yna--2020-09-26--Top headlines in major S. Korean newspapers

Korean-language dailies -- 'Disgraceful incident , feels sorry for S. Korean compatriots ' ( Kyunghyang Shinmun ) -- Kim Jong-un @ @ @ @ @ killing made according to operational rules ( Kookmin Daily ) -- Kim Jong-un says 'sorry @ @ @ @ @ according to rules ( Donga llbo ) -- Kim Jong-un apologizes for 'disgraceful case , @ @ @ @ @ Segye Times ) -- Moon gov't delighted with Kim Jong-un 's single word of sorry @ @ @ @ @ S. Korean JCS says defection , but N.K .
claims 'shooting occurred as man about @ @ @ @ @ Ilbo ) -- Kim Jong-un says 'very sorry , ' an unusual apology to avoid @ @ @ @ @ -- Kim Jong-un 's apology to ease int ' l anger , inter-Korean tensions ( @ @ @ @ @ atrocity , Kim Jong-un says 'very sorry ' ( Maeil Business Newspaper ) -- Fine @ @ @ @ @ : Companies frightened by triple punishments ( Korea Economic Daily ) ( END )

SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- The following are the top headlines in major South Korean newspapers on Sept. 26.
Korean-language dailies
-- 'Disgraceful incident, feels sorry for S. Korean compatriots' (Kyunghyang Shinmun)
-- Kim Jong-un says 'sorry' but claims killing made according to operational rules (Kookmin Daily)
-- Kim Jong-un says 'sorry' but claims killing made according to rules (Donga llbo)
-- Kim Jong-un apologizes for 'disgraceful case,' denies damaging body (Segye Times)
-- Moon gov't delighted with Kim Jong-un's single word of sorry (Chosun Ilbo)
-- S. Korean JCS says defection, but N.K. claims 'shooting occurred as man about to flee' (JoongAng Ilbo)
-- Kim Jong-un says 'very sorry,' an unusual apology to avoid the worst (Hankyoreh)
-- Kim Jong-un's apology to ease int'l anger, inter-Korean tensions (Hankook Ilbo)
-- After atrocity, Kim Jong-un says 'very sorry' (Maeil Business Newspaper)
-- Fine, criminal and civil responsibilities: Companies frightened by triple punishments (Korea Economic Daily)
(END)


yna--2020-09-26--Hyundai workers vote to accept wage freeze amid pandemic

SEOUL , Sept. 26 ( Yonhap ) -- Unionized workers at Hyundai Motor Co. voted to accept a wage freeze @ @ @ @ @ 11 years as the nation 's largest carmaker struggles to cope with the impact of @ @ @ @ @ company said Saturday .

SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- Unionized workers at Hyundai Motor Co. voted to accept a wage freeze for the first time in 11 years as the nation's largest carmaker struggles to cope with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the company said Saturday.
In a vote held Friday, 53 percent of 44,460 workers who cast a ballot approved this year's wage agreement between the labor union and management, the company said in a text message.
Hyundai Motor and its union reached a wage deal without a strike for the second consecutive year. They will sign the wage deal Monday, the company said in a statement.
The 49,598-member union accepted the company's proposal that included a freeze on basic pay, a one-off bonus amounting to 150 percent of monthly salary, 1.2 million won (US$1,029) in special COVID-19 allowance, 10 company shares and 200,000 won in gift certificates.
It is the third time the company and the union agreed on a wage freeze, after the 1998 Asian foreign exchange crisis and the 2009 global financial crisis.
This undated photo provided by Hyundai Motor Co. shows the company's officials and union representatives during wage negotiations for the year at the carmaker's plant in Ulsan, 415 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-26--American teammates see future major leaguers in current KBO stars

`` He also has that confidence on the mound .
I think that goes a long way , too .
@ @ @ @ @ they can feel the energy that he brings when he 's out there , '' @ @ @ @ @ think as long as he can fill up the bottom of the zone with all @ @ @ @ @ seen him , I think he 's got as good a chance as anybody ( @ @ @ @ @ ) . ''

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- As former major leaguers now plying their trade in South Korea, Aaron Brooks and Drew Rucinski know a future big leaguer when they see one. And they believe they're both playing with eventual major leaguers on their respective Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) clubs.
This year, Brooks has been leading the Kia Tigers' rotation that also features left-hander Yang Hyeon-jong, the 2017 KBO regular season and Korean Series MVP. At 32, Yang will likely take his second crack at Major League Baseball (MLB) in free agency after this season.
Yang Hyeon-jong of the Kia Tigers pitches against the Kiwoom Heroes in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul, on Sept. 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
Rucinski, starter for the NC Dinos, is the KBO leader with 15 wins. He has also enjoyed strong offensive support, too, with 4.91 runs scored per start putting him in second place among qualified starters in the KBO. That's thanks in no small part to slugging designated hitter/outfielder Na Sung-bum.
For the Tigers, Yang has pitched to an uncharacteristic 4.64 ERA -- his worst as a starter since 2014. But Brooks said the bespectacled ace still has what it takes to be successful in the bigs.
"When he's on, I haven't seen anybody this year being able to hit the bottom of the zone like he does," Brooks said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Monday. "And he's got a really good changeup and a curveball to go off of that. When he's on, he's filling up the bottom of the zone, and that's going to get him a lot of groundballs and soft contact."
Yang Hyeon-jong of the Kia Tigers pitches against the Kiwoom Heroes in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul, on Sept. 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
Brooks, in his first KBO season, wasn't around here to see Yang win 20 games in the 2017 regular season and then lifting the Tigers to their first Korean Series title that same year, ending an eight-year drought. Now with a front-row seat on one of the KBO's top starters over recent seasons, Brooks said Yang's up-and-down performance this year has mostly to do with his inability to consistently stay ahead in the count.
"I think a little bit of why he's struggled this year is just falling behind and guys guessing right on what he's going to throw," Brooks observed. "And they get base hits here and there."
In 2014, Yang was posted by the Tigers, putting the pitcher up for a silent auction among big league clubs for the exclusive rights to negotiate with him. The Tigers, though, weren't satisfied with the amount of the winning bid, which they would have pocketed had Yang reached a deal with the unidentified MLB team. Yang was taken off the market without even sitting down for contract talks.
In this file photo from July 17, 2020, Yang Hyeon-jong of the Kia Tigers (C) greets teammate Aaron Brooks from the top step of the dugout after the top of the eighth inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game against the Doosan Bears at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
Since 2015, no KBO pitcher has thrown more innings than Yang's 1,077. That workload may finally be taking its toll on the 32-year-old body, but Brooks said he has noticed something in Yang beyond his obvious pitching skills.
"He also has that confidence on the mound. I think that goes a long way, too. Hitters can tell, and they can feel the energy that he brings when he's out there," Brooks said. "I think as long as he can fill up the bottom of the zone with all his pitches like I've seen him, I think he's got as good a chance as anybody (to make it to MLB)."
In this file photo from Aug. 28, 2020, Na Sung-bum of the NC Dinos hits a single against the Doosan Bears in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)
Rucinski said Na, who was batting .322/.392/.618 through Friday, should be just fine against big league pitching, as long as he can survive an early adjustment period.
"He does well when he is facing foreign pitchers here," Rucinski told Yonhap on Tuesday. "It'll be a change of pace for him, seeing consistently harder velocity. But I think hitters can make that adjustment. Anyone can hit a fastball regardless of velocity. They just need to see enough of them."
Na, tied for third with 29 home runs and fifth with 93 RBIs, can be posted this offseason and he has already hired uber-agent Scott Boras to represent him. The Dinos are blessed with another potential future big leaguer in left-hander Koo Chang-mon, who is still a few years away from posting eligibility.
In this file photo from Aug. 29, 2020, Na Sung-bum of the NC Dinos heads to first base after hitting a ground ball against the SK Wyverns during a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)
Koo was sensational at the start of this season, going 9-0 with a 1.55 ERA in 13 starts. He had 99 strikeouts in 87 innings when the Dinos deactivated him from the roster to give him a breather. Then they discovered inflammation in his left forearm and later during his rehab, a slight fracture in the same arm was detected. He hasn't pitched since July 26.
But Rucinski already saw enough of Koo's dominant stretch this year to feel convinced the 23-year-old can pitch in MLB.
n this file photo from July 26, 2020, Koo Chang-mo of the NC Dinos pitches against the KT Wiz in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, 45 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
Rucinski also made a comparison with a former KBO left-hander who enjoyed a successful rookie season in the majors: St. Louis Cardinals' starter Kim Kwang-hyun, who went 3-0 with a 1.62 ERA.
Kim was an MVP-winning starter and a perennial All-Star here before making the jump to the majors. Rucinski said Koo is capable of following a similar career trajectory.
"It's been incredible to watch Kim and how much success he's had with the Cardinals this year," Rucinski said. "For Chang-mo, he's the exact same guy. He can go do all that. Just got to get him to stay healthy, and the sky is the limit for him."
In this file photo from July 18, 2020, Koo Chang-mo of the NC Dinos pitches against the KT Wiz in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-26--(LEAD) U.S. will support S. Korea's missile defense but decision is up to Seoul: U.S. diplomat

`` The South Korean government will have to decide for itself what kinds of capabilities it needs to have in @ @ @ @ @ under our mutual defense agreement .
That is something that only the Korean government can @ @ @ @ @ , special presidential envoy for arms control , said in an interview with Yonhap News @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES with additional background with regard to "defense capabilities" that U.S. Defense Secretary Esper earlier said may include intermediate-range missiles in paras 8-9)
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 (Yonhap) -- The United States will help South Korea prepare against threats posed by intermediate range missiles from its neighbors, but what defense capabilities will be developed and deployed in South Korea will be entirely up to Seoul, a U.S. diplomat in charge of arms reduction said Friday.
"The South Korean government will have to decide for itself what kinds of capabilities it needs to have in order to discharge its responsibilities under our mutual defense agreement. That is something that only the Korean government can decide," Marshall Billingslea, special presidential envoy for arms control, said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency.
The special envoy is set to visit Seoul for two days from Sunday (Seoul time).
The captured image from the website of the U.S. Department of State shows Amb. Marshall Billingslea, special presidential envoy for arms control. (Yonhap)
Billingslea's trip to South Korea will mark the first of its kind since the former treasury official was named the special envoy, and also since the U.S. withdrew from the 1988 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), signed by the former Soviet Union, in August 2019.
The U.S. has since been developing defense capabilities to counter threats posed by medium and intermediate-range missiles held by Russia and also China, the U.S. diplomat said.
"So, the United States, for 33 years, faithfully implemented a Cold War treaty that prohibited the possession of these intermediate-range missile systems. Russia, about halfway through that treaty started to secretly cheat," he said of reasons for U.S. withdrawal from the 1988 treaty.
"China, on the other hand, was never part of any of that. And so for the past 33 years, China has been free to develop all kinds of intermediate-range and medium-range ballistic and cruise missiles, and they have done exactly that," he added.
The U.S. envoy did not specify what U.S. defense capabilities would include, but U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has said he wanted to deploy conventional ground-based missiles in Asia, prompting concerns that such a move may spark an arms race.
The day after the U.S. pulled out from the INF, the U.S. defense chief said he would like ground-based missiles in Asia "sooner, rather than later."
Billingslea said it will take a "little more time" for the U.S. to develop its defense capabilities, noting the country has been legally able to develop such systems for only about a year since its withdrawal from the INF.
The U.S. will also help develop South Korea's own defense capabilities should the latter chooses to do so.
"South Korea is very sophisticated technologically, and has its own strong industrial base. And so, I would leave it to the South Korean government to decide what it chooses to develop and deploy," he told Yonhap. "We certainly will offer to help in any way we can."
South Korea already houses a U.S. THAAD missile defense base, deployed in 2017.
The U.S. missile defense system seeks to insulate the Asian ally from North Korea's military provocations and threats, but its deployment has led to strong objections and economic retaliation against Seoul from neighboring China.
This image, captured from the Facebook account of the 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade of the U.S. Forces Korea on April 24, 2019, shows a launcher of an advanced U.S. missile defense system called THAAD. (Yonhap)
The U.S. envoy reiterated the decision to develop or deploy additional capabilities will be up to South Korea, but insisted China's past behavior toward the country may offer a reason to possess such capabilities.
"China demonstrated what a bully it tries to be with Korea, and how it tried to coerce the Republic of Korea," he said, referring to South Korea by its official name.
"And when it comes to China, we are talking about a country that practices intimidation with every one of its neighbors and threatens or actually in some cases uses force to exert its will and to redraw borders and boundaries," added Billingslea.
Such a view on China has increasingly been echoed by other top U.S. officials, who have stressed a need to form a regional alliance in the Indo-Pacific region to counter what they called "aggressions" from the Chinese communist party in all fronts.
"I think you are seeing the entire world begin to unite around the central understanding that the Chinese Communist Party simply is going to refuse to compete in a fair, reciprocal, transparent way," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said.
The U.S. is currently in dialogue with Australia, India and Japan in a four-way forum known as the Quad to build what it says will be a NATO-like multilateral structure in the region, and is pushing to expand the forum into Quad Plus by including others such as South Korea, Vietnam and New Zealand.
Billingslea said he was unaware of the exact architecture of the envisioned multilateral structure, but highlighted the importance of U.S. allies in the region working together when necessary.
"I think the more important aspect here is that democracies have to stick together in the face of dictatorial bully, and democracies need to work together to make sure that we support one another and that and that we share collected defenses when we can," he said.
Korea is facing a huge choice over whether to go along with a U.S. multilateral military alliance Youtube https://youtu.be/wZAJZfWkH0o
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-26--U.S. will support S. Korea's missile defense but decision is up to Seoul: U.S. diplomat

By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 (Yonhap) -- The United States will help South Korea prepare against threats posed by intermediate range missiles from its neighbors, but what defense capabilities will be developed and deployed in South Korea will be entirely up to Seoul, a U.S. diplomat in charge of arms reduction said Friday.
"The South Korean government will have to decide for itself what kinds of capabilities it needs to have in order to discharge its responsibilities under our mutual defense agreement. That is something that only the Korean government can decide," Marshall Billingslea, special presidential envoy for arms control, said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency.
The special envoy is set to visit Seoul for two days from Sunday (Seoul time).
The captured image from the website of the U.S. Department of State shows Amb. Marshall Billingslea, special presidential envoy for arms control. (Yonhap)
Billingslea's trip to South Korea will mark the first of its kind since the former treasury official was named the special envoy, and also since the U.S. withdrew from the 1988 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), signed by the former Soviet Union, in August 2019.
The U.S. has since been developing defense capabilities to counter threats posed by medium and intermediate-range missiles held by Russia and also China, the U.S. diplomat said.
"So, the United States, for 33 years, faithfully implemented a Cold War treaty that prohibited the possession of these intermediate-range missile systems. Russia, about halfway through that treaty started to secretly cheat," he said of reasons for U.S. withdrawal from the 1988 treaty.
"China, on the other hand, was never part of any of that. And so for the past 33 years, China has been free to develop all kinds of intermediate-range and medium-range ballistic and cruise missiles, and they have done exactly that," he added.
Billingslea said it will take a "little more time" for the U.S. to develop its defense capabilities, noting the country has been legally able to develop such systems for only about a year since its withdrawal from the INF.
The U.S. will also help develop South Korea's own defense capabilities should the latter chooses to do so.
"South Korea is very sophisticated technologically, and has its own strong industrial base. And so, I would leave it to the South Korean government to decide what it chooses to develop and deploy," he told Yonhap. "We certainly will offer to help in any way we can."
South Korea already houses a U.S. THAAD missile defense base, deployed in 2017.
The U.S. missile defense system seeks to insulate the Asian ally from North Korea's military provocations and threats, but its deployment has led to strong objections and economic retaliation against Seoul from neighboring China.
This image, captured from the Facebook account of the 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade of the U.S. Forces Korea on April 24, 2019, shows a launcher of an advanced U.S. missile defense system called THAAD. (Yonhap)
The U.S. envoy reiterated the decision to develop or deploy additional capabilities will be up to South Korea, but insisted China's past behavior toward the country may offer a reason to possess such capabilities.
"China demonstrated what a bully it tries to be with Korea, and how it tried to coerce the Republic of Korea," he said, referring to South Korea by its official name.
"And when it comes to China, we are talking about a country that practices intimidation with every one of its neighbors and threatens or actually in some cases uses force to exert its will and to redraw borders and boundaries," added Billingslea.
Such a view on China has increasingly been echoed by other top U.S. officials, who have stressed a need to form a regional alliance in the Indo-Pacific region to counter what they called "aggressions" from the Chinese communist party in all fronts.
"I think you are seeing the entire world begin to unite around the central understanding that the Chinese Communist Party simply is going to refuse to compete in a fair, reciprocal, transparent way," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said.
The U.S. is currently in dialogue with Australia, India and Japan in a four-way forum known as the Quad to build what it says will be a NATO-like multilateral structure in the region, and is pushing to expand the forum into Quad Plus by including others such as South Korea, Vietnam and New Zealand.
Billingslea said he was unaware of the exact architecture of the envisioned multilateral structure, but highlighted the importance of U.S. allies in the region working together when necessary.
"I think the more important aspect here is that democracies have to stick together in the face of dictatorial bully, and democracies need to work together to make sure that we support one another and that and that we share collected defenses when we can," he said.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-26--(2nd LD) N. Korean apology for killing incident a 'helpful step':State Dept.

In the message , sent Friday ( Seoul time ) , the North Korean leader said this week 's shooting @ @ @ @ @ inter-Korean maritime border should not have occurred and that he was sorry to have `` @ @ @ @ @ president and the people of South Korea .

(ATTN: UPDATES with reports of reactions from U.S. experts in last 8 paras)
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's apology over its recent fatal shooting of a South Korean government official is a "helpful step," the U.S. State Department said Friday, while reaffirming its support for South Korea's condemnation and demand for a full explanation.
The reaction came shortly after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he felt "very sorry" in a message sent to South Korea.
"We understand that the DPRK has conveyed an explanation and apology to the ROK. This is a helpful step," a spokesperson from the U.S. Department of State told Yonhap News Agency, while speaking on condition of anonymity.
DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
It marked a very rare occasion where the North's highest leadership apologized for an incident that took place between the divided Koreas.
The communist state shot and killed a female South Korean tourist at a resort in Mount Kumgang in 2008, but it has yet to offer an apology.
South Korean marines patrol a beach of the western border island of Yeonpyeong on Sept. 25, 2020, amid tensions over North Korea's killing of a South Korean official in its waters on Sept. 22. (Yonhap)
In the message, sent Friday (Seoul time), the North Korean leader said this week's shooting incident near the de facto inter-Korean maritime border should not have occurred and that he was sorry to have "disappointed" the South Korean president and the people of South Korea.
It also offered an account of the incident that took place Tuesday when North Korean guards shot and killed a 47-year-old South Korean, affiliated with the maritime ministry, who was drifting in the waters, according to Seoul's National Intelligence Service.
Earlier reports had suggested the North may have cremated the body of the deceased. North Korea denied the allegation, saying the body was nowhere to be found.
The U.S. State Department offered condolences to the family of the deceased.
"We offer our deepest condolences to the friends and family of the South Korean official who was killed," the spokesperson said.
The department also reaffirmed its support for South Korea in seeking full details of the incident.
"We fully support our ROK ally's condemnation of this act and the ROK's call for a full explanation from the DPRK," the statement said, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.
U.S. experts viewed North Korea's apology as an unexpected move that could work positively toward improving North Korea's relationship with South Korea and others.
"North Korea's apology is a rare occurrence," said Bruce Klingner, a senior researcher at the Washington-based Heritage Foundation.
"While much will be made of whether the North's apology portends an improvement in inter-Korean relations, more positive actions by Pyongyang will be necessary," he added.
Harry Kazianis, senior director of Korean studies at a Washington-based policy think tank, the Institute for the National Interest, noted Kim's apology may have shown a "human" side of him that may indicate possible concessions in denuclearization talks.
"I do think Kim has shown to the South Korean people a more human and vulnerable side," said Kazianis.
"While we should clearly understand who we are dealing with -- this is the man who executed his uncle with anti-aircraft guns and poisoned his half-brother with VX -- there is some human in him. And that means negotiation and compromise are certainly a possibility," he added.
Still, the U.S. expert noted Kim's apology may have been derived by his need to keep his country from further isolation.
"North Korea and especially Kim Jong-un personally are under immense strain and pressure. Pyongyang is not only having to deal with the sting of economic sanctions but also typhoon damage, agricultural shortages and also COVID-19. The Kim regime, at least for now, surely does not want to have any more pressure or troubles, or lose President Moon as a partner in peace," he said.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


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yna--2020-09-25--(LEAD) N. Korean apology for killing incident a 'helpful step':State Dept.

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details, additional background from 7th para; ADDS photo)
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's apology over its recent fatal shooting of a South Korean government official is a "helpful step," the U.S. State Department said Friday, while reaffirming its support for South Korea's condemnation and demand for a full explanation.
The reaction came shortly after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he felt "very sorry" in a message sent to South Korea.
"We understand that the DPRK has conveyed an explanation and apology to the ROK. This is a helpful step," a spokesperson from the U.S. Department of State told Yonhap News Agency, while speaking on condition of anonymity.
DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
It marked a very rare occasion where the North's highest leadership apologized for an incident that took place between the divided Koreas.
The communist state shot and killed a female South Korean tourist at a resort in Mount Kumkang in 2008, but it has yet to offer an apology.
South Korean marines patrol a beach of the western border island of Yeonpyeong on Sept. 25, 2020, amid tensions over North Korea's killing of a South Korean official in its waters on Sept. 22. (Yonhap)
In the message, sent Friday (Seoul time), the North Korean leader said this week's shooting incident near the de facto inter-Korean maritime border should not have occurred and that he was sorry to have "disappointed" the South Korean president and the people of South Korea.
It also offered an account of the incident that took place Tuesday when North Korean guards shot and killed a 47-year-old South Korean, affiliated with the maritime ministry, who was drifting in the waters, according to Seoul's National Intelligence Service.
Earlier reports had suggested the North may have cremated the body of the deceased. North Korea denied the allegation, saying the body was nowhere to be found.
The U.S. State Department offered condolences to the family of the deceased.
"We offer our deepest condolences to the friends and family of the South Korean official who was killed," the spokesperson said.
It also reaffirmed its support for South Korea in seeking full details of the incident.
"We fully support our ROK ally's condemnation of this act and the ROK's call for a full explanation from the DPRK," it said, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-25--N. Korean apology for killing incident a 'helpful step':State Dept.

`` We understand that the DPRK has conveyed an explanation and apology to the ROK .
This is a helpful @ @ @ @ @ from the U.S. Department of State told Yonhap News Agency , while speaking on condition @ @ @

By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's apology over its recent fatal shooting of a South Korean government official is a "helpful step," the U.S. State Department said Friday, while reaffirming its support for South Korea's condemnation and demand for a full explanation.
The reaction came shortly after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he felt "very sorry" in a message sent to South Korea.
"We understand that the DPRK has conveyed an explanation and apology to the ROK. This is a helpful step," a spokesperson from the U.S. Department of State told Yonhap News Agency, while speaking on condition of anonymity.
DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
It marked a very rare occasion where the North's highest leadership apologized for an incident that took place between the divided Koreas.
The communist state shot and killed a female South Korean tourist at a resort in Mount Kumkang in 2008, but it has yet to offer an apology.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-26--(3rd LD) S. Korea to demand N. Korea make additional probe into killing

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un apologized for the incident Friday in a message sent by the United Front Department , @ @ @ @ @ inter-Korean affairs .
The North claimed that what it set on fire was not his @ @ @ @ @ was using to stay afloat .

(ATTN: UPDATES with Coast Guard's request for information in paras 8,10)
SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will demand North Korea carry out another investigation into its recent killing of a Seoul fisheries official near the tense sea border, as the North's explanation bore some key discrepancies from Seoul's account, the presidential office said Saturday.
On Tuesday, North Korean troops shot the 47-year-old man who was adrift in its waters and incinerated his body, according to the South Korean military. He went missing the previous day while on duty near the Yellow Sea border island of Yeonpyeong.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un apologized for the incident Friday in a message sent by the United Front Department, a key espionage agency handling inter-Korean affairs. The North claimed that what it set on fire was not his body but an object he was using to stay afloat.
After holding the National Security Council (NSC) session late Friday, the Seoul government decided to demand a further investigation and request a joint probe, if necessary, Cheong Wa Dae said.
"As there exist differences between North Korea's explanation and our intelligence analysis, we decided to continue our investigation into the incident to reveal the truth," the presidential office said.
It also vowed to "swiftly take steps to further heighten a surveillance posture in the Yellow Sea to prevent such an incident from happening again."
Officials from what appears to be a Coast Guard vessel conduct an on-site inspection of a South Korean fishery patrol vessel, anchored near the de facto inter-Korean sea border in the Yellow Sea, on Sept. 25, 2020. A Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries employee, who boarded the vessel, went missing on Sept. 21 while carrying out duties in waters off the western island of Yeonpyeong in the Yellow Sea and was killed by North Korean soldiers the following day. (Yonhap)
Another issue in question is whether the official had an intention to defect to the communist country.
South Korean military officials said the man was presumed to have jumped into the sea on Monday in a suspected attempt to defect to the North, citing intercepted North Korean signal intelligence.
But the message from North Korea only noted that "the illegal intruder was to flee" while disobeying its verbal security checks.
On Friday, South Korea's Coast Guard asked the military to share information on the man's suspected defection attempt, but the military said it will inform the Coast Guard by Monday whether it will provide relevant information.
The two Koreas also had different accounts of who ordered the killing.
South Korean officials said the brutal act appears to have been done in accordance with "orders from a superior authority," though they said they could not confirm exactly who approved the killing.
The North, however, said the decision was made by the chief of the patrol boat and that the actions taken were in line with its code of conduct.
It remains to be seen if North Korea will accede to South Korea's request.
North Korea has not accepted Seoul's call for a joint probe into similar cases, including the death of Park Wang-ja, who was shot at the North's mountain resort of Kumgang while traveling there in July 2008.
A group of South Korean Marines carries out a patrol on Yeonpyeong Island in the Yellow Sea on Sept. 25, 2020. (Yonhap)
The main opposition People Power Party (PPP), meanwhile, lambasted the presidential office and the ruling Democratic Party for "appreciating the apology from killers," calling on President Moon Jae-in to come forward and explain all details to dispel mounting suspicions.
"If the government tries to cover up the incident with Kim Jong-un's letter, it will draw even greater public ire," the PPP's interim leader Kim Chong-in said. "We should bring the case to the International Court of Justice and the U.N. Security Council."
Kim also met with the ill-fated official's brother, surnamed Lee, earlier in the day. The brother blamed the government for failing to take appropriate actions to prevent the tragedy. Lee also complained that the government claimed without hard evidence that his younger brother appeared to have tried to defect to the North.
Kim Chong-in (C), leader of the opposition People Power Party, speaks during a meeting of a party task force on the North's killing of a South Korean official at the National Assembly on Sept. 26, 2020. (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-26--S. Korea, Singapore to mull expanding simplified entry procedures

In the next round , three out of five candidates will be removed , leaving just two runners in the @ @ @ @ @ the top post of the global trade body .

SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and Singapore have shared the idea of expanding the scope of simplified entry procedures meant for essential travelers, South Korea's foreign ministry said Saturday.
The consensus was reached in the talks between South Korea's Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gunn and Singaporean Deputy Secretary Ng Teck Hean on Friday.
Singapore is among the countries that have established expedited entry programs for South Korean businesspeople in exception to entry curbs imposed over coronavirus fears.
In Singapore, Kim also met with Stanley Loh, second permanent secretary at Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and asked for Singapore's support for South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee's bid for the top post of the World Trade Organization.
Yoo is competing with candidates from Nigeria, Kenya, Saudi Arabia and Britain in the second round of the elimination process, which is set to run through Oct. 6.
In the next round, three out of five candidates will be removed, leaving just two runners in the third and final stage for the top post of the global trade body.
The final result -- which is to be selected through consensus among 164 member countries -- is widely expected to be delivered in early November.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-26--(LEAD) 324 people injected with mishandled flu vaccines: authorities

SEOUL , Sept. 26 ( Yonhap ) -- More than 300 South Koreans have been injected with seasonal flu vaccines @ @ @ @ @ administered due to storage problems , but no side effects have been reported , health @ @ @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES with background in paras 5-6)
SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- More than 300 South Koreans have been injected with seasonal flu vaccines that should not have been administered due to storage problems, but no side effects have been reported, health authorities said Saturday.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said 324 people received the vaccines that were not supposed to be administered after being exposed to room temperature.
The figure marked a hike from Friday, when the agency reported 224 people received the flu shots.
Still, none of the people injected with such vaccines have showed abnormal reactions, the agency said.
Inactivated vaccines should be stored in refrigerators, and exposure to room temperature could result in decreased vaccine potency and increased risk of vaccine-preventable diseases.
But the safety of those vaccines exposed to room temperature has yet to be determined.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-26--324 people injected with mishandled flu vaccines: authorities

SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- More than 300 South Koreans have been injected with seasonal flu vaccines that should not have been administered due to storage problems, but no side effects have been reported, health authorities said Saturday.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said 324 people received the vaccines that were not supposed to be administered after being exposed to room temperature.
The figure marked a hike from Friday, when the agency reported 224 people received the flu shots.
Still, none of the people injected with such vaccines have showed abnormal reactions, the agency said.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-26--Reservoir dam near N. Korea's nuclear complex breached: think tank

The reduced water level has left the two pump houses servicing the reactors `` high and dry , '' with @ @ @ @ @ dam down significantly and the intake cisterns exposed , said 38 North , which specializes @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- A reservoir dam near North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear complex has been breached, a U.S. think tank has said, citing recent satellite imagery.
The reduced water level has left the two pump houses servicing the reactors "high and dry," with the water level above the dam down significantly and the intake cisterns exposed, said 38 North, which specializes in North Korea.
"The inability to maintain a stable reservoir level ... poses a potential problem for continuous reactor operations" if the 5-megawatt nuclear reactor is restarted or the Experimental Light Water Reactor is brought online, 38 North said, citing satellite imagery of Yongbyon complex on Sept. 21.
The complex is home to the 5-megawatt nuclear reactor that was the source of weapons-grade plutonium for North Korea. Pyongyang can harvest one nuclear bomb worth of plutonium by reprocessing spent fuel rods from the reactor.
The U.S. website said there are no observable indications that the 5-megawatt nuclear reactor is operating or that the Experimental Light Water Reactor has been started.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-26--Five flights diverted from Incheon due to drone

They could not land `` due to an unidentified flying object , which appears to be an illegal drone , @ @ @ @ @ Corp. official said .

SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- Five flights were diverted from Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, due to suspected drone activity on Saturday, the airport operator said.
A passenger airplane of Russia's S7 Airlines, two cargo flights of South Korea's Asiana Airlines and two cargo flights of American Airlines were redirected to nearby Gimpo International Airport between 1:40 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
They could not land "due to an unidentified flying object, which appears to be an illegal drone," an Incheon International Airport Corp. official said.
They will return as soon as the problem is resolved at Incheon, the nation's main gateway, the official added.
This photo provided by Incheon International Airport Corp. shows a cargo terminal at the airport in Incheon, west of Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-09-26--(LEAD) S. Korea to repatriate 117 sets of remains of Chinese troops

Of the total , 103 sets were excavated from Arrowhead Ridge inside the Demilitarized Zone ( DMZ ) that bisects @ @ @ @ @ last year , South Korea has been carrying out demining and excavation operations on the @ @ @ @ @ of the fiercest battlefields during the war .

(ATTN: CHANGES photo)
SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- The remains of 117 Chinese soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War were casketed Saturday to be sent back to their homeland the following day, the defense ministry said.
In 2014, Seoul pledged to repatriate the remains of fallen Chinese soldiers in a symbolic gesture of friendship, and 599 sets have since been returned, including 10 last year.
This year's repatriation ceremony will take place at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on Sunday, according to the ministry.
Of the total, 103 sets were excavated from Arrowhead Ridge inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that bisects the two Koreas. Since last year, South Korea has been carrying out demining and excavation operations on the hill, which was one of the fiercest battlefields during the war.
Other remains were uncovered in other parts of South Korea and later identified as those of Chinese soldiers.
During the war, China fought alongside North Korea against the U.S.-backed Allied forces. Nearly 1 million Chinese soldiers are believed to either have died, been wounded or remain missing, according to Seoul government data.
Along with the remains, 1,368 items believed to belong to Chinese troops will also be sent home, according to the ministry.
The repatriation was supposed to take place around March or April but has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
South Korean and Chinese officials hold a ceremony to put the remains of Chinese soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War into coffins for their repatriation at a provisional mortuary inside the Army's 17th Division in the western city of Incheon on Sept. 26, 2020, in this photo provided by the defense ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Soldiers excavate the remains believed to be from a South Korean soldier killed in the 1950-53 Korean War at Arrowhead Ridge in the central section of the Demilitarized Zone in Cheorwon, Gangwo Province, in this photo released by the defense ministry on May 8, 2020. Since the military resumed the excavation project for this year on April 20, it has discovered a total of 23 pieces of bones and 3,426 articles at the ridge, a site of fierce battles in the three-year conflict. (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-26--(2nd LD) New virus cases fall back below 100 as nation vigilant ahead of key holiday

Under the new campaign , the operation of 11 types of `` high-risk '' facilities , including clubs , bars @ @ @ @ @ suspended in the greater Seoul area for two weeks .
As for non-metropolitan areas , @ @ @ @ @ , such as nightlife establishments will be ordered to shut down for a week .

(ATTN: ADDS more details, comments in paras 10, 21-22; REPLACES photo)
SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 100 for the first time in four days Saturday, as the country is struggling with sporadic cluster infections in the greater Seoul area and persisting untraceable cases ahead of a major holiday.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 61 new COVID-19 cases, including 49 local infections, bringing the total to 23,516 as of midnight on Friday.
The number marked the first fall below 100 after three consecutive days of triple-digit new daily infections. The country reported 114 new cases Friday.
The country had seen triple-digit daily new cases for more than a month since mid-August due mainly to a surge in infections tied to a church in northern Seoul and an anti-government rally, with the figure soaring to a five-month high of 441 on Aug. 27.
But the figure fell to double digits Sunday and skidded to as low as 61 on Tuesday.
The number of local infections is the lowest since Aug. 13 when the figure stood at 47, according to the health authorities.
The number of imported cases stood at 12 as of midnight, bringing the total cases from overseas to 3,161, according to the KDCA.
Of the newly confirmed cases, three came from Uzbekistan, followed by two each from the Philippines, Indonesia and India, it added.
Untraceable cases accounted for around 24.6 percent of the total, or 359 cases, the KCDA said.
Health workers disinfect a market near Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul, which is at the center of a recent resurgence of the coronavirus, on Sept. 24, 2020, ahead of the Chuseok holiday, which falls on Oct. 1. (Yonhap)
Cluster infections continued to be reported at workplaces, nursing homes, churches and day care centers, especially in the greater Seoul area. Seoul added 26 new virus cases, nearby Gyeonggi Province saw 14 and the western city of Incheon had one new patient, according to the KDCA.
Four additional deaths were reported, raising the toll to 399. The fatality rate came to 1.7 percent.
The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients stood at 122 as of midnight, down six from the previous day, according to the authorities.
The total number of people released from isolation after making full recoveries was 21,166, up 189 from a day earlier.
The country has carried out 2,290,345 coronavirus tests since Jan. 3, the KDCA said.
Tourists arrive at Jeju International Airport on Sept, 26. 2020. The provincial government has strengthened sanitation and distancing regulations to prevent the spread of the coronavirus ahead of the five-day Chuseok holiday starting Sept. 30. (Yonhap)
The biggest, imminent challenge is to prevent a potential rebound in new virus cases around the upcoming Chuseok holiday, which traditionally entails mass movements of people and family gatherings across the country.
This year's fall harvest holiday runs from Wednesday through Oct. 4.
With a goal to minimize the potential impacts of the holiday, the government decided to designate a special two-week period for strong antivirus efforts starting Monday, while maintaining the Level 2 social distancing guidance.
Under the new campaign, the operation of 11 types of "high-risk" facilities, including clubs, bars and buffets, will be suspended in the greater Seoul area for two weeks. As for non-metropolitan areas, five kinds of risk-prone facilities, such as nightlife establishments will be ordered to shut down for a week.
The authorities also called for the strengthening of quarantine measures further at public facilities, such as restaurants, cafes and theaters, in Seoul and the surrounding areas during the period.
Indoor gatherings of 50 or more people will continue to be banned, and outdoor meetings are not allowed to involve more than 100. Sporting events must be held without spectators.
"The Chuseok holiday is approaching and sporadic infections continue, meaning risk factors for a rebound across the country still exist," Kwon Joon-wook, deputy director of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, said in a daily briefing. "We are not in a situation where we can feel relieved by the current daily statistics."
"Please stay at home during this upcoming holiday for your and your family's health," the official said, calling for social distancing rules and personal hygiene guidelines to be followed.
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-26--(2nd LD) S. Korea to demand N. Korea make additional probe into killing

Military officials here said the man was presumed to have jumped into the sea on Monday in a suspected attempt @ @ @ @ @ , but the message from North Korea only noted that `` the illegal intruder was @ @ @ @ @ its verbal security checks .

(ATTN: ADDS opposition party's response, more details in last 5 paras)
SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will demand North Korea carry out another investigation into its recent killing of a Seoul fisheries official near the tense sea border, as the North's explanation bore some key discrepancies from Seoul's account, the presidential office said Saturday.
On Tuesday, North Korean troops shot the 47-year-old man who was adrift in its waters and incinerated his body, according to the South Korean military. He went missing the previous day while on duty near the Yellow Sea border island of Yeonpyeong.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un apologized for the incident Friday in a message sent by the United Front Department, a key espionage agency handling inter-Korean affairs. The North claimed that what it set on fire was not his body but an object he was using to stay afloat.
After holding the National Security Council (NSC) session late Friday, the Seoul government decided to demand a further investigation and request a joint probe, if necessary, Cheong Wa Dae said.
"As there exist differences between North Korea's explanation and our intelligence analysis, we decided to continue our investigation into the incident to reveal the truth," the presidential office said.
It also vowed to "swiftly take steps to further heighten a surveillance posture in the Yellow Sea to prevent such an incident from happening again."
Officials from what appears to be a Coast Guard vessel conduct an on-site inspection of a South Korean fishery patrol vessel, anchored near the de facto inter-Korean sea border in the Yellow Sea, on Sept. 25, 2020. A Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries employee, who boarded the vessel, went missing on Sept. 21 while carrying out duties in waters off the western island of Yeonpyeong in the Yellow Sea and was killed by North Korean soldiers the following day. (Yonhap)
Another issue in question is whether the official had an intention to defect to the communist country.
Military officials here said the man was presumed to have jumped into the sea on Monday in a suspected attempt to defect to the North, but the message from North Korea only noted that "the illegal intruder was to flee" while disobeying its verbal security checks.
The two Koreas also had different accounts of who ordered the killing.
South Korean officials said the brutal act appears to have been done in accordance with "orders from a superior authority," though they said they could not confirm exactly who approved the killing.
The North, however, said the decision was made by the chief of the patrol boat and that the actions taken were in line with its code of conduct.
It remains to be seen if North Korea will accede to South Korea's request.
North Korea has not accepted Seoul's call for a joint probe into similar cases, including the death of Park Wang-ja, who was shot at the North's mountain resort of Kumgang while traveling there in July 2008.
A group of South Korean Marines carries out a patrol on Yeonpyeong Island in the Yellow Sea on Sept. 25, 2020. (Yonhap)
The main opposition People Power Party (PPP), meanwhile, lambasted the presidential office and the ruling Democratic Party for "appreciating the apology from killers," calling on President Moon Jae-in to come forward and explain all details to dispel mounting suspicions.
"If the government tries to cover up the incident with Kim Jong-un's letter, it will draw even greater public ire," the PPP's interim leader Kim Chong-in said. "We should bring the case to the International Court of Justice and the U.N. Security Council."
Kim also met with the ill-fated official's brother, surnamed Lee, earlier in the day. The brother blamed the government for failing to take appropriate actions to prevent the tragedy. Lee also complained that the government claimed without hard evidence that his younger brother appeared to have tried to defect to the North.
Kim Chong-in (C), leader of the opposition People Power Party, speaks during a meeting of a party task force on the North's killing of a South Korean official at the National Assembly on Sept. 26, 2020. (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-26--N.K. media highlights border control against coronavirus

It is not known if the same orders have been in place for cases near the inter-Korean border areas , @ @ @ @ @ and killed a South Korean fisheries official who was drifting in its Yellow Sea waters @ @

SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's state media highlighted its rigorous border control to stave off the new coronavirus Saturday, amid tensions following the shooting death of a South Korean national floating in its waters near the inter-Korean border.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the country is carrying out perfect border control and aggressive measures to "preemptively deal with the pandemic."
"Well aware that key to prevention of infectious diseases in borders, coastlines and demarcation lines is shutdown and containment, we've been promoting the people's awareness and strengthening control," the agency said.
"In order to prevent even 0.001 percent of chances of mistake by any workers, we've maintained a stern control and instruction system," it added.
This photo, released by the North's Korean Central News Agency on Aug. 29, 2020, shows an official taking a citizen's temperature at Pyongyang Station in the capital to prevent the outbreak of the coronavirus. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
Pyongyang claims there has not been a single COVID-19 case in the country. The communist country closed its border with China in January and issued the maximum emergency level against the virus in July.
North Korea even issued shoot-to-kill orders against those crossing the border with China, U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Robert Abrams has said.
It is not known if the same orders have been in place for cases near the inter-Korean border areas, but North Korean troops shot and killed a South Korean fisheries official who was drifting in its Yellow Sea waters Tuesday.
The regime claimed they then set alight the object he was using to stay afloat in accordance with the national emergency quarantine regulations.
The North apologized to South Korea on Friday over the incident, but its media outlets have yet to report on the killing.
An official disinfects a bus in Pyongyang amid the coronavirus pandemic, in this undated photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency on Sept. 4, 2020. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-26--Today in Korean history

Today in Korean history

1988 -- Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson tests positive for drugs and is stripped of the gold medal he won a @ @ @ @ @ 's 100-meter event at the Summer Olympics in Seoul .

Sept. 27
1983 -- Pope John Paul II visits Seoul and elevates to sainthood 103 Korean Catholic martyrs who were executed during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).
1988 -- Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson tests positive for drugs and is stripped of the gold medal he won a day earlier in the men's 100-meter event at the Summer Olympics in Seoul.
2003 -- A Russian rocket carrying a South Korean scientific research satellite is successfully launched from Russia's Plesetsk Cosmodrome base near the Arctic Ocean.
2007 -- A new round of six-party talks aimed at denuclearizing North Korea opens in Beijing amid the communist country's alleged nuclear cooperation with Syria.
(END)


yna--2020-09-26--S. Korea to repatriate 117 sets of remains of Chinese troops

SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- The remains of 117 Chinese soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War were casketed Saturday to be sent back to their homeland the following day, the defense ministry said.
In 2014, Seoul pledged to repatriate the remains of fallen Chinese soldiers in a symbolic gesture of friendship, and 599 sets have since been returned, including 10 last year.
This year's repatriation ceremony will take place at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on Sunday, according to the ministry.
Of the total, 103 sets were excavated from Arrowhead Ridge inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that bisects the two Koreas. Since last year, South Korea has been carrying out demining and excavation operations on the hill, which was one of the fiercest battlefields during the war.
Other remains were uncovered in other parts of South Korea and later identified as those of Chinese soldiers.
During the war, China fought alongside North Korea against the U.S.-backed Allied forces. Nearly 1 million Chinese soldiers are believed to either have died, been wounded or remain missing, according to Seoul government data.
Along with the remains, 1,368 items believed to belong to Chinese troops will also be sent home, according to the ministry.
The repatriation was supposed to take place around March or April but has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The file photo taken April 1, 2019, shows South Korean and Chinese officials holding a ceremony in Incheon, west of Seoul, to put the remains of Chinese soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War into coffins for their repatriation. (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-26--BTS video surpasses 400 mln views on YouTube

The track debuted at No .
3 five weeks ago on the chart and has continued to fall since , @ @ @ @ @ week .
( END )

SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- The music video of "Dynamite," K-pop superstar BTS' latest single, has surpassed 400 million views on YouTube, its agency said Saturday.
The dance video reached the milestone Friday at 10:30 p.m., 35 days after it was posted on the video-sharing site, according to Big Hit Entertainment.
It garnered the number in the shortest time among K-pop videos.
The video attracted 101 million views in the first 24 hours of release on Aug. 21, setting the record for single-day views.
This photo provided by Big Hit Entertainment shows the seven members of K-pop superstars BTS. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
BTS became the first South Korean act to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart last month thanks to the disco-pop single.
The group unveiled a new choreography music video of "Dynamite" on Friday (U.S. time) through the popular online game "Fortnite" run by Epic Games.
The song rose two notches to rank 19th on the Official U.K. Singles Chart on Friday, according to the leading British music tracker.
The track debuted at No. 3 five weeks ago on the chart and has continued to fall since, coming in at 21st last week.
BTS will release new album “BE” on Nov. 20 amidst their in-person concert’s cancellation Youtube https://youtu.be/UrL7W2M5FuQ
(END)


yna--2020-09-26--(LEAD) New virus cases fall back below 100 as nation vigilant ahead of key holiday

(ATTN: ADDS more details in paras 9-12, 19-20, additional photo)
SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 100 for the first time in four days Saturday, as the country is struggling with sporadic cluster infections in the greater Seoul area and persisting untraceable cases ahead of a major holiday.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 61 new COVID-19 cases, including 49 local infections, bringing the total to 23,516 as of midnight on Friday.
The number marked the first fall below 100 after three consecutive days of triple-digit new daily infections. The country reported 114 new cases Friday.
The country had seen triple-digit daily new cases for more than a month since mid-August due mainly to a surge in infections tied to a church in northern Seoul and an anti-government rally, with the figure soaring to a five-month high of 441 on Aug. 27.
But the figure fell to double digits Sunday and skidded to as low as 61 on Tuesday.
The number of local infections is the lowest since Aug. 13 when the figure stood at 47, according to the health authorities.
Untraceable cases accounted for around 25 percent of the total, it added.
Health workers disinfect a market near Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul, which is at the center of a recent resurgence of the coronavirus, on Sept. 24, 2020, ahead of the Chuseok holiday, which falls on Oct. 1. (Yonhap)
The greater Seoul area continued to report cluster infections. Seoul added 26 new virus cases, and nearby Gyeonggi Province and Incheon saw 14 and one new patients, respectively, according to the KDCA.
Four additional deaths were reported, raising the toll to 399. The fatality rate came to 1.7 percent.
The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients stood at 122 as of midnight, down six from the previous day, according to the authorities.
The total number of people released from isolation after making full recoveries was 21,166, up 189 from a day earlier.
The country has carried out 2,290,345 coronavirus tests since Jan. 3, the KDCA said.
Primary school students in the southern city of Daegu sent 600 letters to medical workers to express gratitude for their commitment to treating COVID-19 patients, in this photo provided by the Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education on Sept. 25, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The biggest, imminent challenge is to prevent a potential rebound in new virus cases around the upcoming Chuseok holiday, which traditionally entails mass movements of people and family gatherings across the country.
This year's fall harvest holiday runs from Wednesday through Oct. 4.
With a goal to minimize the potential impacts of the holiday, the government decided to designate a special two-week period for strong antivirus efforts starting Monday, while maintaining the Level 2 social distancing guidance.
Under the new campaign, the operation of 11 types of "high-risk" facilities, including clubs, bars and buffets, will be suspended in the greater Seoul area for two weeks. As for non-metropolitan areas, five kinds of risk-prone facilities, such as nightlife establishments will be ordered to shut down for a week.
The authorities also called for the strengthening of quarantine measures further at public facilities, such as restaurants, cafes and theaters, in Seoul and the surrounding areas during the period.
Indoor gatherings of 50 or more people will continue to be banned, and outdoor meetings are not allowed to involve more than 100. Sporting events must be held without spectators.
The number of imported cases stood at 12 as of midnight, bringing the total cases from overseas to 3,161, according to the KDCA.
Of the newly confirmed cases, three came from Uzbekistan, followed by two each from the Philippines, Indonesia and India, it added.
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-26--U.S. flies spy aircraft over South Korea after N.K.'s killing of Seoul official

The South Korean military said the communist country shot a fisheries official who was adrift in its waters to death @ @ @ @ @ .
He went missing the previous day while on duty near the Yellow Sea border @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- A U.S. surveillance aircraft flew over South Korea on Saturday, an aviation tracker said, days after North Korea's killing of a South Korean official drifting at sea.
The U.S. Air Force's E-8C, or JSTARS, was spotted in the skies over the metropolitan area, Aircraft Spots tweeted. The aircraft last flew over the country earlier this month.
The South Korean military said the communist country shot a fisheries official who was adrift in its waters to death and incinerated his body Tuesday. He went missing the previous day while on duty near the Yellow Sea border island of Yeonpyeong.
Following the incident, the South Korean military tightened its defense readiness posture near the Northern Limit Line (NLL), the de facto inter-Korean maritime border.
Pyongyang admitted to the shooting and apologized Friday but claimed it set an object the official used to stay afloat on fire, not his body.
This image captured from the U.S. Air Force's website shows a USAF E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) aircraft. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The flight also appears to have monitored North Korea's military movement ahead of the 75th founding anniversary of its ruling Workers' Party that falls on Oct. 10.
Satellite imagery and other multiple signs indicate that the regime is preparing for a large-scale military parade in Pyongyang next month.
As a platform for airborne command and control, surveillance and reconnaissance, the E-8C is known to be capable of closely monitoring the movements of North Korea's troops and equipment, including missiles and artillery guns.
According to Aircraft Spots, the U.S. Navy's EP-3E surveillance plane also conducted missions near South Korea's capital areas Friday.
The U.S. also sent the C-146A Wolfhound aircraft from the Kadena Air Base in Japan to the Korean Peninsula on Friday, another aviation tracker, No callsign, tweeted.
This aircraft transports small teams of the U.S. Special Operations Command. It can carry a maximum of 27 individuals or 2.7 tons of cargo, according to the U.S. Air Force.
This photo captured from aviation tracker No callsign's Twitter account on Sept. 26, 2020, shows the U.S.' C-146A Wolfhound aircraft. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-27--(2nd LD) N.K. warns S. Korea against violating western sea border to search for official's body

South Korea has been searching for the body of the 47-year-old fisheries official shot and killed by North Korean soldiers @ @ @ @ @ drifted into their waters near the Yellow Sea border between the two sides .
South @ @ @ @ @ him to death and burned the body , while the North claims it was lost @ @ @ @ @ was shot .

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 5-7)
By Koh Byung-joon
SEOUL, Sept. 27 (Yonhap) -- North Korea warned South Korea on Sunday to stop violating its western sea border in searching for the body of a citizen shot and killed in North Korean waters, saying it will search for the body on its own and hand it over if it's found.
South Korea has been searching for the body of the 47-year-old fisheries official shot and killed by North Korean soldiers earlier last week after he drifted into their waters near the Yellow Sea border between the two sides. South Korea claims the North shot him to death and burned the body, while the North claims it was lost in the sea after he was shot.
"According to a report by the western fleet of our navy, the south side has mobilized many vessels including warships to an action presumed to be a search operation and let them intrude into our territorial waters since September 25. It arouses our due vigilance as it may lead to another awful incident," the Korean Central News Agency said.
"We can never overlook any intrusion into our territorial waters and we seriously warn the south side against it. We urge the south side to immediately halt the intrusion across the military demarcation line in the west sea that may lead to escalation of tensions," it said.
The North's warning was the latest reminder of its denial of the Northern Limit Line (NLL), a de facto inter-Korean sea boundary. Pyongyang has long disputed the NLL, turning the front-line waters into a major flashpoint of the peninsula.
The North argues that the line should be redrawn farther south, as it was set unilaterally by the U.S.-led United Nations Command (UNC) after the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.
At the time of the two-year armistice negotiations, the UNC and the communist side agreed on the land demarcation but failed to set the maritime boundary, sowing seeds of future conflict.
In Sunday's report, the KCNA also noted that North Korea plans to organize a search operation of its own and considers "procedures" and "ways" of handing over "any tide-brought corpse" to the South "in case we find it during the operation."
On Friday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un apologized for the killing in a message sent to Seoul's presidential office, saying he is deeply sorry for the "unexpected" and "unfortunate" incident that happened in his country's waters.
The North's message, however, offered an account with major discrepancies from the Seoul's claim, including how the body was handled. It also differs on whether the ill-fated official expressed an intention to defect before his death and who gave the shooting order.
On Saturday, South Korea's presidential office said it will demand North Korea carry out an additional or joint investigation into the killing to figure out exactly what happened. It is uncertain whether North Korea will accept the demand.
North Korea has not accepted Seoul's call for a joint probe into similar cases, including the death of Park Wang-ja, who was shot and killed at the North's mountain resort of Kumgang while traveling there in July 2008.
The South Korean Coast Guard conducts an operation in waters off Yeonpyeong Island bordering North Korea in the West Sea on Sept. 25, 2020, to find the remains and belongings of a South Korean official who was shot to death and burned by North Korean soldiers in the North's waters on Sept. 22, in this photo provided by the Coast Guard. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-27--Coast Guard, Navy continue search for deceased fisheries official despite N.K. warning

Meanwhile , the authorities are not ruling out the possibility that the ill-fated official drifted into the North Korean waters @ @ @ @ @ to the North , though the bereaved family denies that possibility .

INCHEON, South Korea, Sept. 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Coast Guard and Navy continued their search Sunday for the body and belongings of a fisheries official shot to death by the North Korean military at sea last week despite Pyongyang's warnings against "intrusion" into its waters.
The authorities mobilized 39 vessels, including 16 naval ships, and six aircraft for their operations in the front-line areas near the Northern Limit Line (NLL), a de facto inter-Korean sea border, where the 47-year-old official went missing Monday.
The South claims the North shot the official to death and set his body on fire Tuesday, whereas the North argues its military shot at the "illegal intruder" but burned a "floating material" rather than his body.
The Coast Guard and Navy conduct an operation to search for the body of a fisheries official near the de facto inter-Korean sea border, in this photo provided by the Coast Guard. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The search operations near the border island of Yeonpyeong came as the North urged the South to immediately halt the search operations, arguing the operations are encroaching upon its territorial waters in a denial of the NLL.
"We can never overlook any intrusion into our territorial waters and we seriously warn the south side against it," the North's official Korean Central News Agency said in a report
"We urge the south side to immediately halt the intrusion across the military demarcation line in the west sea that may lead to escalation of tensions," it added.
The North has long disputed the NLL, arguing the boundary was unilaterally set by the then commander of the U.S.-led U.N. Command after the 1950-53 Korean War. It argues the boundary should be redrawn farther south.
A South Korean Coast Guard official stressed that the search operations have been taking place strictly in waters south of the NLL.
"We are currently carrying out the search with an increase in vessels and personnel today as well," the official said.
Meanwhile, the authorities are not ruling out the possibility that the ill-fated official drifted into the North Korean waters with an intention to defect to the North, though the bereaved family denies that possibility.
They are currently carrying out a digital forensic probe on a computer on the fishery patrol ship, which the official had boarded, to find out if there are any search records related to North Korea.
The investigators have also restored two surveillance cameras, which had been out of order since Sept. 18, to check if anybody broke them on purpose.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-27--(LEAD) New virus cases stay below 100, but rise spurs concern ahead of Chuseok holiday

The number of imported cases stood at 22 as of midnight , bringing the total cases from overseas to 3,183 @ @ @ @ @ overseas cases , 18 came from Asian countries except for China , followed by three @ @ @ @ @ Africa , the KDCA said .

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with details, CHANGES headline)
By Choi Kyong-ae
SEOUL, Sept. 27 (Yonhap) --South Korea reported 95 more cases of the new coronavirus Sunday, up 34 from the previous day, amid concern about the virus further spreading during the upcoming Chuseok holiday, even though new infections stayed below 100 for the second straight day.
The new COVID-19 cases break down to 73 local infections and 22 imported cases, and brought the country's total caseload to 23,611, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
The number of daily cornavirus cases bounced back to over 100 Wednesday and stayed above the mark Thursday and Friday. The number fell to 61 on Saturday as health authorities focus on reducing further sporadic cluster infections and untraceable cases in the greater Seoul area.
New virus cases had been in the triple digits for more than a month since Aug. 14 due to cases tied to a church in Seoul and an anti-government rally before briefly falling below 100.
Health workers disinfect a market near Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul, which is at the center of a recent resurgence of the coronavirus, on Sept. 24, 2020, ahead of the Chuseok holiday, which falls on Oct. 1. (Yonhap)
The number of imported cases stood at 22 as of midnight, bringing the total cases from overseas to 3,183. Of the newly confirmed overseas cases, 18 came from Asian countries except for China, followed by three from Europe and one from Africa, the KDCA said.
Cluster infections continued to be reported at workplaces, nursing homes, churches and day care centers, especially in the greater Seoul area.
Untraceable cases accounted for about 25 percent of the daily new cases, according to the KDCA.
Seoul added 34 new virus cases, and nearby Gyeonggi Province and Incheon saw 21 and nine new patients, respectively.
Two additional deaths were reported, raising the toll to 401. The fatality rate came to 1.7 percent.
Imported cases nearly doubled to 22 from Saturday's 12. Of the total, six cases were from Uzbekistan, followed by five each from the Philippines and India, and one each from Nepal, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Britain and the United States, the KDCA said
The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients stood at 124 as of midnight, up two from the previous day, according to the authorities.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 21,248, up 82 from the previous day.
The country has carried out 2,296,517 coronavirus tests since Jan. 3, the KDCA said.
This photo taken Sept. 25, 2020, shows only a few people in Seoul's university district of Shinchon amid the pandemic. (Yonhap)
The biggest, imminent challenge is to prevent a potential rebound in new virus cases around the upcoming Chuseok holiday, which traditionally entails mass movements of people and family gatherings across the country.
This year's fall harvest holiday runs from Wednesday through next Sunday.
With a goal to minimize the potential impacts of the holiday, the government decided to designate a special two-week period for strong antivirus efforts starting Monday, while maintaining the Level 2 social distancing guidance.
At the current level, indoor gatherings of 50 or more people are banned, and outdoor meetings of 100 or more people are also prohibited. Sports events are allowed without spectators.
Under the two-week campaign, the operation of 11 types of "high-risk" facilities, including clubs, bars and buffets, will be suspended in the greater Seoul area for two weeks. As for non-metropolitan areas, five kinds of risk-prone facilities, such as nightlife establishments will be ordered to shut down for a week.
The authorities also called for the strengthening of quarantine measures further at public facilities, such as restaurants, cafes and theaters, in Seoul and the surrounding areas during the period.
This illustration published on Sept. 25, 2020, calls on people to refrain from visiting their hometowns for this year's Chuseok fall harvest holiday. (Yonhap)
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-27--Traffic accident rate highest on eve of Chuseok holiday: police

The data indicated that an average of 481 accidents per day and an average of 865 deaths and injuries took @ @ @ @ @ in the period .

SEOUL, Sept. 27 (Yonhap) -- Traffic accidents and casualties are the highest on the eve of the Chuseok holiday when South Koreans visit their hometowns and travel long distances, data showed Sunday.
From 2015 to 2019, a total average of 825 car accidents took place on the day before the Chuseok holiday, responsible for an average of 1,200 deaths and injuries, according to police data.
The data indicated that an average of 481 accidents per day and an average of 865 deaths and injuries took place during the Chuseok holiday in the period.
On Chuseok, one of the country's biggest traditional holidays, families usually travel or visit their hometowns. The extended three-day Chuseok holiday runs from Wednesday to Friday this year.
Police authorities advised drivers to take a break when traveling long distances and warned them against drunk driving.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-27--S. Korea, China hold ceremony repatriating 117 sets of Chinese troop remains

`` Our government plans to continue to repatriate the remains of Chinese troops if excavated in Korea and will make @ @ @ @ @ of bilateral relations , '' the ministry said in a press release .

SEOUL, Sept. 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and China held a ceremony Sunday to repatriate 117 sets of the remains of Chinese troops killed during the 1950-53 Korean War, the foreign ministry said.
The seventh such repatriation ceremony took place at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, a day after the two countries casketed the remains at a temporary storage facility in Incheon.
Of the remains repatriated Sunday, 103 sets were excavated last year from Arrowhead Ridge, a battle site inside the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas. Others were uncovered in other parts of South Korea.
"Our government plans to continue to repatriate the remains of Chinese troops if excavated in Korea and will make efforts for the future-oriented development of bilateral relations," the ministry said in a press release.
Since the two countries agreed on the return of the Chinese troop remains in 2014 in a symbolic gesture of their friendship, Seoul has returned 716 sets of remains of Chinese fighters, including the latest 117 sets.
South Korean and Chinese officials attend a ceremony casketing the remains of Chinese troops killed during the 1950-53 Korean War at a military facility for the remains in Incheon, west of Seoul, on Sept. 26, 2020, in this photo provided by the defense ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-27--New virus cases stay below 100 amid vigilance ahead of key holiday

Under the two-week campaign , the operation of 11 types of `` high-risk '' facilities , including clubs , bars @ @ @ @ @ suspended in the greater Seoul area for two weeks .
As for non-metropolitan areas , @ @ @ @ @ , such as nightlife establishments will be ordered to shut down for a week .

SEOUL, Sept. 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed below 100 for the second straight day Sunday as the country steps up its virus fight ahead of Chuseok, the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving.
The country added 95 more COVID-19 cases, including 73 local infections, bringing the total caseload to 23,611, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
The number of daily new infections bounced back to over 100 Wednesday and stayed over 100 Thursday and Friday. The number fell below 100 Saturday as health authorities focus on reducing further sporadic cluster infections and untraceable cases in the greater Seoul area.
New virus cases had been in the triple digits for more than a month since Aug. 14 due to cases tied to a church in Seoul and an anti-government rally before briefly falling below 100.
Health workers disinfect a market near Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul, which is at the center of a recent resurgence of the coronavirus, on Sept. 24, 2020, ahead of the Chuseok holiday, which falls on Oct. 1. (Yonhap)
Seoul added 34 new virus cases, and nearby Gyeonggi Province and Incheon saw 21 and nine new patients, respectively, according to the KDCA.
The biggest, imminent challenge is to prevent a potential rebound in new virus cases around the upcoming Chuseok holiday, which traditionally entails mass movements of people and family gatherings across the country.
This year's fall harvest holiday runs from Wednesday through next Sunday.
With a goal to minimize the potential impacts of the holiday, the government decided to designate a special two-week period for strong antivirus efforts starting Monday, while maintaining the Level 2 social distancing guidance.
At the current level, indoor gatherings of 50 or more people are banned, and outdoor meetings of 100 or more people are also prohibited. Sports events are allowed without spectators.
Under the two-week campaign, the operation of 11 types of "high-risk" facilities, including clubs, bars and buffets, will be suspended in the greater Seoul area for two weeks. As for non-metropolitan areas, five kinds of risk-prone facilities, such as nightlife establishments will be ordered to shut down for a week.
The authorities also called for the strengthening of quarantine measures further at public facilities, such as restaurants, cafes and theaters, in Seoul and the surrounding areas during the period.
South Korea reported two additional deaths, raising the death toll to 401. The fatality rate was 1.7 percent.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 21,248, up 82 from the previous day.
This photo taken Sept. 25, 2020, shows only a few people in Seoul's university district of Shinchon amid the pandemic. (Yonhap)
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-27--(URGENT) 82 more patients released from coronavirus treatment, total now at 21,248: KDCA

(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--2020-09-27--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 2 additional coronavirus deaths, total now at 401: KDCA


yna--2020-09-27--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 95 more cases of new coronavirus: KDCA


Sunday's weather forecast

SEOUL , Sep. 27 ( Yonhap ) -- The following is the weather forecast for South Korea 's 12 major @ @ @ @ @ .


yna--2020-09-27--Insurance agents biggest COVID-19 relief payout beneficiaries: data

Those who did not receive the first round of payouts can also apply for a second round of payouts between @ @ @ @ @ The government plans to select 200,000 more workers and also pay them 1.5 million won @ @

SEOUL, Sept. 27 (Yonhap) -- Insurance agents made up the biggest portion of workers who received emergency relief payouts from the government amid the new coronavirus pandemic, data showed Sunday.
Of around 500,000 virus-hit workers and businesspeople who received the government's relief money, about 87,000 of them were insurance agents, according to the data provided by the labor ministry.
Drivers who offer chauffeur services to drunk customers came next at 21,000, followed by around 20,000 instructors who teach children at home and 19,000 door-to-door salesmen.
The South Korean government has been paying out 1.5 million won (US$1,282) to freelancers, the self-employed, people on special employment contracts and those on unpaid leave, to help them survive the pandemic that has hit the local economy.
Earlier this month, the government also drew up an additional 7.8 trillion won supplementary budget to further support these people. It plans to pay out an additional 500,000 won to those who received the 1.5 million won payout.
Those who did not receive the first round of payouts can also apply for a second round of payouts between Oct. 12 and 23. The government plans to select 200,000 more workers and also pay them 1.5 million won each.
Officials affiliated with the labor ministry offer consultation to people on receiving government relief payouts for those who have been affected by the new coronavirus outbreak, at an employment support center in central Seoul on Sept. 23, 2020. (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-27--(LEAD) N.K. warns S. Korea against violating western sea border to search for official's body

(ATTN: RECASTS headline; ADDS info from 5th para, photo)
By Koh Byung-joon
SEOUL, Sept. 27 (Yonhap) -- North Korea warned South Korea on Sunday to stop violating its western sea border in searching for the body of a citizen shot and killed in North Korean waters, saying it will search for the body on its own and hand it over if it's found.
South Korea has been searching for the body of the 47-year-old fisheries official shot and killed by North Korean soldiers earlier last week after he drifted into their waters near the Yellow Sea border between the two sides. South Korea claims the North shot him to death and burned the body, while the North claims it was lost in the sea after he was shot.
"According to a report by the western fleet of our navy, the south side has mobilized many vessels including warships to an action presumed to be a search operation and let them intrude into our territorial waters since September 25. It arouses our due vigilance as it may lead to another awful incident," the Korean Central News Agency said.
"We can never overlook any intrusion into our territorial waters and we seriously warn the south side against it. We urge the south side to immediately halt the intrusion across the military demarcation line in the west sea that may lead to escalation of tensions," it said.
The KCNA noted that North Korea plans to organize a search operation of its own and considers "procedures" and "ways" of handing over "any tide-brought corpse" to the South "in case we find it during the operation."
On Friday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un apologized for the killing in a message sent to Seoul's presidential office, saying he is deeply sorry for the "unexpected" and "unfortunate" incident that happened in his country's waters.
The North's message, however, offered an account with major discrepancies from the Seoul's claim, including how the body was handled. It also differs on whether the ill-fated official expressed an intention to defect before his death and who gave the shooting order.
On Saturday, South Korea's presidential office said it will demand North Korea carry out an additional or joint investigation into the killing to figure out exactly what happened. It is uncertain whether North Korea will accept the demand.
North Korea has not accepted Seoul's call for a joint probe into similar cases, including the death of Park Wang-ja, who was shot and killed at the North's mountain resort of Kumgang while traveling there in July 2008.
The South Korean Coast Guard conducts an operation in waters off Yeonpyeong Island bordering North Korea in the West Sea on Sept. 25, 2020, to find the remains and belongings of a South Korean official who was shot to death and burned by North Korean soldiers in the North's waters on Sept. 22, in this photo provided by the Coast Guard. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-27--N.K. warns S. Korea against violating western sea border to search for official's body

South Korea has been searching for the body of the 47-year-old fisheries official shot and killed by North Korean soldiers @ @ @ @ @ into their waters near the Yellow Sea border between the two sides .
South Korea @ @ @ @ @ to death and burned the body , while the North claims it was lost in @ @ @ @ @ shot .

SEOUL, Sept. 27 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Sunday urged South Korea to "immediately" stop violating its western sea border in searching for the body of a missing civilian recently killed by the North's soldiers.
South Korea has been searching for the body of the 47-year-old fisheries official shot and killed by North Korean soldiers last week after he drifted into their waters near the Yellow Sea border between the two sides. South Korea claims the North shot him to death and burned the body, while the North claims it was lost in the sea after he was shot.
"According to a report by the western fleet of our navy, the south side has mobilized many vessels including warships to an action presumed to be a search operation and let them intrude into our territorial waters since September 25. It arouses our due vigilance as it may lead to another awful incident," the Korean Central News Agency said.
"We can never overlook any intrusion into our territorial waters, and we seriously warn the south side against it," the KCNA added. "We urge the south side to immediately halt the intrusion across the military demarcation line in the west sea that may lead to escalation of tensions."
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-09-27--(URGENT) N.K. warns S. Korea against violating western sea border to search for missing official's b

(URGENT) N.K. warns S. Korea against violating western sea border to search for missing official's body


yna--2020-09-27--(Yonhap Interview) Chinese ambassador calls for South Korea to join Beijing's data security initiati

(Yonhap Interview) Chinese ambassador calls for South Korea to join Beijing's data security initiative

`` Together with countries in the world , including South Korea , China would like to establish global data security @ @ @ @ @ 's responsibilities for the digital era and elevate the development of digital economy to a @ @ @ @ @ Xing said during the interview at the Chinese Embassy in Seoul on Tuesday .

By Song Sang-ho
SEOUL, Sept. 27 (Yonhap) -- Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming has called for South Korea to join Beijing's global data security initiative seen as a move to counter a U.S. drive to discourage the use of Chinese technology on security grounds.
During a recent interview with Yonhap News Agency, Xing delineated the initiative that Beijing's Foreign Minister Wang Yi unveiled earlier this month after Washington rolled out the Clean Network program to rid America's online networks of Chinese tech firms.
The two competing schemes came in the context of an increasingly acrimonious Sino-U.S. rivalry over trade, technology and security, which has posed a nettlesome foreign policy quandary to South Korea.
"Together with countries in the world, including South Korea, China would like to establish global data security, jointly shoulder the world's responsibilities for the digital era and elevate the development of digital economy to a much higher level," Xing said during the interview at the Chinese Embassy in Seoul on Tuesday.
Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming speaks during an interview with Yonhap News Agency at the Chinese Embassy in Seoul on Sept. 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
The Chinese initiative seeks to build global standards for data security, which Beijing says should be handled in a "comprehensive, objective and evidence-based" manner. The U.S. program seeks to remove what it calls "untrusted" Chinese tech firms and apps, including Huawei, from its telecommunications and other key networks.
Commenting on the U.S.' stepped-up campaign against China, Xing stressed that the "primary cause" of Sino-U.S. tensions does not rest with China.
"Imposing excessive sanctions on IT enterprises by abusing national capabilities runs afoul of market principles and international rules but also conflicts with principles of market economy and fair competition," he said.
Unabated tensions between the U.S. and China over technology, as well as their tussle over Beijing's policy on Hong Kong, the South China Sea and its western Xinjiang Uighur region, have put to test South Korea's policy aimed at deepening its security partnership with Washington and strategic ties with Beijing.
Xing said that China is "well aware" that South Korea needs to have good relations with both its security ally, Washington, and top trading partner, Beijing.
"China and South Korea are strategic cooperative partners, while South Korea and the United States are in an alliance relationship. China is well aware that both bilateral relationships are important for South Korea," Xing said.
"China sufficiently trusts and respects South Korea's external policy, which it has chosen in light of its national interests, fairness and justice ... China also would like to work together with South Korea to develop bilateral ties in a sustained, sound and stable manner," he added.
Dismissing claims that Beijing is angling for global hegemony, the ambassador stressed that his country is seeking a "win-win" relationship with Washington, though he decried the U.S. campaign against Chinese tech enterprises as "coercive and predatory."
Regarding the stalled nuclear talks between the U.S. and North Korea, Xing reiterated China's position in support of a step-by-step denuclearization approach rather than an encompassing deal aimed at addressing the nuclear issue all at once.
The deadlock in the nuclear negotiations, coupled with renewed inter-Korean tensions from the North's recent shooting and burning of a South Korean official drifting at sea has raised uncertainty for Seoul's efforts for lasting peace on the peninsula.
On the COVID-19 situation in the North, Xing said he has not heard of any official virus case from the reclusive regime, and assessed that a "very rigorous" quarantine program is under way in the North.
Asked about the timing of President Xi Jinping's possible visit to South Korea, Xing said it depends on the COVID-19 pandemic situation.
"As the Chinese ambassador posted here in South Korea, it is my foremost, biggest aspiration to take our country's supreme leader here," he said.
"The Chinese side appreciated South Korea's invitation and said that his visit will come at the earliest possible date when the coronavirus situation levels off," he added.
Talk of Xi's visit has raised hope for Beijing's wholesale lifting of unofficial restrictions on Korean entertainment and cultural products, which were triggered by the 2017 installation of a U.S. anti-missile system on South Korean soil.
Xing said there are no such restrictions -- a repeat of Beijing's argument that a decline in cultural exchanges between the two countries was attributable to public unease over the U.S. military asset deployment.
The Chinese ambassador took office in January.
Entering foreign service in 1986, Xing served in the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang from 1988-1991 and from 2006-2008. He had also worked at the Chinese Embassy in Seoul for around 10 years in total on three separate assignments here since 1992.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


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(END)


yna--2020-09-26--(LEAD) Five flights diverted from Incheon due to drone

They could not land `` due to an unidentified flying object , which appears to be an illegal drone , @ @ @ @ @ Corp. official said .

(ATTN: UPDATES with real estate agent flying drone to make a promotional video of an apartment in last para)
SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- Five flights were diverted from Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, due to suspected drone activity on Saturday, the airport operator said.
A passenger airplane of Russia's S7 Airlines, two cargo flights of South Korea's Asiana Airlines and two cargo flights of American Airlines were redirected to nearby Gimpo International Airport between 1:40 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
They could not land "due to an unidentified flying object, which appears to be an illegal drone," an Incheon International Airport Corp. official said.
Police found a middle-aged real estate agent was flying a drone to make a promotional video of an apartment and handed the person over to the aviation authorities.
This photo provided by Incheon International Airport Corp. shows a cargo terminal at the airport in Incheon, west of Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
(END)