yna--2020-10-08--Samsung to show BTS' 'Dynamite' music video at TV stores worldwide

Samsung , the world 's largest TV vendor , hopes playing the BTS music video on its TVs will increase @ @ @ @ @ products while shopping .
The music video of `` Dynamite , '' which was first @ @ @ @ @ 21 , has already racked up more than 450 million views .

SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. said Thursday the music video of "Dynamite," K-pop sensation BTS' latest single, will be played on its TVs displayed at retail stores worldwide as the South Korean giant strengthens its marketing with the star boy band.
Starting with more than 1,400 electronics shops in South Korea, Samsung TVs will show the music video of "Dynamite," the first South Korean-performed song to top the Billboard Hot 100.
Samsung, the world's largest TV vendor, hopes playing the BTS music video on its TVs will increase customers' interest in its products while shopping. The music video of "Dynamite," which was first released on YouTube on Aug. 21, has already racked up more than 450 million views.
Samsung has been actively collaborating with BTS in recent months. In June, the company released the limited edition of the Galaxy S20 smartphone and wireless earbuds inspired by the seven-member band.
BTS was also featured in Samsung's mobile event, the Galaxy Unpacked, in August.
This photo provided by Samsung Electronics Co. on Oct. 8, 2020, shows models watching the music video of "Dynamite," K-pop sensation BTS' latest single, on Samsung's QLED TV. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--World's largest artificial wave pool opens in S. Korea

Due to the new coronavirus pandemic , however , only the artificial wave pool will accept visitors for the time @ @ @ @ @ to visit should make reservations at the website ( www.wavepark.co.kr ) as the park will @ @ @ @ @ people to keep social distance among visitors , the operator said .

SIHEUNG, South Korea, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- A water park with the world's largest artificial wave pool has opened in Siheung to offer various water sports activities to its visitors.
Wave Park, an urban park for water sports created on an artificial island named Geobuk in the city 25 kilometers southwest of Seoul started welcoming visitors Thursday.
Constructed on 166,000 square meters of land with a budget of 563 billion won (US$486 million), the park consists of the world's largest artificial wave pool for surfing, facilities for enjoying various other water sports activities, such as canoeing and scuba diving, according to its operator.
The wave pool, 220 meters long and 240 meters wide, can produce waves of up to 2.4 meters every 8 seconds and accommodate a maximum of 150 surfers per hour, it said.
Due to the new coronavirus pandemic, however, only the artificial wave pool will accept visitors for the time being. Those who wish to visit should make reservations at the website (www.wavepark.co.kr) as the park will admit a limited number of people to keep social distance among visitors, the operator said.
A surfer enjoys a wave at Wave Park on Oct. 7, 2020. (Yonhap)
The park is part of a massive ocean leisure complex being created by the Siheung city government, Gyeonggi provincial government, Korea Water Resources Corp. and Daewon Plus Construction Co.
The rest of the complex, including an eco science park and a street of shops, is set to be completed by the end of 2025, according to the related authorities.
nyway@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--S. Koreans spent nearly 30 hours on YouTube in Sept.: data

The data also showed that South Koreans across all age groups used YouTube frequently , accessing the app for 16.9 @ @ @ @ @ .
The age group between 10 and 19 was on the video streaming app for @ @ @ @ @ in their 60s used the app for 15.8 days .

SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- South Koreans are estimated to have spent nearly 30 hours on YouTube in September, a report showed Thursday, far surpassing other popular social media apps.
South Korean users spent an average of 29.5 hours on Google's video-sharing app last month, compared with 12 hours on KakaoTalk, the country's top messenger app, according to data from local market tracker IGAWorks.
YouTube's logo is shown in this undated file photo provided by Yonhap News TV. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)
Local users spent an average of 11.7 hours on global social media app Facebook, followed by 10.2 hours on Naver, South Korea's top internet portal, and 7.5 hours on Instagram.
IGAWorks' data, based on monthly active users on major apps offered on Google's Android and Apple's iOS platforms in September, also showed that there were 43.2 million YouTube users in South Korea, accounting for 83 percent of the country's 51.8 million population.
KakaoTalk had 45.5 million monthly active users in South Korea as of the second quarter this year, according to its operator Kakao Corp.
The data also showed that South Koreans across all age groups used YouTube frequently, accessing the app for 16.9 days on average last month. The age group between 10 and 19 was on the video streaming app for 20 days, while those in their 60s used the app for 15.8 days.
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--Fine for personal data leaks averaged 258 won since 2016: lawmaker

By year , there were 22.12 million leaks in 2016 , 6.1 million in 2017 , 8.54 million in 2018 @ @ @ @ @ and 9.94 million in the first nine months of this year , according to the @ @

SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- Tens of million personal data records have been leaked over the past five years but fines for the leaks averaged 258 won (US$0.22), a lawmaker said Thursday, calling for tougher penalties.
According to Rep. Park Kwang-on of the ruling Democratic Party, over 64 million leaks of personal information, such as names, social security numbers and mobile phone numbers, were reported from the public, private and online sectors from 2016 to last month.
Of them, administrative action was taken in 50.87 million cases, resulting in fines of 13.14 billion won, or an average of 258 won per case, Park said citing data from the Personal Information Protection Commission.
He said the country's laws on personal data protection levy a fine of 3 percent of a firm's total revenue resulting from a violation, a level he said is too low compared with countries in Europe.
"If we are to become a digital economy, we must place the highest importance on protecting personal information," said the lawmaker, who serves on the National Assembly's National Policy Committee.
Park called for introducing standards similar to the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation. Under the GDPR, serious violations of the regulations can lead to fines of up to 20 million euros or 4 percent of a firm's worldwide annual revenue, whichever amount is higher.
By year, there were 22.12 million leaks in 2016, 6.1 million in 2017, 8.54 million in 2018, 18.39 million in 2019 and 9.94 million in the first nine months of this year, according to the lawmaker.
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--(LEAD) Defense chiefs of S. Korea, U.S. reaffirm commitment to alliance

The planned visit will be Suh 's first overseas trip as South Korea 's defense chief .
It will also @ @ @ @ @ a South Korean defense minister to visit a foreign country since February , due to @ @ @ @

(ATTN: CHANGES dateline; UPDATES with reports of readout from U.S. Department of Defense in last 3 paras)
SEOUL/WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- Defense Minister Suh Wook and U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper held phone talks on Thursday and reaffirmed their commitment to a strong alliance and a firm combined defense posture, the defense ministry said.
The call marked the first talks between the two since Suh took office as defense minister last month.
"The two ministers reaffirmed the importance of strengthening the ironclad South Korea-U.S. alliance and closely cooperating on defense issues," the ministry said in a release.
Esper congratulated Suh on his inauguration and expressed expectations for their Security Consultative Meeting slated to take place in Washington on Wednesday.
The planned visit will be Suh's first overseas trip as South Korea's defense chief. It will also be the first time for a South Korean defense minister to visit a foreign country since February, due to the new coronavirus.
In Washington, the Pentagon released a similar readout, saying the two sides "pledged to continue cooperation and to deepen and develop the ROK-U.S. Alliance in a future-oriented and mutually reinforcing manner."
Defense Minister Suh Wook holds phone talks with U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper in Seoul on Oct. 8, 2020, in this photo provided by his office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--S. Korean, U.S. JCS chiefs to hold annual talks via videoconference next week

The MCM is held every year , usually a day before the defense ministers of the two countries hold the @ @ @ @ @ ) .
This year 's SCM is slated to be held in Washington on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ two sides decided to hold MCM talks by a video call .

SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- The military chiefs of South Korea and the United States will hold their annual talks via videoconference next week to discuss regional security and alliance issues, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Thursday.
The 45th Military Committee Meeting (MCM) between JCS Chairman Gen. Won In-choul and his U.S. counterpart, Gen. Mark Milley, is scheduled for Tuesday, the JCS said in a parliamentary audit report.
The MCM is held every year, usually a day before the defense ministers of the two countries hold the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM). This year's SCM is slated to be held in Washington on Wednesday next week, but the two sides decided to hold MCM talks by a video call.
The decision came as top American military leaders are in quarantine, with Milley reportedly among them, after coming into contact with U.S. Coast Guard's vice commandant, Adm. Charles Ray, who tested positive for the new coronavirus earlier this week.
The previous MCM session was hosted by South Korea.
During the upcoming meeting, the two sides plan to assess the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and the Northeast Asia region, as well as their military readiness posture, the JCS said.
Also on the table is the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) of South Korean forces from Washington to Seoul.
The Seoul government seeks to retake the wartime OPCON before the current Moon Jae-in administration's term ends in May 2022, though the transition is not time-based but conditions-based.
The JCS has said it will accelerate the push to retake the OPCON based on strong alliance with the U.S.
South Korea's new Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) chairman Gen. Won In-choul holds phone talks with his U.S. counterpart Mark Milley on Oct. 6, 2020, vowing to strengthen the combined defense posture based on the ironclad alliance, in this photo provided by the JCS. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--N. Korea could unveil new ICBM or SLBM in this week's military parade: unification ministry

`` North Korea has focused mostly on stabilizing the lives of its people in the face of typhoons and the @ @ @ @ @ order to consolidate its internal unity , '' the ministry said .
`` We expect @ @ @ @ @ for strategic response to its relations with South Korea and the U.S . ''

By Koh Byung-joon
SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- North Korea could unveil newly developed strategic weapons, such as an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), during this week's widely expected military parade in a bid to strengthen internal unity amid economic difficulties, the unification ministry said Thursday.
Other new weapons the North could show off include a transporter erector launcher vehicle and a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), the ministry said in a report to the parliamentary audit. The parade is expected to take place Saturday to mark the 75th anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party.
"North Korea is expected to stage a large-scale military parade and other events to mark the 75th party founding anniversary this week in a bid to consolidate unity and close ranks behind the party," the ministry said.
"There is a possibility that North Korea will unveil new strategic weapons, such as new intercontinental ballistic missiles or submarine-launched ballistic missiles, to draw attention at a time when its economic achievements have been sluggish," it added.
North Korea tends to mark every fifth or 10th anniversary with larger-scale events, such as military provocations, including missile launches, or parades of troops, newly developed strategic weapons and other military hardware.
This year's draws special attention as leader Kim Jong-un said in his New Year's message that he will soon showcase a "new strategic weapon," expressing frustration with little progress in denuclearization negotiations with the United States.
Inter-Korean relations have also been in a deadlock, and ties worsened recently after North Korea blew up the liaison office in its border town of Kaesong and vowed to sever all cross-border communications lines in June in anger over anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent from the South.
The ministry said the North could seek a change from the current stalemated status quo in its ties with South Korea and the U.S. following this week's national holiday.
"North Korea has focused mostly on stabilizing the lives of its people in the face of typhoons and the antivirus campaign so far in order to consolidate its internal unity," the ministry said. "We expect the North could explore ways for strategic response to its relations with South Korea and the U.S."
With regard to the North's killing of a South Korean fisheries official drifting near the western maritime border late last month, the ministry called it "an inhuman act" and reiterated the need for "joint solutions" to prevent such an incident from taking place again.
The ministry also said it will take a "cautious" approach in pushing for envisioned cross-border cooperative projects but continue to seek "small-scale" exchanges in the humanitarian area in consideration of evolving situations.
Goose-stepping North Korean soldiers march in a military parade at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang on Sept. 9, 2018, to mark the country's 70th anniversary of its founding day, in these photos carried by the North's daily Rodong Sinmun. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--Amid pandemic-related uncertainty, LPGA star Park In-bee admits Olympics less of a goal

`` I think it 's just I really trust the LPGA Tour and everybody who 's running the Tour over @ @ @ @ @ would definitely run this association really safe and traveling really safe , '' Park said @ @ @ @ @ decision to move to the United States ahead of her compatriots .
`` The most @ @ @ @ @ me was at the tournament site ( is ) we 're not meeting a lot @ @ @ @ @ just in this bubble .
Plus , I really wanted to compete and really wanted @ @ @ @ @ again .
It 's just I missed competition and being out here . ''

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- If the 2020 Olympics, postponed by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, were to start this week, LPGA star Park In-bee would be one of four South Korean players in the women's golf tournament, and would have a chance to defend her gold medal from four years ago.
But Park isn't thinking about the buildup to the Tokyo Summer Games, now scheduled to open in July 2021. It's a change of heart for the LPGA Hall of Famer, who had said earlier this year that making the Olympic team was one of her big goals.
Park is in Pennsylvania this week for the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, the second major of this pandemic-interrupted season. At her pretournament press conference on Wednesday (local time), Park said the Olympic Games are not as much on her radar as before.
In this Getty Images file photo from Oct. 1, 2020, Park In-bee of South Korea hits her drive on the first hole during the first round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic on the Bay Course at Seaview Hotel and Golf Club in Galloway, New Jersey. (Yonhap)
"I've got to say it's definitely a little bit less than what I had in my mind earlier in the year because nothing is really certain at the moment," she said. "We just don't know what's going to happen next year. We don't know what's going to happen next week. I think it's just probably a lot less pressure now than before, but yeah, if it goes and happens, I guess it definitely could be a good goal for me."
For the women's event at the Olympics, players inside the top 15 in the world rankings will automatically qualify, though each country can only field a maximum four players each. South Korea, long a dominant force in women's golf, currently boasts seven players in the top 15, more than any other nation. At No. 9, Park is the fourth-highest South Korean, behind Ko Jin-young (No. 1), Kim Sei-young (No. 7) and Park Sung-hyun (No. 8).
For now, Park In-bee is focusing on her LPGA activities. She won the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open in February, the last tournament before the tour was forced to press pause because of the coronavirus outbreak.
The tour resumed at the end of July. Park was one of the first prominent South Korean players to rejoin the competition, while the likes of Ko and Lee Jeong-eun, the 2019 LPGA Rookie of the Year, still haven't left their home country.
In five tournaments since her restart, Park has posted three top-10 finishes.
"I think it's just I really trust the LPGA Tour and everybody who's running the Tour over here. I thought they would definitely run this association really safe and traveling really safe," Park said, when asked about her decision to move to the United States ahead of her compatriots. "The most important (thing) for me was at the tournament site (is) we're not meeting a lot of people or we're just in this bubble. Plus, I really wanted to compete and really wanted to come out and play again. It's just I missed competition and being out here."
In this Getty Images file photo from Oct. 1, 2020, Park In-bee of South Korea is in action during the first round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic on the Bay Course at Seaview Hotel and Golf Club in Galloway, New Jersey. (Yonhap)
Park is second on the money list and the Player of the Year points race, trailing Danielle Kang in both categories.
"I feel like I've played really (well) early in the year, and when I came back I feel like I played quite consistently," she said. "It is really awkward to play in fall and winter in the States because it's usually the summertime that we play the big events here in the U.S., so it's definitely a different atmosphere and obviously different weather."
Park is a three-time champion of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, reeling off three straight titles from 2013 to 2015. This year's tournament will be played on 6,577-yard, par-70 Aronimink Golf Club.
Park, who ranks 143rd on the tour with an average of 238.34 yards off the tee, said this is "definitely one of the longest golf courses that I've ever played." That she has lost a bit of her distance with her driver -- she averaged 247.32 yards last year -- isn't helping the matter. She will be hitting some fairway woods just to get to the green on some par-4 holes.
"The course like this, I kind of wish that the fairways were a little bit narrower and the rough was a lot thicker," Park said. "Every golf course, the longer hitters definitely have an advantage. It's never a good feeling, but I guess you've got to get used to it."
Park has won seven major titles but none since 2015. The length of the course aside, she said she'll try to embrace the challenge of this week.
"It is always so much excitement for me to play in a major championship, especially on golf courses like this and at venues like this," she said. "It's a really, really good way to test your game, kind of see where your game is at, if you're still really able to win."
In this Getty Images file photo from Sept. 18, 2020, Park In-bee of South Korea waits on the first tee during the first round of the Cambia Portland Classic at Columbia Edgewater Country Club in Portland. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--(LEAD) S. Korea logs current account surplus for 4th month in Aug.

The current account has been in the black since the country logged a deficit of $ 3.33 billion in April @ @ @ @ @ a decade on faltering exports amid the new coronavirus outbreak .

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details throughout; ADDS photo)
By Kim Soo-yeon
SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korea posted a current account surplus for the fourth straight month in August as exports declined at a slower pace than imports amid major economies' reopenings after the pandemic-caused lockdowns, the central bank said Thursday.
The current account surplus reached US$6.57 billion in August, down from $7.45 billion the previous month, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). The current account is the broadest measure of cross-border trade.
The current account has been in the black since the country logged a deficit of $3.33 billion in April, the largest in almost a decade on faltering exports amid the new coronavirus outbreak.
This file photo, taken June 4, 2020, shows stacks of import-export cargo containers at South Korea's largest seaport in Busan, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)
The BOK said the country is presumed to have posted a large current account surplus in September, given the trend of exports and imports.
"In September, the current account surplus is estimated at a considerable size," Lee Seong-ho, director of the BOK's monetary and financial statistics division, said in a press briefing.
"There will be no problem for the country to achieve a full-year target of surplus," he added.
In late August, the BOK lowered its 2020 outlook for the current account surplus to $54 billion from its earlier estimate of $57 billion, citing sluggish global trade amid the virus outbreak. The 2021 surplus is likely to reach $55 billion.
The goods balance posted a surplus of $7.01 billion in August, larger than a surplus of $6.97 billion the previous month.
The surplus in the goods balance widened to a nine-month high in August as exports fell at a slower pace than imports, the BOK said.
Exports, which account for half of the South Korean economy, fell 10.3 percent on-year to $40.7 billion in August, while imports declined by a wider margin of 17.3 percent to $33.7 billion on low oil prices.
The country's overseas shipments were battered by the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic this year. But the pace of the slump has eased since June as major economies slowly began resuming business activities following lockdowns.
Exports rebounded for the first time in seven months in September, helped by increased shipments of chips and cars, according to data from the trade ministry.
The service account, which includes outlays by South Koreans on overseas trips, logged a deficit of $800 million in August after logging a shortfall of $1.11 billion in July.
The primary income account, which tracks wages of foreign workers and dividend payments overseas, logged a surplus of $630 million in August, smaller than a surplus of $1.95 billion in July.
The dividend income account swung to a deficit of $900 million in August, as overseas units of local companies hit by the pandemic failed to transfer money to their homeland.
The capital and financial account, which covers cross-border investments, posted a net inflow of $4.84 billion in August, compared with a net inflow of $9.59 billion the previous month.
This photo, taken on Aug. 16, 2020, shows almost no passengers at the international flights terminal of Incheon International Airport, South Korea's main gateway west of Seoul, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--Defense chiefs of S. Korea, U.S. reaffirm commitment to alliance

SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- Defense Minister Suh Wook and U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper held phone talks on Thursday and reaffirmed their commitment to a strong alliance and a firm combined defense posture, the defense ministry said.
The call marked the first talks between the two since Suh took office as defense minister last month.
"The two ministers reaffirmed the importance of strengthening the ironclad South Korea-U.S. alliance and closely cooperating on defense issues," the ministry said in a release.
Esper congratulated Suh on his inauguration and expressed expectations for their Security Consultative Meeting slated to take place in Washington on Wednesday.
The planned visit will be Suh's first overseas trip as South Korea's defense chief. It will also be the first time for a South Korean defense minister to visit a foreign country since February, due to the new coronavirus.
Defense Minister Suh Wook holds phone talks with U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper in Seoul on Oct. 8, 2020, in this photo provided by his office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--BTS-featuring 'Savage Love' remix sweeps iTunes charts

`` Savage Love ( Laxed - Siren Beat ) ( BTS Remix ) , '' the latest version of hit @ @ @ @ @ by U.S. pop singer Jason Derulo and New Zealand producer Jawsh 685 , has topped @ @ @ @ @ 66 countries , according to Big Hit Entertainment .
It also ranked No .
3 @ @ @ @ @ the chart on Wednesday .

SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- On top of the mega success of K-pop superstar BTS' "Dynamite," a song featuring the septet has also dominated iTunes charts around the world, the band's agency said Thursday.
"Savage Love (Laxed - Siren Beat) (BTS Remix)," the latest version of hit song "Savage Love" by U.S. pop singer Jason Derulo and New Zealand producer Jawsh 685, has topped iTunes Top Songs charts in 66 countries, according to Big Hit Entertainment. It also ranked No. 3 on the U.S. version of the chart on Wednesday.
The song also made a splash on music streaming platform Spotify. After debuting on the Global 50 chart at No. 37 on Friday, the song has remained on the list for five straight days.
"Savage Love" is one of the band's latest collaborations with other musicians. The seven-member band lent its singing and rapping for the remix version of the song, which generated a viral dance challenge on the social media platform Tik Tok earlier this year.
The band earlier made history with megahit "Dynamite" by becoming the first Korean act to top the Billboard's Hot 100.
This photo, released by Big Hit Entertainment, shows a teaser for global K-pop band BTS' new song "Dynamite." BTS will drop the "Tropical Remix" and "Poolside Remix" of the song at noon (Seoul time) on Aug. 28, 2020 on major streaming services. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
This photo, provided by Big Hit Entertainment, shows the members of BTS posing for photos during an online media day event in Seoul on Sept. 2, 2020. The band's "Dynamite" topped Billboard's main Hot 100 singles chart in the United States on Aug. 31. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--Virus cases fall back to double digits; potential spike still worrisome

The country is also set to have a three-day break from Friday to Sunday when Hangeul Day , which celebrates @ @ @ @ @ combined with the weekend .

SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's daily new infections rose by double digits on Thursday, while the country is still worried over a possible resurgence of new infections after a long holiday.
The country added 69 COVID-19 cases, including 60 local infections, raising the total caseload to 24,422, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
The country's new COVID-19 cases had risen by double digits for six consecutive days since last Friday, but bounced back to 114 on Wednesday.
A fire engine, which has a large mask on its front, is parked at a fire station in Incheon, west of Seoul, on Oct. 7, 2020. Firefighters installed the mask as part of their efforts to raise public awareness of the importance of wearing masks amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Yonhap)
Health authorities have warned that the country could see an uptick in COVID-19 cases after the five-day Chuseok holiday that ran through last Sunday.
Health authorities are especially concerned that asymptomatic patients could have spread the virus during the Chuseok fall harvest holiday.
The country is also set to have a three-day break from Friday to Sunday when Hangeul Day, which celebrates the Korean alphabet, is combined with the weekend.
The country earlier designated a special two-week period for toughened virus curbs until Sunday to prevent outbreaks.
Of the newly identified local infections, 19 cases were reported in Seoul and 22 cases in Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital. Incheon, west of Seoul, reported five more cases, the KDCA said.
The southern port city of Busan added five cases.
The number of newly identified imported cases came to nine, down from 20 a day earlier, the authorities said.
There were two additional deaths from COVID-19, raising the death toll to 427, they said. The fatality rate was 1.75 percent.
The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients came to 97, according to the KDCA.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 22,463, up 129 from the previous day.
The country has carried out 2,388,844 coronavirus tests since Jan. 3.
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--Seoul stocks open higher on Wall Street rallies

Investor appetite for risk also hiked on the back of the Federal Open Market Committee ( FOMC ) minutes , @ @ @ @ @ members implied openness to increasing the asset-buying program to support the pandemic-hit economy .

SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks opened higher Thursday, taking a cue from U.S. stock rallies over stimulus hopes.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) gained 12.88 points, or 0.54 percent, to 2,399.82 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
Local stocks got off to a strong start, bolstered by optimistic signals by U.S. House speaker Nancy Pelosi over an airline-relief bill in talks with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
Investor appetite for risk also hiked on the back of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) minutes, as some of the committee members implied openness to increasing the asset-buying program to support the pandemic-hit economy.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 1.91 percent to close at 28,303.46 on Wednesday (New York time). The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.88 percent, and the S&P 500 gained 1.74 percent.
Most large caps traded higher in Seoul.
Market kingpin Samsung Electronics rose 0.5 percent, while No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix gaining 0.6 percent.
Internet portal giant Naver shed 0.49 percent, but its rival Kakao added 1.05 percent.
Leading chemical maker LG Chem advanced up 0.44 percent, and rechargeable battery maker Samsung SDI climbed 0.57 percent.
Top pharmaceutical firm Samsung Biologics remained flat, and Celltrion jumped 2.5 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,157.2 won to the U.S. dollar, up 1 won from the previous session's close.
jwc@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--(LEAD) Samsung's Q3 earnings best in 2 yrs on Huawei effect, mobile recovery

Analysts have been raising earnings estimates for Samsung in recent weeks , betting that its chip business is not likely @ @ @ @ @ earnings drop despite a decline in memory prices , as rush orders from Huawei , @ @ @ @ @ equipment maker and No .
2 smartphone producer , may have helped Samsung avoid the @ @ @

(ATTN: CHANGES headline, lead; ADDS more info from 7th para, 4, 6, photos)
By Joo Kyung-don
SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. on Thursday expected its third-quarter profit to be the largest in two years, as its chip business got a boost from U.S. sanctions on Huawei Technologies Co. and its mobile sales bounced back on pent-up demand amid the pandemic.
In its earnings guidance, the South Korean tech giant estimated its operating profit at 12.3 trillion won (US$10.6 billion) for the July-September period, up 58.1 percent from a year ago.
The third-quarter operating income estimate beats the market consensus of 10.5 trillion won in the data compiled by Yonhap Infomax, the financial arm of Yonhap News Agency that surveyed 19 Korean brokerage houses last month.
The figure also marks Samsung's best quarterly performance since the third quarter of 2018, when it logged an operating profit of 17.5 trillion won.
Samsung estimated its third-quarter sales at 66 trillion won in the three-month period, up 6.45 percent from a year earlier. The figure is also above the market consensus of 64 trillion won.
This file photo, taken July 30, 2020, shows an outdoor sign of Samsung Electronics Co. at the company's building in Seoul. (Yonhap)
If its sales estimate is confirmed, Samsung will have its largest-ever quarterly sales, beating the previous record of 65.98 trillion won in the fourth quarter of 2017.
Samsung, the world's leading memory chip and smartphone vendor, did not break down performances of its respective business divisions, saying it will announce the detailed earnings later this month.
Analysts have been raising earnings estimates for Samsung in recent weeks, betting that its chip business is not likely to have suffered a big earnings drop despite a decline in memory prices, as rush orders from Huawei, the world's top telecom equipment maker and No. 2 smartphone producer, may have helped Samsung avoid the worst-case scenario.
Huawei, one of Samsung's largest customers, has been aggressively procuring semiconductors ahead of the U.S. export restrictions that have been in place since Sept. 15.
"Due to Huawei's rush orders after mid-August, it appears that Samsung has posted bit growth of 4 percent for DRAM and 13 percent for NAND flash, respectively," Song Myung-sub, an analyst at Hi Investment & Securities, said.
According to DRAMeXchange, a market tracker under TrendForce, the average contract price for 8-gigabit DDR4 DRAM, a benchmark price for the category, remained unchanged at $3.13 last month. Its price has been staying put since suffering a 5.44 percent drop in July.
The average contract price for DDR4 32GB RDIMM, a server DRAM chip mainly purchased by cloud firms, dropped for three consecutive months. It reached $122 at the end of September, down 4.69 percent from a month earlier, DRAMeXchange data showed.
This photo, provided by Samsung Electronics Co. on Aug. 30, 2020, shows the company's LPDDR5 mobile DRAM. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
While its mainstay chip business is staying afloat, analysts believe Samsung's mobile business has anchored the robust third-quarter earnings with increased smartphone sales on the back of pent-up demand.
Many analysts here expected Samsung's mobile business to log an operating income of more than 4 trillion won in the third quarter, a big jump from its second-quarter operating profit of 1.95 trillion won.
With major markets normalizing their retail channels, Samsung's Galaxy smartphone sales were estimated to be around 80 million units in the third quarter, about a 50 percent increase from the previous quarter.
"The average selling price of Samsung's smartphones in the third quarter is estimated to have increased 10 percent from a quarter ago," Park Sung-soon, an analyst at Cape Investment & Securities, said. "Expanded online sales and decreased marketing costs would have also improved its profitability."
This photo, taken on Aug. 7, 2020, shows Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy Note 20 smartphone displayed at a store in Seoul. (Yonhap)
Samsung's home appliance business has also been tipped to get a big boost from pent-up demand amid the stay-at-home economy driven by the pandemic.
Some analysts here even predicted the company's consumer electronics unit to post over 1 trillion won in operating profit in the third quarter, its best quarterly performance since the second quarter of 2016.
"As retailers made aggressive procurement for TVs ahead of the year-end shopping season, it is expected Samsung's visual display unit would make an improvement in its earnings," Kim Yang-jae, an analyst at KTB Investment & Securities, said.
According to a recent report from market tracker Omdia, the global QLED TV market, led by Samsung, was estimated to grow to 2.44 million units in the third quarter, up 83.9 percent from a year earlier.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--(URGENT) 129 more patients released from coronavirus treatment, total now at 22,463: 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--2020-10-08--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 2 additional coronavirus deaths, total now at 427: KDCA


yna--2020-10-08--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 69 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 24,422: KDCA


yna--2020-10-08--(LEAD) N. Korea used word meaning 'defection' while handling drifting S. Korean official: JSC chairm

(LEAD) N. Korea used word meaning 'defection' while handling drifting S. Korean official: JSC chairman

Whether the ill-fated official tried to defect to the North has been one of the most contentious issues , as @ @ @ @ @ protested the military 's announcement that he appears to have jumped into the sea in @ @ @ @ @ to the North .

(ATTN: ADDS more info from audit of Coast Guard in last 4 paras)
SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's military heard the expression "defection to North Korea" when it eavesdropped on the North's communications after a missing South Korean fisheries official ended up in the North's waters, Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Won In-choul said Thursday.
On Sept. 22, the 47-year-old official was fatally shot by the North Korean military while adrift in the North Korean side of the Yellow Sea, according to the South Korean military. He went missing the previous day while on duty near the western border island of Yeonpyeong.
Whether the ill-fated official tried to defect to the North has been one of the most contentious issues, as the bereaved family has strongly protested the military's announcement that he appears to have jumped into the sea in a suspected attempt to defect to the North.
Asked during a parliamentary audit whether the military heard the expression "defection to the North" when it eavesdropped on the North's communications, Won said the words were uttered.
But expressions, such as "dead body," were not heard among the intelligence acquired, he said.
"There was something that we could understand based on circumstantial grounds, but such words were not specifically mentioned," Won said.
South Korea's military has said that the North burned his body for about 40 minutes shortly after the shooting, but the North claimed that what it set on fire was not the body of the official, but a flotation device he was riding on.
Amid discrepancies over the two Koreas' explanations of what happened, the bereaved family has called for an additional probe and the disclosure of related information.
Defense Minister Suh Wook earlier said South Korea's assessment of the incident remains unchanged despite the North's claim, adding that it is currently analyzing the differences.
During an audit of the Coast Guard on Thursday, Commissioner General Kim Hong-hee said the official is presumed to have left the vessel at around 2 to 3 a.m. on Sept. 21.
It was the first time that the specific timeframe has been made public, as authorities have simply said that colleagues last saw him at around 1 a.m. on the boat and reported his disappearance at around 11:30 a.m. on the day.
Asked if his suspected attempt to defect to the North constitutes a violation of the national security law, the chief said that an internal probe into the case is still under way.
Also drawing attention during the audit was whether the official switched off his mobile phone or it was terminated forcibly, but chief Kim failed to give a clear answer.
South Korean marines patrol a beach of the western border island of Yeonpyeong on Sept. 28, 2020, amid tensions over North Korea's killing of a South Korean official in its waters on Sept. 22. (Yonhap)
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--(4th LD) Seoul's trade minister among 2 finalists in WTO chief race

Yoo was appointed as South Korea 's trade minister in February last year , becoming the country 's first woman @ @ @ @ @ 70-year history of the trade ministry .
She is the third South Korean to run @ @ @ @ @ the Geneva-based trade body .
Two South Koreans made unsuccessful bids in 1994 and 2012 @

(ATTN: ADDS comments from Yoo in paras 6-7, photo)
By Kang Yoon-seung
GENEVA/SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee has made it onto the shortlist of two finalists in the race to become the new director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), her office and the organization said Thursday.
The South Korean candidate will now compete with Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria for the top seat. With both candidates being female, the WTO will have the first female chief in its 25-year history.
Member states will now seek to reach a consensus on the final candidate in the third round of selection.
According to the WTO, the final round of consultations will run from Oct. 19 to 27.
Once the final candidate is picked, the WTO member states will then approve the decision during a general council meeting. The process is expected to be completed in early November.
"Deeply grateful and honored to be selected for the final round in the selection process of the next WTO Director General," Yoo tweeted Thursday.
"We need a capable and experienced new leader who can rebuild trust and restore relevance of the WTO. I look forward to your continued support! Thank you!" she added.
In the file photo taken July 16, 2020, South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee, who is running to be the next director general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), speaks during a press conference at the WTO headquarters in Geneva after presenting her views on her goals for the trade body. (Yonhap)
Candidates from Saudi Arabia and Britain failed to be shortlisted for the final round of competition. Three candidates from Mexico, Egypt and Moldova were eliminated from the list in the first round.
The race started after previous Director-General Roberto Azevedo stepped down from the post in August, a year earlier than his original term.
"Our aim continues to be to encourage and facilitate the building of consensus among members, and to assist in moving from this final slate of two candidates to a decision on appointment," General Council Chair David Walker of the WTO said in a statement.
"As this is the final round of the consultation process, it should bring us to the point where we can make a recommendation to the General Council concerning that decision," Walker added.
This image sahred by the World Trade Organization's Twitter account on Oct. 8, 2020, shows the two finalists for the organization's next chief. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Yoo was appointed as South Korea's trade minister in February last year, becoming the country's first woman in the position in the 70-year history of the trade ministry. She is the third South Korean to run for the top post of the Geneva-based trade body. Two South Koreans made unsuccessful bids in 1994 and 2012.
Okonjo-Iweala has been cited as one of the most competitive candidates, based on her experience of working at the World Bank. She served two terms as Nigerian finance minister, and as a foreign minister.
During her campaign, Yoo vowed to focus on rebuilding trust in the multilateral trade system by making it more "relevant, resilient and responsive" if she is picked as the new WTO leader.
Since July, she has visited various countries, including Switzerland, the United States, France and Sweden, to drum up support.
The minister emphasized that the WTO needs to normalize its role in handling negotiations and settling disputes under a multilateral regime.
Her candidacy comes amid growing trade protectionism around the globe, which has been escalating over the past few years, sparked by the tension between Washington and Beijing.
Yoo has been insisting that normalizing the dispute-settlement role of the WTO will pave the way for the world's top two economies to seek ways to improve their ties.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also thrown cold water on business activities, straining major economies worldwide and making it crucial for a new WTO director general to make efforts in setting a post-pandemic trade paradigm.
South Korea's bid for the top WTO position also comes amid its growing trade row with the neighboring Japan. Seoul and Tokyo have been at loggerheads since last year, after Japan abruptly imposed export restrictions of key industrial items against South Korea, citing security issues.
South Korea reopened its complaint at the WTO recently, as Japan has remained unresponsive to Seoul's repeated requests to lift the regulations.
In July, the WTO decided to launch a panel to look into the discord.
Japan's export curbs are viewed as retaliation against a South Korean court's ruling that ordered Japanese companies to provide compensation for their wartime slavery of Korean workers.
Apparently in response to the dispute, Japan reportedly has been against Yoo's bid to run for the top seat at the WTO.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--(LEAD) Court upholds ban on mass anti-gov't rallies on Hangeul Day

The Seoul Administrative Court overturned requests by two conservative civic groups and the ultra-conservative Our Republican Party to rescind a @ @ @ @ @ the Seoul Metropolitan Government to ban mass anti-government protests that were announced for Friday in @ @ @ @ @ .

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details throughout)
SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- A Seoul court on Thursday upheld a decision to ban anti-government rallies in downtown Seoul on the national Hangeul Day holiday in order to help contain the spread of COVID-19.
The Seoul Administrative Court overturned requests by two conservative civic groups and the ultra-conservative Our Republican Party to rescind a decision by the police and the Seoul Metropolitan Government to ban mass anti-government protests that were announced for Friday in Gwanghwamun Square in the capital.
"If 1,000 people from across the country gather at the rally and make close contact with one another, the spread of the infectious disease seems unavoidable," the court ruled.
The government has taken a hard-line stance against public rallies after anti-government protests on Aug. 15 were partly blamed for a flare-up in new virus cases.
Police officers patrol Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul on Oct. 2, 2020, a day before a planned drive-thru demonstration by conservative groups. (Yonhap)
On Saturday, the government physically and legally blocked anti-government protests that were previously announced, prompting protestors to resort to limited "drive-thru" rallies using cars after winning conditional court approval.
The government has issued warnings against illegal anti-government rallies planned by conservative groups on concerns that the mass gatherings could hamper the country's efforts to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.
In light of repeated government warnings against mass protests, several conservative groups announced plans to stage limited drive-thru rallies again on Friday and Saturday.
On Thursday, South Korea added 69 COVID-19 cases, including 60 local infections, raising the total caseload to 24,422, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
Health authorities have warned that the country could see an uptick in COVID-19 cases after the five-day Chuseok holiday that ran through last Sunday.
Police buses are placed surrounding Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on Oct. 3, 2020, to deter abrupt and illegal rallies amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Yonhap)
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--Gov't to resume free flu shot program next week after safety concerns cleared

The nationwide free flu shot scheme will restart next Tuesday to be first administered to those in the 13-18 age @ @ @ @ @ elderly citizens until the end of this year , according to the Korea Disease Control @ @ @ @ @ ) .

SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will resume offering free seasonal flu shots in phases next week, a month after suspending the program amid safety concerns over mishandled vaccines during storage, health authorities said Thursday.
The nationwide free flu shot scheme will restart next Tuesday to be first administered to those in the 13-18 age bracket and be given to elderly citizens until the end of this year, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
The program was halted on Sept. 22, after some of the inactivated vaccines were exposed to room temperatures during shipping. But subsequent quality tests and inspections found no safety problems, according to the agency.
Despite the test results, the agency decided to collect 480,000 doses that could have low potency as part of precautionary measures.
In order to prevent any recurrences, KDCA vowed to strengthen the monitoring of the vaccine distribution process.
The government has provided free flu shots, mostly for young children and elderly people, to prevent a potential "twidemic" during winter, as respiratory viruses, including influenza and COVID-19, have nearly identical symptoms, including fever and sore throat.
A nurse shows a flu vaccine at a clinic in Seoul on Sept. 22, 2020. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said the same day that South Korea will temporarily halt its plan to offer free seasonal flu vaccines due to storage issues involving inactivated bottles. (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--(3rd LD) Seoul's trade minister among 2 finalists in WTO chief race

(ATTN: ADDS details in paras 4, 8-9)
By Kang Yoon-seung
GENEVA/SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee has made it onto the shortlist of two finalists in the race to become the new director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the trade ministry said Thursday.
The South Korean candidate will now compete with Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria for the top seat, the WTO said. With both candidates being female, the WTO will have the first female chief in its 25-year history.
Member states will now seek to reach a consensus on the final candidate in the third round of selection.
According to the WTO, the final round of consultations will run from Oct. 19 to 27.
Once the final candidate is picked, the WTO member states will then approve the decision during a general council meeting. The process is expected to be completed in early November.
Candidates from Saudi Arabia and Britain failed to be shortlisted for the final round of competition. Three candidates from Mexico, Egypt and Moldova were eliminated from the list in the first round.
The race started after previous Director-General Roberto Azevedo stepped down from the post in August, a year earlier than his original term.
"Our aim continues to be to encourage and facilitate the building of consensus among members, and to assist in moving from this final slate of two candidates to a decision on appointment," General Council Chair David Walker of the WTO said in a statement.
"As this is the final round of the consultation process, it should bring us to the point where we can make a recommendation to the General Council concerning that decision," Walker added.
In the file photo taken July 16, 2020, South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee, who is running to be the next director general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), speaks during a press conference at the WTO headquarters in Geneva after presenting her views on her goals for the trade body. (Yonhap)
Yoo was appointed as South Korea's trade minister in February last year, becoming the country's first woman in the position in the 70-year history of the trade ministry. She is the third South Korean to run for the top post of the Geneva-based trade body. Two South Koreans made unsuccessful bids in 1994 and 2012.
Okonjo-Iweala has been cited as one of most competitive candidates, based on her experience of working at the World Bank. She served two terms as Nigerian finance minister, and as a foreign minister.
During her campaign, Yoo vowed to focus on rebuilding trust in the multilateral trade system by making it more "relevant, resilient and responsive" if she is picked as the new WTO leader.
Since July, she has visited various countries, including Switzerland, the United States, France and Sweden, to drum up support.
The minister emphasized that the WTO needs to normalize its role in handling negotiations and settling disputes under a multilateral regime.
Her candidacy comes amid growing trade protectionism around the globe, which has been escalating over the past few years, sparked by the tension between Washington and Beijing.
Yoo has been insisting that normalizing the dispute-settlement role of the WTO will pave the way for the world's top two economies to seek ways to improve their ties.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also thrown cold water on business activities, straining major economies worldwide and making it crucial for a new WTO director general to make efforts in setting a post-pandemic trade paradigm.
South Korea's bid for the top WTO position also comes amid its growing trade row with the neighboring Japan. Seoul and Tokyo have been at loggerheads since last year, after Japan abruptly imposed export restrictions of key industrial items against South Korea, citing security issues.
South Korea reopened its complaint at the WTO recently, as Japan has remained unresponsive to Seoul's repeated requests to lift the regulations.
In July, the WTO decided to launch a panel to look into the discord.
Japan's export curbs are viewed as retaliation against a South Korean court's ruling that ordered Japanese companies to provide compensation for their wartime slavery of Korean workers.
Apparently in response to the dispute, Japan reportedly has been against Yoo's bid to run for the top seat at the WTO.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--Court upholds ban on mass anti-gov't rallies on Hangeul Day

In two separate rulings , the Seoul Administrative Court overturned requests by a conservative civic group and the ultra-conservative Our @ @ @ @ @ decision by the police and the Seoul Metropolitan Government to ban mass anti-government protests that @ @ @ @ @ Gwanghwamun Square in the capital .

SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- A Seoul court on Thursday upheld a decision to ban anti-government rallies in downtown Seoul on the national Hangeul Day holiday in order to help contain the spread of COVID-19.
In two separate rulings, the Seoul Administrative Court overturned requests by a conservative civic group and the ultra-conservative Our Republican Party to rescind a decision by the police and the Seoul Metropolitan Government to ban mass anti-government protests that were announced for Friday in Gwanghwamun Square in the capital.
The government has taken a hard-line stance against public rallies after anti-government protests on Aug. 15 were partly blamed for a flare-up in new virus cases.
Police officers patrol Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul on Oct. 2, 2020, a day before a planned drive-thru demonstration by conservative groups. (Yonhap)
On Saturday, the government physically and legally blocked anti-government protests that were previously announced, prompting protestors to resort to limited "drive-thru" rallies using cars after winning conditional court approval.
The government has issued warnings against illegal anti-government rallies planned by conservative groups on concerns that the mass gatherings could hamper the country's efforts to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.
On Thursday, South Korea added 69 COVID-19 cases, including 60 local infections, raising the total caseload to 24,422, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
Health authorities have warned that the country could see an uptick in COVID-19 cases after the five-day Chuseok holiday that ran through last Sunday.
Police buses are placed surrounding Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on Oct. 3, 2020, to deter abrupt and illegal rallies amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Yonhap)
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--1 USFK soldier, 1 retiree test positive for new coronavirus

South Korean and U.S. health authorities `` are actively conducting contact tracing to determine whether anyone else or other locations @ @ @ @ @ visited , '' USFK said , adding that it is conducting thorough cleaning of known @ @ @ @ @ .

SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- An American soldier stationed in South Korea and a retiree from the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the U.S. military said Thursday.
The soldier at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul, was confirmed Wednesday to have been infected with COVID-19 following a recent visit to his family members in the northern county of Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, according to USFK.
USFK said the soldier immediately sought testing after learning of his family testing positive for the virus.
The other patient was a retiree who resides in Seoul. He has access to all USFK installations and last visited Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek and Yongsan Garrison in Seoul on Monday, according to USFK.
South Korean and U.S. health authorities "are actively conducting contact tracing to determine whether anyone else or other locations may have been exposed or visited," USFK said, adding that it is conducting thorough cleaning of known locations visited on the bases.
The latest cases brought the total number of USFK-related infections to 203, most of whom tested positive upon their arrivals here from the United States.
A U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) soldier explains anti-coronavirus guidelines to a driver in front of Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, on April 5, 2020, in this photo provided by USFK. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--(2nd LD) Seoul's trade minister among 2 finalists in WTO chief race

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead, paras 2-6, 8; ADDS details throughout; TRIMS)
By Kang Yoon-seung
GENEVA/SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee has made it onto the shortlist of two finalists in the race to become the new director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the trade ministry said Thursday.
The South Korean candidate will now compete with Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria for the top seat, the WTO said. With both candidates being female, the WTO will have the first female chief in its 25-year history.
Member states will now seek to reach a consensus on the final candidate in the third round of selection.
Once the final candidate is picked, the WTO member states will then approve the decision during a general council meeting. The process is expected to be completed in early November.
Candidates from Saudi Arabia and Britain failed to be shortlisted for the final round of competition. Three candidates from Mexico, Egypt and Moldova were eliminated from the list in the first round.
The race started after previous Director-General Roberto Azevedo stepped down from the post in August, a year earlier than his original term.
In the file photo taken July 16, 2020, South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee, who is running to be the next director general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), speaks during a press conference at the WTO headquarters in Geneva after presenting her views on her goals for the trade body. (Yonhap)
Yoo was appointed as South Korea's trade minister in February last year, becoming the country's first woman in the position in the 70-year history of the trade ministry. She is the third South Korean to run for the top post of the Geneva-based trade body. Two South Koreans made unsuccessful bids in 1994 and 2012.
Okonjo-Iweala has been cited as one of most competitive candidates, based on her experience of working at the World Bank. She served two terms as Nigerian finance minister, and as a foreign minister.
During her campaign, Yoo vowed to focus on rebuilding trust in the multilateral trade system by making it more "relevant, resilient and responsive" if she is picked as the new WTO leader.
Since July, she has visited various countries, including Switzerland, the United States, France and Sweden, to drum up support.
The minister emphasized that the WTO needs to normalize its role in handling negotiations and settling disputes under a multilateral regime.
Her candidacy comes amid growing trade protectionism around the globe, which has been escalating over the past few years, sparked by the tension between Washington and Beijing.
Yoo has been insisting that normalizing the dispute-settlement role of the WTO will pave the way for the world's top two economies to seek ways to improve their ties.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also thrown cold water on business activities, straining major economies worldwide and making it crucial for a new WTO director general to make efforts in setting a post-pandemic trade paradigm.
South Korea's bid for the top WTO position also comes amid its growing trade row with the neighboring Japan. Seoul and Tokyo have been at loggerheads since last year, after Japan abruptly imposed export restrictions of key industrial items against South Korea, citing security issues.
South Korea reopened its complaint at the WTO recently, as Japan has remained unresponsive to Seoul's repeated requests to lift the regulations.
In July, the WTO decided to launch a panel to look into the discord.
Japan's export curbs are viewed as retaliation against a South Korean court's ruling that ordered Japanese companies to provide compensation for their wartime slavery of Korean workers.
Apparently in response to the dispute, Japan reportedly has been against Yoo's bid to run for the top seat at the WTO.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--(LEAD) Men's nat'l football teams set for rare exhibition matches

Kim called up most of the other members from the AFC title-winning squad , and also selected a few members @ @ @ @ @ team that finished runner-up at the FIFA U-20 World Cup that year .
Joining this @ @ @ @ @ emerging attacking ace Song Min-kyu , a 21-year-old who is tied for most K League @ @ @ @ @ this season with 10 .
Song has never played for any national team in any @ @ @

(ATTN: ADDS comments in last 4 paras, photos)
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korean football fans will be treated to a pair of exhibition matches between their two men's national teams this month, with the first showdown set for Friday, the Hangeul Day holiday.
The senior national team will face the under-23 Olympic squad at 8 p.m. Friday at Goyang Stadium. The second match is back at the same venue next Monday, also an 8 p.m. kickoff. These are the first meetings of the senior team and the U-23 team in 24 years.
The senior team boss Paulo Bento and his counterpart, Kim Hak-bum, will each take a 23-man roster to these matches, with the aggregate score determining the winner. The victorious side will donate 100 million won (US$86,340) in its name to help the nation's fight against the novel coronavirus.
Members of the South Korean men's senior national football team train at the National Football Center in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on Oct. 5, 2020, ahead of two exhibition matches against the under-23 men's national team. (Yonhap)
With the pandemic causing havoc on sports competitions around the world, Bento's senior team hasn't played any match in 2020. The last action for Kim's squad came in January at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Championship in Thailand.
These exhibitions will serve multiple purposes: quenching thirst for fans who haven't seen their national team in action all year, while also giving the coaches a closer look at candidates for next year's FIFA World Cup qualifying matches and the Summer Olympics.
Bento's team would have completed the second round of the Asian World Cup qualifying tournament this year, had it not been for COVID-19. Typically, rosters for international matches are largely filled with players based in Europe, such as Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min, and those from the domestic K League are picked as complementary pieces.
Paulo Bento (L), head coach of the South Korean men's senior national football team, smiles during practice at the National Football Center in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on Oct. 5, 2020. (Yonhap)
For these exhibitions, though, overseas-based stars weren't called up, as the mandatory, 14-day quarantine for all inbound travelers to South Korea ruled out their selections. Bento instead built his entire 23-man lineup with players from the K League, and these players will have an opportunity to make an impression on the national team boss.
Members of the South Korean men's senior national football team train at the National Football Center in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on Oct. 8, 2020, ahead of two exhibition matches against the under-23 men's national team. (Yonhap)
Bento also plucked three players from the U-23 talent pool, including midfielder Won Du-jae, the MVP of the AFC U-23 Championship in January who is enjoying a fine season with the K League-leading Ulsan Hyundai FC. The Korea Football Association (KFA) had to step in as a mediator before Bento could take any more youngsters and leave Kim with slim pickings. Bento eventually agreed to take no more than three U-23 players.
Members of the South Korean men's under-23 national football team train at the National Football Center in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on Oct. 5, 2020, ahead of two exhibition matches against the men's senior national team. (Yonhap)
Bento also named some national team veterans: Ulsan defender Hong Chul (30 caps), FC Seoul midfielder Je Se-jong (26 caps) and Busan IPark striker Lee Jeong-hyeop (24 caps),
Kim called up most of the other members from the AFC title-winning squad, and also selected a few members from the 2019 U-20 national team that finished runner-up at the FIFA U-20 World Cup that year. Joining this group is Pohang Steelers' emerging attacking ace Song Min-kyu, a 21-year-old who is tied for most K League goals among South Korean players this season with 10. Song has never played for any national team in any age group.
Goalkeepers from the K League 1's two best clubs will represent each side for the exhibitions: Jo Hyeon-woo from Ulsan for Bento and Song Bum-keun of second-place Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors for Kim.
Members of the South Korean men's under-23 national football team train at the National Football Center in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on Oct. 8, 2020, ahead of two exhibition matches against the men's senior national team. (Yonhap)
Kim said before Thursday's practice that his young players aren't going to back down against the older, and admittedly better, players on the other side.
"I've told the players that, whether we win or lose, we have to play an entertaining match for our fans," Kim said. "But I am sure they all have competitive fires burning inside them. They'll be out there attacking."
Bento said it's natural for athletes to want to win whatever matches they play, but he wants to maintain a big-picture outlook.
"It would be short-sighted for a coach to get caught up in results of these two matches," Bento said. "This is all part of the process of building our team for the future. I'll try to use the matches as an opportunity to develop our system even further."
Kim Hak-bum, head coach of the South Korean men's under-23 national football team, controls the ball during practice at the National Football Center in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on Oct. 5, 2020. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--(LEAD) S. Korea voices criticism over Japan's call for removal of comfort woman statue in Berlin

`` The government stepping in to force its removal does not help resolve the problem at all .
It also @ @ @ @ @ the sense of responsibility and self-reflection and apology that Japan has revealed itself . ''

(ATTN: CHANGES dateline; UPDATES with details in paras 7-8)
SEOUL/BERLIN Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korea voiced criticism Thursday over Japan's call for the removal of a statue erected in Germany of a girl symbolizing Korean victims of wartime sexual slavery, calling it an act that goes against the spirit of its own apology.
Last week, Tokyo expressed regret over the recent installation of the statue on a public site near the Japanese Embassy in Berlin. The statue was erected by Korea Verband, a Berlin-based civic group with South Korean ties.
The issue drew attention as Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi requested it be removed when he held bilateral talks with his German counterpart, Heiko Maas, in Berlin last week.
"The installation of the statue is a voluntary move by the private sector. It is not desirable for the government to get diplomatically involved," ministry spokesperson Kim In-chul said in a press briefing when asked about the statue.
"The government stepping in to force its removal does not help resolve the problem at all. It also goes against the spirit of the sense of responsibility and self-reflection and apology that Japan has revealed itself."
The government will keep a close eye on the matter and will act accordingly, Kim added.
Korea Verband in Berlin said it received an order from the office of Berlin's Mitte district on Wednesday to remove the statue by Oct. 14. According to the civic group, the office claimed that an inscribed epitaph as part of the installation has caused diplomatic tension between Germany and Japan.
The epitaph pays tribute to victims of sexual slavery of Japan during World War II and honors the courage of survivors who have stood up publicly to raise awareness and prevent future war crimes and atrocities.
The latest installation of the statue comes as the bilateral relations between Seoul and Tokyo remain badly frayed over the issue of compensating Korean forced labor victims and Tokyo's export restrictions on Seoul.
The sexual slavery victims, euphemistically called "comfort women," are one of the many thorny issues stemming from the 1910-45 period when Korea was a Japanese colony.
Historians say that around 200,000 Asian women, mostly Koreans, were forcibly sent to front-line brothels to provide sex services for Japanese soldiers during World War II. In the landmark 1993 Kono Statement of apology, Japan acknowledged for the first time that women were forcibly recruited into sexual slavery.
It is the third comfort women statue installed in Germany and the first to stand in a public place with approval from the Berlin authorities. The other two statues are erected on private properties.
This photo taken on Sept. 27, 2020, shows the comfort woman statue, symbolizing Korean victims of wartime sexual slavery by the imperial Japanese army during World War II, erected in Berlin. (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--Suspected operator of 'Digital Prison' website arrested for alleged defamation

In July , a 20-year-old university student , whose private details were made public on the site , was found @ @ @ @ @ .
He denied the allegation on his school 's online forum before taking his own @ @ @ @ @ , a psychiatrist in Seoul was proven innocent by police after being wrongly accused in @ @ @ @ @ sexual exploitation content online .

SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- An operator of the controversial "Digital Prison" website was arrested Thursday for allegedly violating privacy law by disclosing personal identities of suspected sex offenders and other criminals.
The Daegu District Court issued the arrest warrant for the man in his 30s, whose identity was withheld, on charges of violating the private information protection act and the juvenile sex protection act, citing concerns that he may flee or destroy evidence.
The suspect allegedly opened the website in March and posted private information of 176 people it claimed were sex offenders, murderers and other criminals to socially punish them.
He was repatriated to South Korea last month after being captured in Vietnam. Daegu police said it has been expanding its probe based on seized evidence to search for other operators or possible accomplices.
The website was allegedly meant to protest against what the public sees as an unfair criminal justice system, but concerns have been raised that it could punish falsely accused people.
In July, a 20-year-old university student, whose private details were made public on the site, was found dead in an apparent suicide. He denied the allegation on his school's online forum before taking his own life. In another case, a psychiatrist in Seoul was proven innocent by police after being wrongly accused in June of trying to buy sexual exploitation content online.
The alleged operator (C) of the so-called Digital Prison website is taken to a district court in the southeastern city of Daegu on Oct. 8, 2020, where a judge was to decide on his arrest in connection with the website's operation. (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--KBO club official rejects rumors of disagreements following manager's abrupt resignation

`` Son said the exact same thing in our meeting ( Wednesday night ) , and he wrote those words @ @ @ @ @ '' Kim said .
`` If you just look at our win-loss record , then @ @ @ @ @ sense for him to take the fall for a poor season .
But I think @ @ @ @ @ about the situation .
Expectations are all relative .
At the start of the season @ @ @ @ @ from our team , and I think Son must have been referring to that .
@

SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- With his club still very much in postseason contention in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), Kiwoom Heroes' manager Son Hyuk unexpectedly resigned on Thursday.
The Heroes' claims that Son just upped and left so close to the postseason -- they had 12 games left in the regular season before Thursday -- are rather unconvincing. But the team's general manager, Kim Chi-hyun, shot down speculation that Son had been fired by the management because they didn't see eye to eye with each other.
In this file photo from Sept. 23, 2020, members of the Kiwoom Heroes celebrate their 13-1 victory over the Kia Tigers in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
In his media availability at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, Kim stuck to the club's official stance: that Son offered to quit Wednesday night after a 4-3 loss to the NC Dinos and that the management accepted his resignation. Kim said he tried his best to make Son change his mind, but the skipper, who had once been a pitching coach for the Heroes, was adamant that it was time for him to leave.
In the Heroes' press release, Son was quoted as saying he was sorry not to have lived up to expectations this year, his first at the helm. The Heroes were runners-up to the Doosan Bears in last year's Korean Series and entered 2020 as a popular pick to go all the way. A recent slump puts them in third place at 73-58-1 (wins-losses-ties), nine games out of first place and one behind the second-place KT Wiz.
This file photo from April 21, 2020, shows Son Hyuk, then manager of the Kiwoom Heroes, during a Korea Baseball Organization preseason game against the SK Wyverns at SK Happy Dream Park in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul. (Yonhap)
"Son said the exact same thing in our meeting (Wednesday night), and he wrote those words in the press release," Kim said. "If you just look at our win-loss record, then it probably doesn't make sense for him to take the fall for a poor season. But I think Son must have felt differently about the situation. Expectations are all relative. At the start of the season, experts probably expected more from our team, and I think Son must have been referring to that."
In his text message to reporters, Son said he decided to step down because he felt he still had so much more to learn but didn't make any mention of on-field performances.
Last November, Son signed a two-year deal with the Heroes worth 600 million won (US$520,510). Kim said Son will still be paid for the duration of that contract.
"We wanted to show our appreciation for the job he's done this year," Kim explained. "He's had to deal with so much adversity, including the coronavirus pandemic, and he never once complained about anything. And I wanted to make sure he'd be rewarded."
It begs the question as to why a club would still pay a manager who quit on his own. Kim denied that the upper management fired Son and decided to honor the rest of the contract as consolation.
"There was absolutely no involvement (from the higher-ups)," Kim said. "We have a long history with him and it's not as though we have any philosophical differences. We were all sorry that things came to this point. There's nothing more I can say about his decision."
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--Samsung apologizes over exec's misconduct in parliament entry

To enter the parliamentary office building , visitors need approval from the lawmaker 's office that they want to visit @ @ @ @ @ frequently visited the office without confirmation , Ryu 's side conducted a check and found @ @ @ @ @ had been using a pass issued for the press .

SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. on Thursday apologized over its executive's misconduct in using a press pass to enter the National Assembly's building.
Samsung said the executive who has been working for its government relations unit decided to step down following the controversy.
"We sincerely apologize for our executive's improper way of entering the National Assembly," the company said. "We will take every possible measure to prevent this kind of incident from happening again."
The executive reportedly visited the office of Rep. Ryu Ho-jeong of the progressive minor Justice Party every day after the lawmaker recently selected a Samsung vice president as a witness in a parliamentary audit.
To enter the parliamentary office building, visitors need approval from the lawmaker's office that they want to visit. But as the executive frequently visited the office without confirmation, Ryu's side conducted a check and found out that the Samsung official had been using a pass issued for the press.
Following the incident, the National Assembly Secretariat on Thursday expressed strong regret and urged Samsung to take responsible action.
A visitor enters an office building of Samsung Group in Seoul on Oct. 8, 2020. (Yonhap)
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--(LEAD) Manager for KBO postseason contender resigns

After Wednesday 's loss , the Heroes still stayed in third place at 73-58-1 ( wins-losses-ties ) , nine games @ @ @ @ @ one game ahead of the No .
4 LG Twins .
Though the Heroes have @ @ @ @ @ for the postseason , open to the top five clubs , they appeared to be @ @ @ @ @ games remaining .

(ATTN: ADDS details in paras 3-4)
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- The manager of a South Korean baseball club in position to qualify for the postseason abruptly resigned Thursday with only a dozen games left in the regular season.
The Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced their skipper Son Hyuk offered to quit following their 4-3 loss to the NC Dinos on Wednesday. The Heroes' management decided Thursday to accept Son's resignation. This was Son's first season as the Heroes' skipper.
Son, 47, signed a two-year contract worth 600 million won (US$520,510) last November. The Heroes' general manager Kim Chi-hyun said the club will honor the remainder of the contract and Son will be paid through 2021.
Son, a former pitcher, had been a pitching coach for both the Heroes and another KBO club, SK Wyverns, before taking his first managerial job with the Heroes.
In this file photo from June 23, 2020, Kiwoom Heroes' manager Son Hyuk (R) greets Park Byung-ho after Park's solo home run against the LG Twins in the top of the fifth inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. (Yonhap)
Kim Chang-hyeon, the club's quality control coach, will take over as interim manager.
In a statement released by the Heroes, Son said he wanted to take the fall for the club's recent struggles.
"I want to thank the team for hiring me, but I am sorry that I didn't live up to expectations," Son said. "I would also like to apologize to our fans and my players."
After Wednesday's loss, the Heroes still stayed in third place at 73-58-1 (wins-losses-ties), nine games behind the league-leading Dinos and one game ahead of the No. 4 LG Twins. Though the Heroes haven't locked down a spot for the postseason, open to the top five clubs, they appeared to be on their way with 12 games remaining.
In this file photo from Aug. 19, 2020, Kiwoom Heroes' manager Son Hyuk (L) bumps fists with his starting pitcher Jake Brigham after the Heroes' 6-4 win over the NC Dinos in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)
The Heroes pulled into a virtual tie with the Dinos at the top on Sept. 13, trailing only in the winning percentage, .600 to .591. But the Heroes have gone 8-13 since as the Dinos have pulled away from the pack.
The Heroes have endured injuries to several key players all season, including slugging first baseman Park Byung-ho and their top two starting pitchers, Eric Jokisch and Jake Brigham. Their new foreign bat signing for the year, Taylor Motter, was a huge disappointment and was cut loose on May 30. His replacement, former major league shortstop Addison Russell, hasn't lived up to hype, batting only .257/.321/.335 with a home run and 28 RBIs in 57 games with mediocre defense.
The Heroes were a trendy preseason pick to win it all in 2020. They got swept by the Doosan Bears in last year's Korean Series, and manager Jang Jung-suk wasn't brought back for his fourth season.
Kim, the interim skipper, never played pro ball. After playing through college, Kim worked in the Heroes' analytics department from 2013 to 2019, and was named their new quality control coach before the 2020 season.
"To survive this tight pennant race, I will improve communication between the front office and the team on the field," Kim said. "With a date-driven approach, I will try to achieve the best results possible."
This photo provided by the Kiwoom Heroes on Oct. 8, 2020, shows Kim Chang-hyeon, the Korea Baseball Organization club's interim manager. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--(LEAD) Hyundai to recall over 25,000 Kona EVs for faulty battery part

In response to the recall plan , LG Chem Ltd. , which supplies lithium ion car batteries to Hyundai Motor @ @ @ @ @ of the recent fires in the Kona Electric car has yet to be determined .

(ATTN: ADDS LG Chem's response in last 2 paras)
SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Co. will voluntarily recall over 25,000 Kona all-electric models for a faulty battery cell component, the transport ministry said Thursday.
Hyundai Motor will recall 25,564 Kona Electric models manufactured between Sept. 29, 2019, and March 13, 2020, as a possible short circuit in the faulty battery cell system may start a fire in the pure EV model, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a statement.
The recall comes after 13 cases of fires in the model have been reported since 2018.
The carmaker will start updating the battery-related software program for the EV vehicles subject to the recall Oct. 16 and replacing the battery system, it said.
In response to the recall plan, LG Chem Ltd., which supplies lithium ion car batteries to Hyundai Motor, said the exact cause of the recent fires in the Kona Electric car has yet to be determined.
"LG Chem and Hyundai Motor will jointly investigate the exact cause of the fires in the Kona Electric, as the company cannot accept the ministry's announcement," a LG Chem spokesman said over the phone.
This file photo provided by Hyundai Motor shows the Kona Electric model. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--Samsung heir embarks on overseas biz trip to Europe

Lee 's trip is the first time in five months that he has gone overseas since he visited Samsung 's @ @ @ @ @ China .

SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, the de facto leader of South Korea's top conglomerate, departed for Europe Thursday as he seeks more business opportunities amid the pandemic, industry sources said.
Lee's trip is the first time in five months that he has gone overseas since he visited Samsung's chip factory in Xian, China.
Lee is expected to meet business leaders in Europe and discuss possible cooperation with global semiconductor and telecom companies there, according to the sources.
Samsung did not reveal Lee's European trip schedule, but sources said he is likely to stay in Europe about a week and visit countries including the Netherlands.
The Netherlands is home to ASML, the world's largest supplier of photolithography systems for the semiconductor industry. Samsung has been working to upgrade its chipmaking process using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) technology.
Following his European trip, the 52-year-old tycoon is reportedly planning to make trips to Asian countries including Vietnam and Japan later this month, according to the sources.
This file photo taken on May 19, 2020, shows Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul. (Yonhap)
Vietnam recently decided to adopt a fast-track entry program for South Korean diplomats and businesspeople, exempting them from its mandatory self-isolation against COVID-19.
If Lee visits Vietnam, he is expected to inspect Samsung's research and development center under construction in Hanoi, as well as the company's plants there.
He could also meet Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc during his trip to the Southeast Asian nation and discuss possible investment plans.
Industry insiders said Japan, which allows South Korean businesspeople to enter the country without a two-week quarantine from Thursday, could also be Lee's next destination.
Lee visited Japan last year after Tokyo imposed restrictions on exports of three key industrial materials critical for chip and display industries.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--Ruling party says gov't proposal for controversial abortion bill needs modification

`` The government has no other choice but to propose a law based on the ruling by the Constitutional Court @ @ @ @ @ needs to be modified at the National Assembly , '' a key DP official told @ @ @ @ @ phone on condition of anonymity .
`` We 're going to find a way , @ @ @ @ @ of life . ''

SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- The ruling Democratic Party (DP) hinted Thursday that it may seek to modify the controversial government bill on allowing abortion only at an early stage of pregnancy, after it drew backlash from women's rights groups and even those in the party.
On Wednesday, the government made public its plan to revise the Criminal Act and the Mother and Child Health Act to allow abortion before the 14th week of pregnancy for every women and the 24th week of pregnancy for women who are under extenuating social or economic circumstances.
The revision plan was in line with the Constitutional Court's ruling last year that the country's criminalization of any abortion under the Criminal Act is unconstitutional.
The follow-up revision bill by the government, however, was met with an immediate backlash among women's rights advocacy groups, which call for the abolition of any abortion ban.
Pro-choice activists stage a performance in front of Cheong Wa Dae on Oct. 8, 2020, calling for the complete abolition of the ban on abortion. (Yonhap)
"The government has no other choice but to propose a law based on the ruling by the Constitutional Court, and thus the content needs to be modified at the National Assembly," a key DP official told Yonhap News Agency over the phone on condition of anonymity. "We're going to find a way, gathering opinions from all walks of life."
The official said the government bill appears to be "insufficient," adding that it is his personal view.
"(The party) will listen carefully, as there are complaints about (the bill's) retaining of the anti-abortion provisions under the Criminal Act," the official said.
Under the Constitutional Court ruling last year, the National Assembly has until the end of this year to approve the revision of the related laws. The government plans to submit its bill to the assembly soon after getting it through necessary administrative procedures.
Taking side with women's rights advocacy groups, several DP lawmakers have thrown their support behind the option of abolishing the abortion ban entirely.
"The revision bill was formulated in a way that it can happen to further consolidate the abortion ban," DP Rep. Park Ju-min wrote on his Facebook account.
"Through a legislative proposal and review of (bills), I will completely lift the abortion ban," he said.
The progressive minority Justice Party also denounced the government bill Thursday, labeling it as "degradation of women's human rights."
The current Criminal Act stipulates that a women can by punished by up to one year in prison or a fine of up to 2 million won (US$1,733) for having an abortion, and abortion is only legally allowed in the case of rape or when sustaining the pregnancy could put the expectant mother's health at great risk.
Medical workers who provide an abortion are punishable by up to two years in prison as well under the Criminal Act.
A women's right activist protests in front of the National Assembly on Oct. 7, 2020, calling for the complete abolition of the ban on abortion. (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--Daelim Industrial-led consortium wins US$616 mln deal in Philippines

Under the deal with the Department of Transportation , the Daelim Industrial-led consortium will build a 15.8-kilometer-long viaduct and a @ @

SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- Daelim Industrial Co., a major South Korean builder, said Thursday its consortium has clinched a US$616 million railway project in the Philippines.
Under the deal with the Department of Transportation, the Daelim Industrial-led consortium will build a 15.8-kilometer-long viaduct and a station.
Daelim Industrial said it will take 48 months to complete the project.
Daelim Industrial has a 50 percent stake in the project, while the rest is held by the Spanish engineering company Acciona.
The deal is part of a 51.2-km-long railway project that will connect Malolos to Clark economic zone in the Philippines.
This file photo shows Daelim Industrial's corporate logo atop its main office in central Seoul. (Yonhap)
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


Yonhap News Summary

Lee made the remark during a parliamentary audit session amid questions about how it became known this week that Jo @ @ @ @ @ acting ambassador at North Korea 's Embassy in Italy before disappearing in late 2018 , @ @ @ @ @ Korea since July last year .

The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Thursday.
-----------------
Moon calls for all-out support for Yoo Myung-hee's WTO chief bid
SEOUL -- President Moon Jae-in instructed his government Thursday to focus every effort on helping Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee win the ongoing race to become the head of the World Trade Organization (WTO), his office said.
Moon issued the message during a meeting with Cheong Wa Dae aides following reports that Yoo has advanced to the final round in the competition, together with Nigeria's Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok.
-----------------
Unification minister orders probe into information leak on ex-N.K. diplomat's defection
SEOUL -- Unification Minister Lee In-young said Thursday he has ordered an investigation into the leak of information about a senior North Korean diplomat's defection to South Korea, rebutting speculation that the government could have disclosed it for political reasons.
Lee made the remark during a parliamentary audit session amid questions about how it became known this week that Jo Song-gil, who served as acting ambassador at North Korea's Embassy in Italy before disappearing in late 2018, has been living in South Korea since July last year.
-----------------
(2nd LD) Virus cases fall back to double digits; potential spike still worrisome
SEOUL -- South Korea's daily new infections rose by double digits Thursday, while the country is still worried over a possible resurgence of the coronavirus after a long holiday and another three-day break set for later this week.
The country added 69 COVID-19 cases, including 60 local infections, raising the total caseload to 24,422, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
-----------------
S. Korea to decide whether to further extend tougher virus curbs over weekend
SEOUL -- South Korea will decide over the weekend whether to extend tougher virus curbs in place across the nation since late August as the country assesses the post-Chuseok holiday virus situation, health authorities said Thursday.
The country designated Sept. 28-Oct. 11 as a special two-week period for tougher virus curbs across the country due to concerns that new virus cases may resurge after the three-day Chuseok fall harvest holiday that ran through last Friday.
-----------------
(LEAD) Seoul stocks up for 7th day on U.S. stimulus hopes
SEOUL -- South Korean stocks extended their winning streak to seven straight sessions Thursday, thanks to the massive foreign buying that stemmed from U.S. stimulus hopes. The Korean won rose against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 5.02 points, or 0.21 percent, to close at 2,391.96.
-----------------
(2nd LD) LG expects best-ever Q3 results on robust home appliance, TV sales
SEOUL -- LG Electronics Inc. on Thursday expected its best-ever third-quarter earnings, as its home appliance and TV sales apparently got a boost from pent-up demand amid the pandemic-driven stay-at-home trend.
In its earnings guidance, the South Korean tech firm projected its operating profit at 959 billion won (US$831 million) for the July-September period, up 22.7 percent from a year earlier.
-----------------
S. Korea launches probe into Google over potential fair trade violations
SEOUL -- South Korea has launched an antitrust investigation into Google over its plans to enforce commission fees for in-app purchases made through its mobile application store, a top official said Thursday.
The U.S. tech giant has come under intense scrutiny from South Korean regulators after it updated its global policy late last month to make all apps on its Play store use its proprietary billing system.
-----------------
JCS chief says conditions for OPCON transfer could be revised if transition delayed too much
SEOUL -- Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Won In-choul said Thursday conditions for the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) of South Korean forces from Washington to Seoul need to be revised if the transition is delayed too much.
Won made the remark during a parliamentary audit session, saying that South Korea is currently trying its best to meet the conditions as soon as possible under the framework agreed with the United States.
-----------------
S. Korea, China agree to extend currency swap deal
SEOUL -- South Korea and China have agreed to extend their bilateral currency swap agreement, the Bank of Korea (BOK) said Thursday, in a move aimed at helping ease a potential liquidity crunch amid the new coronavirus outbreak.
In 2017, the BOK and People's Bank of China extended the won-yuan currency swap deal worth 64 trillion won (US$55.3 billion) for three years, and the arrangement was set to expire Saturday.
(END)


yna--2020-10-08--N. Korea used word meaning 'defection' while handling drifting S. Korean official: JSC chairman

Whether the ill-fated official tried to defect to the North has been one of the most contentious issues , as @ @ @ @ @ protested the military 's announcement that he appears to have jumped into the sea in @ @ @ @ @ to the North .

SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's military heard the expression "defection to North Korea" when it eavesdropped on the North's communications after a missing South Korean fisheries official ended up in the North's waters, Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Won In-choul said Thursday.
On Sept. 22, the 47-year-old official was fatally shot by the North Korean military while adrift in the North Korean side of the Yellow Sea, according to the South Korean military. He went missing the previous day while on duty near the western border island of Yeonpyeong.
Whether the ill-fated official tried to defect to the North has been one of the most contentious issues, as the bereaved family has strongly protested the military's announcement that he appears to have jumped into the sea in a suspected attempt to defect to the North.
Asked during a parliamentary audit whether the military heard the expression "defection to the North" when it eavesdropped on the North's communications, Won said the words were uttered.
But expressions, such as "dead body," were not heard among the intelligence acquired, he said.
"There was something that we could understand based on circumstantial grounds, but such words were not specifically mentioned," Won said.
South Korea's military has said that the North burned his body for about 40 minutes shortly after the shooting, but the North claimed that what it set on fire was not the body of the official, but a flotation device he was riding on.
Amid discrepancies over the two Koreas' explanations of what happened, the bereaved family has called for an additional probe and the disclosure of related information.
Defense Minister Suh Wook earlier said South Korea's assessment of the incident remains unchanged despite the North's claim, adding that it is currently analyzing the differences.
South Korean marines patrol a beach of the western border island of Yeonpyeong on Sept. 28, 2020, amid tensions over North Korea's killing of a South Korean official in its waters on Sept. 22. (Yonhap)
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)