died from the virus, but they expressed opinions that his death might have been also caused by other factors, the KCDC said.
The 31st patient also visited Cheongdo before testing positive for the virus, but she did not visit the Daenam Hospital, the KCDC said, adding that a larger probe is needed to identify how the 16 people at the hospital, including five medical staff members, were infected by the virus.
South Korea is set to release one more fully recovered novel coronavirus patient from a hospital later in the day, the KCDC said. So far, a total of 16 patients have been discharged.
The number of people being checked for the virus and under quarantine came to 3,180, up from 2,707 a day earlier, the KCDC said.
South Korea has screened 16,400 people for COVID-19 since Jan. 3, with 13,016 testing negative and 17 patients having been discharged from quarantine after making full recoveries.
Tour buses are parked at a logistics terminal in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Feb. 20, 2020. Thirty-eight new coronavirus cases were reported in the city on Feb. 21. (Yonhap)
The World Health Organization (WHO) said that despite the spike in infections in South Korea, the situation is manageable.
In Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters, "I think the number of cases are really manageable. And I hope that South Korea will do everything to contain this outbreak at this early stage."
The WHO chief said South Korea's virus response "is proportionate to the public risk they have."
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-21--(4th LD) BTS drops new album 'Map of the Soul: 7' with video of lead single

Looking back on the band 's musical journey so far , he said `` We did expand our musical expanse @ @ @ @ @ ( including the size of the audience ) ... so everything got bigger and happier @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES with sales figures of new album in last para)
By Park Boram
SEOUL, Feb. 21 (Yonhap) -- K-pop phenomenon BTS dropped a new album, "Map of the Soul: 7," Friday with a majestic music video of the album's lead track, "ON," ready to rock the world music scene once again.
The upcoming 20-track album is the second part of its "Map of the Soul" album series, following "Map of the Soul: Persona," released in April last year.
Like its predecessor, "7" is a soul-searching musical journey, focused on facing up and embracing the shadows as well as the glories of the band's eventful seven-year band career.
The lead track "ON" is a captivating, powerful hip hop number, which parallels "N.O," the lead track of the band's first EP, "O!RUL8,2?," released in September 2013, just three months after the band's debut.
With the official album release, BTS also dropped the latest lead single's music video, labeled as "Kinetic Manifesto Film : Come Prima," a dazzling visual rendering of the new song.
A team of some 30 dancers and marching band members help the septet put on a majestic dance performance of the song against the background of an outdoor scene.
"ON" primarily explores BTS' devotion and sense of being artists, developed and refined through the band's seven-year history. The song poetically calls the double-edged quality of the band's stardom and global musical career as "a beautiful prison into which I walked into with my own feet."
The septet called the main track "a big diary (of BTS) over the past seven years."
"It's like a (shrunk-down) version of the whole BTS identity," member RM said on Apple Music's "New Music Daily with Zane Lowe" show Friday morning (Korean time).
"It's like a declaration that we have admitted our destiny," the BTS leader said in English, elaborating on the new lead song.
Looking back on the band's musical journey so far, he said "We did expand our musical expanse and everything has been upscaled (including the size of the audience) ... so everything got bigger and happier."
The seven-year journey to the global stardom has been paved with ordeals and the band members have also been burdened by shadows of their global success, the band's management agency Big Hit Entertainment said in its specification of the new album.
"But BTS is more focusing on the future to come ... The band is determined to continue on its journey along with the fan club, Army," Big Hit said.
This image of BTS was provided by Big Hit Entertainment. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
BTS prereleased three songs from the album: "Interlude: Shadow," "Outro: Ego" and "Black Swan." The band premiered the latter on American TV show "The Late Late Show with James Corden" last month.
Including the prereleased tracks and the main song, the new album has 15 brand new numbers, like "Filter," "UGH!," "00:00 (Zero O'Clock)," "Inner Child," "Moon," "Louder than Bombs" and "We Are Bulletproof: The Eternal."
They also include a special digital version of "ON" featuring Australian singer-songwriter Sia.
"Filter" is a solo effort by member Jimin that delves into Jimin's growth from K-pop trainee to adult. On his solo track, "Inner Child," V talks about an ordeal he faced, while Jin expresses his love for BTS fans -- the "Army" -- in "Moon."
Pop star Troye Sivan helped produce "Louder than Bombs."
The album also contains five hit songs from "Map of the Soul: Persona," including "Boy With Luv," "Make It Right" and "Dionysus."
The band is currently in the United States for their appearance on American TV program "The Today Show" on Friday (U.S. time).
In a live video log on South Korean online broadcasting platform V Live, aired from the U.S. on Friday, the BTS members talked about their new release.
"It's our comeback (to release a new album) after 10 months. We spent a record length of time on the preparations and practiced for the longest time," leader RM said.
"The album walks through the seven years since our debut ... carrying (the process of) confronting (one's) shadows that have been hidden and acknowledging them as part of one's own self," he said.
Member Jimin said the Army may feel proud of themselves, knowing that "ON" depicts moments BTS shared with the fans.
Following the TV appearance in the U.S., the band will then fly back to Seoul to host a global press conference in the South Korean capital on Monday.
These images from BTS music video "ON" are provided by Big Hit Entertainment. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"7" has shown signs of making another global mega-hit after BTS clinched three No. 1s on the Billboard 200 album chart within a span of one year, rewriting Billboard history.
Preorders for "Map of the Soul: 7" had reached 4.02 million copies as of Monday, a record in South Korea.
"ON" immediately topped real-time music charts of five major online South Korean music streaming services including Melon, Genie Music and Bugs! as of 10 p.m., four hours after its release.
The new album's other tracks also made it to the top 10 lists of the music charts, taking them by storm.
"Map of the Soul: 7" sold more than 2.13 million copies in less than two hours after its release.
These images from BTS music video "ON" are provided by Big Hit Entertainment. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-21--(2nd LD) S. Korea reports 2nd death of coronavirus patient

She was one of two patients who were transferred from Daenam Hospital to Busan National University Hospital on Friday afternoon @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
The other patient is in stable condition , the Busan hospital said @

(ATTN: UPDATES with details in paras 2-4)
SEOUL, Feb. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported the nation's second death from the new coronavirus Friday as the number of confirmed cases doubled to surpass 200.
A woman in her mid-50s, who was confirmed earlier in the day to be infected with the virus, died at a hospital in the southeastern city of Busan at around 6 p.m., hospital officials said.
She had been bedridden with chronic pneumonia at Daenam Hospital in nearby Cheongdo County, where the nation's first COVID-19 fatality was reported Thursday.
She was one of two patients who were transferred from Daenam Hospital to Busan National University Hospital on Friday afternoon after they tested positive for the virus. The other patient is in stable condition, the Busan hospital said.
On Thursday, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said a 63-year-old man, who died of pneumonia on Wednesday at Daenam Hospital, posthumously tested positive for COVID-19.
The authorities said Friday his death is presumed to be related to the viral infection.
But how big a part it played in his death is unclear as his condition might have worsened due to other factors. He had been suffering from a chronic respiratory condition.
A total of 17 people have tested positive for the virus out of 600 patients and medical staff at the hospital, the health authorities said.
Medical workers transfer a suspected coronavirus patient from Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, to another hospital on Feb. 21, 2020. Of about 600 patients and medical staff at the hospital, 16 tested positive for COVID-19, health authorities said. (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-02-21--(8th LD) S. Korea reports 2nd virus death as number of infections nearly doubles

(ATTN: CHANGES headline; ADDS more info in paras 1-6, 16-18)
SEOUL, Feb. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported the second death of a coronavirus patient on Friday as infections almost quadrupled in just three days, prompting the health authorities to declare that the outbreak is in the initial stage of community spread, albeit still "manageable."
The country reported 100 new cases of the novel coronavirus as of 4 p.m. on Friday, bringing the total number to 204, the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
But a few more virus cases, not officially counted by the health authorities, were also reported in many cities.
The nation's second death of a patient with the virus was a 54-year-old South Korean woman who was confirmed earlier in the day to be infected with the COVID-19.
She had been bedridden at a hospital in southeastern county of Cheongdo, where the nation's first COVID-19 fatality was reported Thursday and a total of 17 people, including five medical staff, also had tested positive for the virus.
On Wednesday, a South Korean man, age 63, died at the same hospital and posthumously tested positive for the flu-like virus.
Most new infections have been traced to church services in the southeastern city of Daegu.
Daegu, where the 2.5 million inhabitants have been asked to stay indoors, and neighboring Cheongdo were designated as a "special management zone" earlier in the day. The nation's capital, Seoul, banned demonstrations in downtown areas.
Medical workers transfer a suspected coronavirus patient from Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, to another hospital on Feb. 21, 2020. Of about 600 patients and medical staff at the hospital, 16 tested positive for COVID-19, health authorities said. (Yonhap)
Of the 100 new cases, 86 are in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, and neighboring North Gyeongsang Province. Another seven were reported in Seoul, the KCDC said.
The health authorities vowed to make more containment efforts as the potentially fatal illness spreads fast across the country.
Health and Welfare Minister Park Neung-hoo told reporters that the health authorities will allow hospitals to separate respiratory patients from others in an effort to prevent human-to-human transmissions at hospitals.
Health authorities will also check all pneumonia patients in Daegu hospitals, Park said.
Still, the authorities have kept the virus alert at the third-highest, or "orange," level, but the virus response will be carried out with an urgency appropriate to the "red" level, Park said.
The spike of infections in Daegu and several cases in Seoul, where routes of infections are not immediately traceable, have prompted health officials to declare that COVID-19 has begun spreading locally.
The KCDC said eight new cases were reported in South Gyeongsang Province. In a sign that the virus may broadly spread nationwide, other provinces, including Jeju, Chungcheong and North Jeolla, reported cases. Gyeonggi Province also reported more new cases.
There were first two new virus cases reported in Busan, the country's second-largest city with a population of 3.4 million. The city has been regarded as relatively free of the virus outbreak since the country reported the first COVID-19 on Jan. 20.
Of the two, a 19-year-old man tested positive for the virus, and had not been abroad recently.
But Busan City officials said his father was released last week after two-week quarantine at a state-designated facility after being airlifted from Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus outbreak.
Of the 100 new cases, 85 are linked to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu, where the 31st patient, the country's probable "super spreader," attended worship services, the KCDC said.
A 61-year-old South Korean woman, who tested positive for the virus earlier this week, attended worship services at the church on Feb. 9 and this past Sunday.
The total accumulated number of confirmed cases in Daegu and its neighboring North Gyeongsang Province stood at 153, with the number of cases linked to the Daegu church coming to 128.
Health and Welfare Minister Park Neung-hoo speaks during a press meeting on quarantine measures to fight the new coronavirus, which is spreading fast across the country, in Seoul, on Feb. 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
"Currently, the COVID-19 situation at home is that the scope of mass outbreak via a single exposure is relatively big," KCDC Director Jung Eun-kyeong said.
Health authorities are investigating how the Daegu church was infected by the virus, Jung said.
The religious organization has branches in China and other nations, Jung said, adding that the investigation included whether the church members visited China's Hubei province, the epicenter of the virus.
Most virus-infected patients are stable, but about seven patients with underlying illness are in relatively critical conditions, Jung said.
The number of confirmed cases at the Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, near Daegu, stood at 17, including five nurses, the KCDC said.
In a separate statement, the KCDC said the man with chronic pneumonia had been hospitalized for a long time, and he died as the illness worsened.
A group of health experts suspected the man died from the virus, but they expressed opinions that his death might have been also caused by other factors, the KCDC said.
The 31st patient also visited Cheongdo before testing positive for the virus, but she did not visit the Daenam Hospital, the KCDC said, adding that a larger probe is needed to identify how the 16 people at the hospital, including five medical staff members, were infected by the virus.
South Korea is set to release one more fully recovered novel coronavirus patient from a hospital later in the day, the KCDC said. So far, a total of 16 patients have been discharged.
The number of people being checked for the virus and under quarantine came to 3,180, up from 2,707 a day earlier, the KCDC said.
South Korea has screened 16,400 people for COVID-19 since Jan. 3, with 13,016 testing negative and 17 patients having been discharged from quarantine after making full recoveries.
Tour buses are parked at a logistics terminal in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Feb. 20, 2020. Thirty-eight new coronavirus cases were reported in the city on Feb. 21. (Yonhap)
The World Health Organization (WHO) said that despite the spike in infections in South Korea, the situation is manageable.
In Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters, "I think the number of cases are really manageable. And I hope that South Korea will do everything to contain this outbreak at this early stage."
The WHO chief said South Korea's virus response "is proportionate to the public risk they have."
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-21--S. Korea reports seven more African swine fever cases in wild boars

In May last year , North Korea reported its first outbreak of the disease at a farm near its border @ @ @ @ @ Organization for Animal Health .
It remains unknown how the virus traveled into South Korea @

SEOUL, Feb. 21 (Yonhap) -- Seven wild boars found dead near the border with North Korea have tested positive for African swine fever, authorities said Friday, bringing the number of such cases to 244 in South Korea.
The carcasses were found in border areas, including in the eastern county of Hwacheon and western city of Paju, according to the National Institute of Environmental Research, which is affiliated with the environment ministry.
Last year, South Korea mobilized hundreds of soldiers and civilians to hunt down wild boars near the border to try to contain the spread of African swine fever.
In May last year, North Korea reported its first outbreak of the disease at a farm near its border with China to the World Organization for Animal Health. It remains unknown how the virus traveled into South Korea.
Separately, South Korea confirmed the 14th case of African swine fever -- the latest one -- at a local pig farm on Oct. 9.
The animal disease does not affect humans but is deadly to pigs. There are currently no vaccines nor cures for the disease.
South Korea, Asia's fourth-biggest consumer of pork, has slaughtered and buried more than 153,000 pigs since Sept. 17 when the country reported the first case of the animal disease at a pig farm in Paju.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-21--(LEAD) S. Korea reports 2nd death of coronavirus patient

The authorities said Friday his death is presumed to be related to the viral infection .
But how big a @ @ @ @ @ death is unclear as his condition might have worsened due to other factors .
He @ @ @ @ @ chronic respiratory condition .

(ATTN: UPDATES with more info throughout)
SEOUL, Feb. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported the nation's second death from the new coronavirus Friday as the number of confirmed cases doubled to surpass 200.
A 54-year-old woman, who was confirmed earlier in the day to be infected with the virus, died at a hospital in the southeastern city of Busan at around 5 p.m., health officials said.
She had been bedridden at Daenam Hospital in nearby Cheongdo County, where the nation's first COVID-19 fatality was reported Thursday.
She was one of two patients who were transferred to a Busan hospital after they tested positive for the virus.
On Thursday, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said a 63-year-old man, who died of pneumonia on Wednesday at Daenam Hospital, posthumously tested positive for COVID-19.
The authorities said Friday his death is presumed to be related to the viral infection. But how big a part it played in his death is unclear as his condition might have worsened due to other factors. He had been suffering from a chronic respiratory condition.
A total of 17 people have tested positive for the virus out of 600 patients and medical staff at the hospital, the health authorities said.
Medical workers transfer a suspected coronavirus patient from Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, to another hospital on Feb. 21, 2020. Of about 600 patients and medical staff at the hospital, 16 tested positive for COVID-19, health authorities said. (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-02-22--PM makes special call for cooperation with efforts to contain coronavirus

`` In accordance with law and principles , the government will sternly deal with acts that interfere with quarantine efforts @ @ @ @ @ goods and acts that spark uneasiness through massive rallies , '' Chung said in a @ @ @

SEOUL, Feb. 22 (Yonhap) -- Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun made a special call on Saturday for South Korean citizens to cooperate with the government's efforts to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, calling the latest infections a "grave situation."
Chung urged people to refrain from taking part in religious activities in crowded indoor places and to devise other ways to carry out religious services.
"In accordance with law and principles, the government will sternly deal with acts that interfere with quarantine efforts, illegal hoarding of medical goods and acts that spark uneasiness through massive rallies," Chung said in a public message.
The message came as South Korea reported 229 additional cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the total number of infections in the nation to 433.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-22--(URGENT) PM calls coronavirus infections 'grave' situation, vows efforts to contain virus


yna--2020-02-22--BTS' new album tops record-high 91 iTunes charts

The new album also made album sales history in South Korea , selling more than 2.65 million copies on the @ @ @ @ @ on Friday .
That was the biggest volume of first-day album sales for any BTS @ @ @ @ @ of 2.13 million copies recorded in the first week by the previous BTS album , @ @ @ @ @ : Persona . ''

This image, provided by Big Hit Entertainment, shows BTS during its appearance on American TV show, "Today Show," on Feb. 21, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 22 (Yonhap) -- K-pop super band BTS wrote iTunes chart history Saturday with its new album, "Map of the Soul: 7," topping the iTunes album charts in 91 countries and regions, the band's management agency said.
As of Saturday morning (Korean time), "Map of the Soul: 7" landed atop the iTunes "top album" charts in 91 countries and regions, including the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Italy, Russia, India, Japan and Saudi Arabia, according to Big Hit Entertainment.
This marks the broadest iTunes chart dominance for any BTS album, Big Hit said.
The album's lead track, "ON," also topped iTunes "top song" charts in 83 countries and regions including the U.S., Canada, Italy, Japan and Egypt, adding to the band's iTunes chart victories.
About five more tracks from the new album, including "Filter," also made the top 10 of the iTunes top song charts in the U.S. and Britain.
The septet dropped the 20-track album a day earlier, kicking off another round of its globally-acclaimed musical journey.
The lead song, "ON," was an immediate hit in the group's home country, topping the real-time single charts by all the five major music streaming services, including Melon and Genie Music. One day after the release, "ON" was still atop the charts.
The new album also made album sales history in South Korea, selling more than 2.65 million copies on the first day of its release on Friday. That was the biggest volume of first-day album sales for any BTS album and exceeded the sales of 2.13 million copies recorded in the first week by the previous BTS album, "Map of the Soul: Persona."
It took only two hours this time for "7" to surpass the previous first-week sales of 2.13 million copies, Big Hit said.
About one day after the release of the music video of "ON," it collected nearly 44 million views on YouTube.
These images from the music video of "ON" are provided by Big Hit Entertainment. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Also on Saturday, another BTS music video, "Spring Day," topped 300 million YouTube views, the 12th BTS music video to have collected more than 300 million views on the video-sharing platform, according to Big Hit.
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-22--Samsung temporarily shuts down smartphone factory in Gumi over virus case

SEOUL , Feb. 22 ( Yonhap ) -- Samsung Electronics Co. said Saturday it has temporarily shut down a smartphone @ @ @ @ @ of Gumi , shortly after a plant employee tested positive for the new coronavirus .

SEOUL, Feb. 22 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. said Saturday it has temporarily shut down a smartphone plant in the southeastern city of Gumi, shortly after a plant employee tested positive for the new coronavirus.
Samsung plans to complete disinfection work at the plant in Gumi, 260 kilometers southeast of Seoul, by Sunday and resume operations at the plant on Monday, the company said.
Employees who made contact with the virus patient have quarantined themselves, in a precautionary measure to stem the spread of the coronavirus, Samsung said.
A Samsung official said the temporary shutdown is unlikely to affect production of smartphones.
The Gumi plant produces Samsung's flagship smartphones, including the Galaxy Z Flip foldable smartphone.
(END)


yna--2020-02-22--(6th LD) S. Korea's virus cases surge to 433 on church services, cluster outbreak at hospital

Despite the surge in the number of infections here , the authorities said they will maintain the virus alert at @ @ @ @ @ orange , '' level , but the virus response will be carried out with an @ @ @ @ @ red '' level .

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with latest figures)
SEOUL, Feb. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported 229 new cases of the new coronavirus on Saturday, the largest spike in a single day since its first outbreak in late January, bringing the total number of infections in the nation to 433.
The number of COVID-19 infections here has soared in the past few days, with most infections traced to a hospital in the southeastern county of Cheongdo and a minor Christian sect in the southeastern city of Daegu, which constitute some 80 percent of the total infections here.
Daegu, where the 2.5 million inhabitants have been asked to stay indoors, and neighboring Cheongdo were designated as a "special management zone" on Friday.
Of the 229 new cases, 95 are related to Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, where South Korea's first coronavirus fatality occurred, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
A 63-year-old man, who died of pneumonia at the hospital on Wednesday, posthumously tested positive for the virus.
On Friday, another patient died from the coronavirus at a hospital in Busan after being transferred from Daenam Hospital, the second death from the virus in South Korea.
A public library in South Korea's second-largest city of Busan is temporarily closed on Feb. 22, 2020, to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. The closure came after three new virus cases were reported for the first time in Busan. (Yonhap)
The public health agency said 62 new cases are tied to the minor Christian sect known as Shincheonji in Daegu, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, and neighboring North Gyeongsang Province and other areas.
So far, a total of 114 virus cases -- nine hospital staff and 102 patients -- have been reported from Daenam Hospital, and so-called cohort isolation, the shutdown of an entire medical institution to prevent the spread of an infectious disease, was in place for the hospital, according to the health authorities.
The health authorities said 231 virus patients have been traced to the Shincheonji church's services in Daegu, according to the KCDC.
The KCDC said it has placed a total of 9,336 Shincheonji members in self-quarantine. Among them, 544 people suspected of having contracted the virus are being tested for the virus.
The country's 31st patient, a probable "super spreader," had attended the church's worship services in Daegu, and the 61-year-old South Korean woman, who tested positive for the virus earlier this week, is believed to have infected others.
But the health authorities said earlier that it is uncertain whether the patient is the source of the cluster outbreak.
The health authorities vowed to make more containment efforts as the potentially fatal illness spreads fast across the country.
The heath ministry said it will allow hospitals to separate respiratory patients from others in an effort to prevent human-to-human transmissions and will also check all pneumonia patients in Daegu hospitals.
Disinfection work is under way at a government office in Daegu on Feb. 22, 2020, as new cases of coronavirus spiked in South Korea's fourth-largest city located about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)
Despite the surge in the number of infections here, the authorities said they will maintain the virus alert at the third-highest, or "orange," level, but the virus response will be carried out with an urgency appropriate to the "red" level.
"Community spread of infections began in some limited areas, and we believe that Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province are in a special situation," Vice Health and Welfare Minister Kim Kang-lip told reporters on Saturday.
In a sign that the virus may further spread nationwide, other provinces, including Jeju, Chungcheong and North Jeolla, reported cases. Gyeonggi Province also reported more new cases.
Four virus cases were reported in Busan, South Korea's second-largest city with a population of 3.4 million, the first cases in the city since the country reported the first case of COVID-19 on Jan. 20.
So far, South Korea has released 18 fully recovered novel coronavirus patients from hospitals, the KCDC said.
The number of people being checked for the virus and under quarantine came to 6,037 up from 5,481 on Saturday morning, KCDC said. The country has tested a total of 21,153 suspected cases, with 15,116 testing negative.
Most virus-infected patients are stable, but about nine patients with underlying illnesses are in relatively critical conditions, the health authorities said.
Workers erect a temporary negative-pressure quarantine room outside a hospital in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Feb. 21, 2020, to accommodate suspected coronavirus patients waiting for their test results. (Yonhap)
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-22--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 87 more cases of new coronavirus, total soars to 433

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


yna--2020-02-22--Coronavirus-caused pneumonia leads to S. Korea's 2nd virus death

The woman , who tested positive for COVID-19 , died at a hospital in the southeastern city of Busan on @ @ @ @ @ transferred from Daenam Hospital in the southeastern county of Cheongdo for intensive care .

SEOUL, Feb. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea said Saturday a 54-year-old woman has died of pneumonia in the country's second death of a coronavirus patient.
The woman began to develop fever on Feb. 11 and died as pneumonia developed, Jeong Eun-kyeong, chief of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), said in a regular briefing.
The woman, who tested positive for COVID-19, died at a hospital in the southeastern city of Busan on Friday evening soon after being transferred from Daenam Hospital in the southeastern county of Cheongdo for intensive care.
Earlier this week, a 63-year-old man, who died of pneumonia at Daenam Hospital on Wednesday, posthumously tested positive for the virus.
So far, over 100 patients, including nine medical staff, at the hospital have been confirmed as infected with COVID-19.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-22--(LEAD) S. Korea strongly protests Japan's renewed claims to Dokdo

Seoul 's foreign ministry called in Hirohisa Soma , a senior official at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul , and @ @ @ @ @ annual event meant to publicize its territorial claim to Dokdo .

(ATTN: UPDATES with foreign ministry statement and background in paras 3-5; ADDS photo)
SEOUL, Feb. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea lodged a strong protest Saturday against Japan's renewed claims to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo.
Seoul's foreign ministry called in Hirohisa Soma, a senior official at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, and expressed regret over Japan's annual event meant to publicize its territorial claim to Dokdo.
"We again sternly urged Japan to immediately repeal" its event on Dokdo, the ministry said in a statement.
This file photo shows Dokdo in the East Sea. (Yonhap)
The protest came hours after the Japanese prefecture of Shimane held the Takeshima Day event and a senior Japanese government official attended the ceremony.
Shimane has held the annual event on Dokdo, which is called Takeshima in Japanese, since 2006.
South Korea has been in effective control of Dokdo, with a small police detachment, since its liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945.
Still, Japan claims sovereignty to the rocky outcroppings in the East Sea that divides the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
Dokdo has long been a thorn in relations between the two countries.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-22--S. Korea strongly protests Japan's renewed claims to Dokdo

SEOUL, Feb. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea lodged a strong protest Saturday against Japan's renewed claims to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo.
Seoul's foreign ministry called in Hirohisa Soma, a senior official at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, and expressed regret over Japan's annual event meant to publicize its territorial claim to Dokdo.
South Korea has been in effective control of Dokdo, with a small police detachment, since its liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945.
Still, Japan claims sovereignty to the rocky outcroppings in the East Sea that divides the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
Dokdo has long been a thorn in relations between the two countries.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-22--(URGENT) S. Korea urges Japan to repeal 'Takeshima Day' event.


yna--2020-02-22--(5th LD) S. Korea's virus cases surge to 346 on church services, cluster outbreak at hospital

(ATTN: CHANGES with updated info in paras 5, 8, 16, 19)
SEOUL, Feb. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported 142 new cases of the new coronavirus on Saturday, the largest spike in a single day since its first outbreak in late January, bringing the total number of infections in the nation to 346.
The number of COVID-19 infections here has soared in the past few days, with most infections traced to a hospital in the southeastern county of Cheongdo and a minor Christian sect in the southeastern city of Daegu, which constitute some 80 percent of the total infections here.
Daegu, where the 2.5 million inhabitants have been asked to stay indoors, and neighboring Cheongdo were designated as a "special management zone" on Friday.
Of the 142 new cases, 92 are related to Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, where South Korea's first coronavirus fatality occurred, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
A 63-year-old man, who died of pneumonia at the hospital on Wednesday, posthumously tested positive for the virus.
On Friday, another patient died from the coronavirus at a hospital in Busan after being transferred from Daenam Hospital, the second death from the virus in South Korea.
A public library in South Korea's second-largest city of Busan is temporarily closed on Feb. 22, 2020, to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. The closure came after three new virus cases were reported for the first time in Busan. (Yonhap)
The public health agency said 38 new cases are tied to the minor Christian sect known as Sincheonji in Daegu, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, and neighboring North Gyeongsang Province and other areas.
So far, a total of 111 virus cases -- nine hospital staff and 102 patients -- have been reported from Daenam Hospital, and so-called cohort isolation, the shutdown of an entire medical institution to prevent the spread of an infectious disease, was in place for the hospital, according to the health authorities.
The health authorities said 169 virus patients have been traced to the Shincheonji church's services in Daegu, according to the KCDC.
The KCDC said it has placed a total of 9,336 Sincheonji members in self-quarantine. Among them, 544 people suspected of having contracted the virus are being tested for the virus.
The country's 31st patient, a probable "super spreader," had attended the church's worship services in Daegu, and the 61-year-old South Korean woman, who tested positive for the virus earlier this week, is believed to have infected others.
But the health authorities said earlier that it is uncertain whether the patient is the source of the cluster outbreak.
The health authorities vowed to make more containment efforts as the potentially fatal illness spreads fast across the country.
The heath ministry said it will allow hospitals to separate respiratory patients from others in an effort to prevent human-to-human transmissions and will also check all pneumonia patients in Daegu hospitals.
Disinfection work is under way at a government office in Daegu on Feb. 22, 2020, as new cases of coronavirus spiked in South Korea's fourth-largest city located about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)
Despite the surge in the number of infections here, the authorities said they will maintain the virus alert at the third-highest, or "orange," level, but the virus response will be carried out with an urgency appropriate to the "red" level.
"Community spread of infections began in some limited areas, and we believe that Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province are in a special situation," Vice Health and Welfare Minister Kim Kang-lip told reporters on Saturday.
In a sign that the virus may further spread nationwide, other provinces, including Jeju, Chungcheong and North Jeolla, reported cases. Gyeonggi Province also reported more new cases.
Three new virus cases were reported for the first time in Busan, the country's second-largest city with a population of 3.4 million. The city had been regarded as relatively free of the virus outbreak since the country reported the first case of COVID-19 on Jan. 20.
So far, South Korea has released 18 fully recovered novel coronavirus patients from hospitals, the KCDC said.
The number of people being checked for the virus and under quarantine came to 5,481, up from 3,180 a day earlier, the KCDC said. The country has tested a total of 19,621 suspected cases, with 13,794 testing negative.
Most virus-infected patients are stable, but about nine patients with underlying illnesses are in relatively critical conditions, the health authorities said.
Workers erect a temporary negative-pressure quarantine room outside a hospital in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Feb. 21, 2020, to accommodate suspected coronavirus patients waiting for their test results. (Yonhap)
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-22--(URGENT) S. Korea set to release 1 more fully recovered coronavirus patient


yna--2020-02-22--Today in Korean history

Today in Korean history

1904 -- The Korea-Japan Protocol is signed .
The agreement imposed by Japan states that the Korean government must accept @ @ @ @ @ of its facilities and provide strategic bases for Japanese troops if a third country invades @ @ @ @ @ of providing protection from other countries , Japan geared up its efforts for the colonization @ @ @ @ @ fell under Japanese rule in 1910 and regained sovereignty in 1945 following the defeat of @ @ @ @ @ .

Feb. 23
1904 -- The Korea-Japan Protocol is signed. The agreement imposed by Japan states that the Korean government must accept Japanese recommendations on the modernization of its facilities and provide strategic bases for Japanese troops if a third country invades Korea. On the pretext of providing protection from other countries, Japan geared up its efforts for the colonization of Korea. The country fell under Japanese rule in 1910 and regained sovereignty in 1945 following the defeat of Japan in World War II.
1960 -- South Korea establishes diplomatic relations with Malaysia.
2006 -- North Korea agrees to help confirm the fate of South Koreans missing during and after the 1950-53 Korean War. The agreement came at the end of three-day talks between the two countries' Red Cross officials.
2014 -- Hundreds of people from South and North Korea meet their long-lost relatives for the first time in more than six decades on the first of three days of family reunions at Mount Kumgang.
(END)


yna--2020-02-22--(4th LD) S. Korea's virus cases surge to 346 on church services, cluster outbreak at hospital

(ATTN: CHANGES details with minor edits in paras 1-2, 11-12, 14-15)
SEOUL, Feb. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported 142 new cases of the new coronavirus on Saturday, the largest spike in a single day since its first outbreak in late January, bringing the total number of infections in the nation to 346.
The number of COVID-19 infections here has soared in the past few days, with most infections traced to a hospital in the southeastern county of Cheongdo and a minor Christian sect in the southeastern city of Daegu.
Of the 142 new cases, 92 are related to Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, where South Korea's first coronavirus fatality occurred, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
A 63-year-old man, who died of pneumonia at the hospital on Wednesday, posthumously tested positive for the virus.
On Friday, another patient at Daenam Hospital died from COVID-19, the second death from the virus here.
So far, a total of 108 virus cases have been reported from the hospital, and some 170 virus patients have been traced to the church's services.
Medical workers transfer a suspected coronavirus patient from Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, to another hospital on Feb. 21, 2020. Of about 600 patients and medical staff at the hospital, 16 tested positive for COVID-19, health authorities said. (Yonhap)
The public health agency said 38 new cases are tied to the minor Christian sect known as Sincheonji in Daegu, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, and neighboring North Gyeongsang Province and other provinces.
Daegu, where the 2.5 million inhabitants have been asked to stay indoors, and neighboring Cheongdo were designated as a "special management zone" on Friday. The nation's capital, Seoul, banned rallies in downtown areas.
The KCDC said it has placed a total of 9,336 Sincheonji members in self-quarantine. Among them, 544 people suspected of having contracted the virus are being tested for the virus.
The country's 31st patient, a probable "super spreader," had attended the church's worship services in Daegu, and the 61-year-old South Korean woman, who tested positive for the virus earlier this week, is believed to have infected others.
But the health authorities said earlier that it is uncertain whether the patient is the source of the cluster outbreak.
The health authorities vowed to make more containment efforts as the potentially fatal illness spreads fast across the country.
The heath ministry said it will allow hospitals to separate respiratory patients from others in an effort to prevent human-to-human transmissions and will also check all pneumonia patients in Daegu hospitals.
Despite the surge in the number of infections here, the authorities said they will maintain the virus alert at the third-highest, or "orange," level, but the virus response will be carried out with an urgency appropriate to the "red" level.
Workers erect a temporary negative-pressure quarantine room outside a hospital in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Feb. 21, 2020, to accommodate suspected coronavirus patients waiting for their test results. (Yonhap)
"Community spread of infections began in some limited areas, and we believe that Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province are in a special situation," Vice Health and Welfare Minister Kim Kang-lip told reporters on Saturday.
In a sign that the virus may further spread nationwide, other provinces, including Jeju, Chungcheong and North Jeolla, reported cases. Gyeonggi Province also reported more new cases.
Three new virus cases were reported for the first time in Busan, the country's second-largest city with a population of 3.4 million. The city had been regarded as relatively free of the virus outbreak since the country reported the first case of COVID-19 on Jan. 20.
So far, South Korea has released 17 fully recovered novel coronavirus patients from hospitals, the KCDC said.
The number of people being checked for the virus and under quarantine came to 5,481, up from 3,180 a day earlier, the KCDC said. The country has tested a total of 19,621 suspected cases, with 13,794 testing negative.
Most virus-infected patients are stable, but about nine patients with underlying illness are in relatively critical conditions, the health authorities said.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-22--(3rd LD) S. Korea's virus cases surge to 346 on church services, cluster outbreaks at hospital

Three new virus cases were reported for the first time in Busan , the country 's second-largest city with a @ @ @ @ @ The city had been regarded as relatively free of the virus outbreak since the country @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 on Jan. 20 .

(ATTN: CHANGES headline; UPDATES with details and comments in paras 6, 8-9,14, last 3 paras; ADDS photo)
SEOUL, Feb. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported 142 new cases of the new coronavirus on Saturday, the largest spike in a single day, bringing the total number of infections in the nation to 346.
The number of COVID-19 infections here has soared in the past days, with most new infections traced to a hospital in the southeastern county of Cheongdo and a minor Christian sect in the southeastern city of Daegu.
Of the 142 new cases, 92 are related to Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, where South Korea's first fatality occurred, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
A 63-year-old man, who died of pneumonia at the hospital on Wednesday, posthumously tested positive for the virus.
On Friday, another patient at Daenam Hospital died from COVID-19, the second death from the virus here.
So far, a total of 108 virus cases have been reported from the hospital.
Medical workers transfer a suspected coronavirus patient from Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, to another hospital on Feb. 21, 2020. Of about 600 patients and medical staff at the hospital, 16 tested positive for COVID-19, health authorities said. (Yonhap)
The public health agency said 38 new cases are tied to the minor Christian sect known as Sincheonji in Daegu, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, and neighboring North Gyeongsang Province.
Daegu, where the 2.5 million inhabitants have been asked to stay indoors, and neighboring Cheongdo were designated as a "special management zone" on Friday. The nation's capital, Seoul, banned demonstrations in downtown areas.
So far, some 170 virus patients have been traced to the church's services.
The KCDC said it has placed a total of 9,336 Sincheonji members in self-quarantine. Among them, 544 people suspected of having contracted the virus are being tested for the virus.
The health authorities vowed to make more containment efforts as the potentially fatal illness spreads fast across the country.
Health and Welfare Minister Park Neung-hoo said Friday that the health authorities will allow hospitals to separate respiratory patients from others in an effort to prevent human-to-human transmissions at hospitals.
Health authorities will also check all pneumonia patients in Daegu hospitals, he said.
Still, the authorities said they will maintain the virus alert at the third-highest, or "orange," level, but the virus response will be carried out with an urgency appropriate to the "red" level.
Workers erect a temporary negative-pressure quarantine room outside a hospital in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Feb. 21, 2020, to accommodate suspected coronavirus patients waiting for their test results. (Yonhap)
"Community spread of infections began in some limited areas, and we believe that Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province are in a special situation," Vice Health and Welfare Minister Kim Kang-lip told reporters on Saturday.
In a sign that the virus may broadly spread nationwide, other provinces, including Jeju, Chungcheong and North Jeolla, reported cases. Gyeonggi Province also reported more new cases.
Three new virus cases were reported for the first time in Busan, the country's second-largest city with a population of 3.4 million. The city had been regarded as relatively free of the virus outbreak since the country reported the first case of COVID-19 on Jan. 20.
So far, South Korea has released 17 fully recovered novel coronavirus patients from hospitals, the KCDC said.
The number of people being checked for the virus and under quarantine came to 5,481, up from 3,180 a day earlier, the KCDC said. The country has tested a total of 19,621 suspected cases, with 13,794 testing negative.
Most virus-infected patients are stable, but about nine patients with underlying illness are in relatively critical conditions, the health authorities said.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-22--(2nd LD) S. Korea reports 142 more cases of novel coronavirus, total soars to 346

Two new virus cases were reported for the first time in Busan , the country 's second-largest city with a @ @ @ @ @ The city had been regarded as relatively free of the virus outbreak since the country @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 on Jan. 20 .

(ATTN: UPDATES with details from 3rd para)
SEOUL, Feb. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported 142 new cases of the new coronavirus on Saturday, the largest spike in a single day, bringing the total number of infections in the nation to 346.
The number of COVID-19 infections here has soared in the past several days, with most new infections traced to a hospital in the southeastern county of Cheongdo and a minor Christian sect in the southeastern city of Daegu.
Of the 142 new cases, 92 are related to Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, where South Korea's first fatality occurred, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
Medical workers transfer a suspected coronavirus patient from Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, to another hospital on Feb. 21, 2020. Of about 600 patients and medical staff at the hospital, 16 tested positive for COVID-19, health authorities said. (Yonhap)
A 63-year-old man, who died of pneumonia at the hospital on Wednesday, posthumously tested positive for the virus.
On Friday, another patient at Daenam Hospital died from COVID-19, the second death from the virus here.
The public health agency said 38 new cases are tied to the minor Christian sect known as Sincheonji in Daegu, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, and neighboring North Gyeongsang Province.
More than 100 virus patients have been traced to the church's services.
Daegu, where the 2.5 million inhabitants have been asked to stay indoors, and neighboring Cheongdo were designated as a "special management zone" on Friday. The nation's capital, Seoul, banned demonstrations in downtown areas.
The health authorities vowed to make more containment efforts as the potentially fatal illness spreads fast across the country.
Health and Welfare Minister Park Neung-hoo said Friday that the health authorities will allow hospitals to separate respiratory patients from others in an effort to prevent human-to-human transmissions at hospitals.
Health authorities will also check all pneumonia patients in Daegu hospitals, Park said.
Still, the authorities have kept the virus alert at the third-highest, or "orange," level, but the virus response will be carried out with an urgency appropriate to the "red" level.
In a sign that the virus may broadly spread nationwide, other provinces, including Jeju, Chungcheong and North Jeolla, reported cases. Gyeonggi Province also reported more new cases.
Two new virus cases were reported for the first time in Busan, the country's second-largest city with a population of 3.4 million. The city had been regarded as relatively free of the virus outbreak since the country reported the first case of COVID-19 on Jan. 20.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-22--(URGENT) Two-pronged disinfection strategy in store

(URGENT) Two-pronged disinfection strategy in store -- barring arrivals from overseas and curbing spread across country.


yna--2020-02-22--(URGENT) S. Korea still in initial stage of community spread: health authorities


yna--2020-02-22--(URGENT) S. Korea maintains alert level at "orange," despite spike in virus cases


yna--2020-02-23--Cardinals' Kim Kwang-hyun trying not to get carried away after strong spring training debut

Kim said he wants to get higher spin rates with his pitches as he 's still getting accustomed to the @ @ @ @ @ beat himself up for not being able to throw strikes on the first pitch against @ @ @ @ @ faced .

JUPITER, United States, Feb. 22 (Yonhap) -- It was a dream-come-true moment for Kim Kwang-hyun, the South Korean left-hander who made his debut with the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday.
Though it came in a largely meaningless spring training game, Kim made a strong first impression by tossing one shutout inning in relief against the New York Mets. The former ace for the SK Wyverns in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) struck out two and walked one, as the Cardinals won the game 2-0 at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Florida.
Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals speaks to reporters after a spring training game against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Florida, on Feb. 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
Kim acknowledged the importance of the first game, saying he wanted to use all of his pitches and pick up whatever lessons he had to learn. But Kim also said he wasn't going to get carried away by this one outing.
"I've only pitched in this one exhibition game, and I don't want to get too excited," Kim said, after throwing 19 pitches against four Mets hitters, 14 of them for strikes.
Asked how he would rate his own performance, Kim responded, "I'll start doing that once the regular season begins."
Kim spent most of his dozen KBO seasons as a top-notch starter but finds himself in a battle for a spot in the rotation with the Cardinals. Manager Mike Shildt said Kim is certainly off to a good start in that competition, which also involves two-time All-Star Carlos Martinez, and said Kim's next appearance will be a start in about four days.
Kim said he wasn't as nervous coming out of the bullpen on Saturday as he would have been if he'd started the game.
"I usually have trouble eating the day before a start (because of nerves) but today, I even ate lunch before the game," Kim said. "It's probably because I was well prepared for this moment."
Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers a pitch against the New York Mets in the top of the fifth inning of a spring training game at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Florida, on Feb. 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
Kim said he wants to get higher spin rates with his pitches as he's still getting accustomed to the new ball. He also beat himself up for not being able to throw strikes on the first pitch against the first two batters he faced.
"The pitching coach (Mike Maddux) stressed on the importance of getting the first-pitch strike," Kim said. "I was disappointed with myself that I couldn't do it early. I kept trying to throw strikes after that."
Kim said he could get strikes in multiple ways in the KBO, but it'll be a different story in the majors, where Kim said he expects to face "more powerful and aggressive hitters."
"I'll have to put more thoughts into how I am going to get ahead in the count," the pitcher said. "I'll also have to figure out how I am going to pitch when I am behind in the count."
Some Korean fans attended the game, with one fan seated behind the plate holding up Kim's old Wyverns uniform in support. But the pitcher said he was only focused on the game.
"I didn't see any fans. When I am in a zone, I can only see the catcher's mitt," Kim said. "The only sound I could hear was me talking to myself."
St. Louis Cardinals' pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun signs an autograph for a fan as he exits Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Florida, on Feb. 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-23--Cardinals' manager, catcher impressed with Kim Kwang-hyun's first outing

`` I think that 's a very positive outing , '' said Knizner , who had never worked with Kim @ @ @ @ @ I think he just needs to continue to do what he did today and do @ @ @ @ @ look at what he did today , and that 's just the first inning of @ @ @ @ @ future as a Cardinal . ''

JUPITER, United States, Feb. 22 (Yonhap) -- In his first spring training appearance on Saturday, St. Louis Cardinals' lefty Kim Kwang-hyun impressed both his manager and his catcher.
Cardinals skipper Mike Shildt said he was "absolutely" happy with the spring training debut for his new South Korean pitcher.
Kim, who signed with the Cardinals in December after a dozen seasons with South Korea's SK Wyverns, tossed a scoreless frame in relief against the New York Mets in the team's first Grapefruit League game. Kim struck out two and walked one in the top of the fifth, as the Cardinals won the game 2-0 at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Florida.
Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers a pitch against the New York Mets in the top of the fifth inning of a spring training game at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Florida, on Feb. 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
"I thought he was really good. He's clearly an experienced pitcher and went about it in an experienced manner," Shildt told reporters of his 31-year-old left-hander. "I thought the ball came out really clean. He threw a really good, excellent slider. Made a lot of good, quality pitches. Hit his spot a lot. He had a really effective inning."
Kim threw 19 pitches, 14 of them for strikes. Of those 19, nine were sliders.
Kim, having been a high-end starter for most of his career in Korea, is in a battle for a spot in the Cardinals' rotation. Shildt said Kim will next pitch two innings in a start "in probably about four days."
Asked if Kim has a chance to make the rotation, the manager said, "I'm not going to be able to say that until toward the end of camp. But he got off to a good start in the competition."
St. Louis Cardinals' manager Mike Shildt speaks to reporters before a spring training game against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Florida, on Feb. 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
Andrew Knizner, who caught Kim in the fifth, said he liked the way Kim "attacked the zone, threw strikes and commanded all of his pitches."
"I think that's a very positive outing," said Knizner, who had never worked with Kim until this game. "I think he just needs to continue to do what he did today and do it every time. You look at what he did today, and that's just the first inning of I think a pretty bright future as a Cardinal."
The catcher said he wanted Kim to use all of his pitches, though his slider, which has long been Kim's bread-and-butter pitch, was particularly effective in this game.
"When I put down that first sign (for slider), I was like, 'Man, that's a nasty pitch,'" Knizner said. "So we were going to keep throwing that until they proved they could hit it. And they weren't even close to hitting that thing today."
Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals reacts after walking Rene Rivera of the New York Mets in the top of the fifth inning of a spring training game at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Florida, on Feb. 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-23--Cardinals' Kim Kwang-hyun tosses scoreless inning in spring debut

Kim is expected to battle for a spot in the Cardinals ' starting rotation .
The door might have opened @ @ @ @ @ of camp , when one starter from a season ago , Miles Mikolas , was @ @ @ @ @ .
Mikolas is expected to miss the start of the regular season .

JUPITER, United States, Feb. 22 (Yonhap) -- The St. Louis Cardinals' new South Korean pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun threw a scoreless inning in his spring training debut on Saturday, giving himself a solid start in the competition for a place in the rotation.
The left-hander struck out two and walked one in a hitless frame in relief against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Florida.
With the Cardinals ahead 1-0, Kim pitched the top of the fifth inning as the Cardinals' third pitcher of the game, following Jack Flaherty and Daktoa Hudson, the two starters who each worked two innings.
Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers a pitch against the New York Mets in the top of the fifth inning of a spring training game at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Florida, on Feb. 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
Kim struck out the first batter he faced, Ryan Cordell, swinging on a 1-2 slider. He then walked Rene Rivera after a nine-pitch battle, during which he offered a curveball at 69 miles per hour (mph) and a four-seam fastball at 92 mph.
Kim regrouped and struck out the next batter, Jake Hager, who swung and missed on an 0-2 slider.
Amed Rosario then hit a grounder to third baseman Nolan Gorman, who threw to second to get the lead runner out to close out the inning.
Kim made 19 pitches, 14 of them for strikes. The Cardinals went on to take the game 2-0.
Kim signed a two-year deal worth US$8 million in December, after pitching mostly as a starter for the South Korean club SK Wyverns for a dozen seasons.
Kim is expected to battle for a spot in the Cardinals' starting rotation. The door might have opened a bit at the start of camp, when one starter from a season ago, Miles Mikolas, was sidelined with an elbow injury. Mikolas is expected to miss the start of the regular season.
Veteran right-hander Carlos Martinez, a former staff ace who served as the closer last season, is eyeing a return to the rotation in 2020.
The Cardinals haven't had a full-time left-handed starter since Jaime Garcia in 2016. In three seasons since then, they've received just 14 starts from a left-handed pitcher.
Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers a pitch against the New York Mets in the top of the fifth inning of a spring training game at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Florida, on Feb. 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


Sunday's weather forecast

SEOUL , Feb. 23 ( Yonhap ) -- The following is the weather forecast for South Korea 's 12 major @ @ @ @ @ .