yna--2020-05-04--ESPN to broadcast S. Korean baseball games

The Korea Baseball Organization ( KBO ) announced Monday that ESPN has struck a deal with Eclat , the Korean @ @ @ @ @ to KBO games .
ESPN will air one game per day , with an Opening @ @ @ @ @ Lions and the NC Dinos leading things off .
The game is set to begin @ @ @ @ @ time , or 1 a.m. Tuesday Eastern Standard Time .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, May 4 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. sports cable giant ESPN will broadcast South Korean baseball games to its American audience, starting with the first day of the season on Tuesday.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced Monday that ESPN has struck a deal with Eclat, the Korean company with international distribution rights to KBO games. ESPN will air one game per day, with an Opening Day game between the Samsung Lions and the NC Dinos leading things off. The game is set to begin at 2 p.m. Tuesday Korean time, or 1 a.m. Tuesday Eastern Standard Time.
The KBO said ESPN will also offer KBO highlights.
LG Twins players train at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on May 4, 2020, the eve of the 2020 Opening Day for the Korea Baseball Organization. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-05--Leukemia-stricken 5-year-old girl returns home from India

The trip was arranged in cooperation between the South Korean Embassy and the Japanese Embassy in India , as there @ @ @ @ @ India and South Korea due to the coronavirus pandemic .

SEOUL, May 5 (Yonhap) -- A 5-year-old South Korean girl with leukemia returned home Tuesday from India via Japan after a long journey coordinated by South Korea and Japan.
The Korean Air Lines plane carrying the daughter of a South Korean in India touched down at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, at 7:30 p.m.
The girl arrived in Haneda Airport in Tokyo earlier in the day on a Japan Airlines plane from India and later moved to Narita International Airport in the Japanese capital for the trip to South Korea.
The girl's parents wanted to bring their daughter back to South Korea for treatment due to her worsening condition.
The trip was arranged in cooperation between the South Korean Embassy and the Japanese Embassy in India, as there is no direct flight between India and South Korea due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The South Korean Embassy sought other countries' help in transporting the girl, and the Japanese Embassy informed the South Korean Embassy of its willingness to cooperate.
The Japanese government also provided assistance to ensure the girl could stay several hours in Japan before leaving for South Korea.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-05--(LEAD) Moon invites kids to take virtual tour of Cheong Wa Dae

`` Thank you for helping us overcome COVID-19 together , '' the president said .
`` Please remember that grown-ups @ @ @ @ @ this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic .
We are all heroes who are beating COVID-19 together !
@

(ATTN: UPDATES with English subtitles from 4th para)
SEOUL, May 5 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in offered a virtual tour of his office for kids Tuesday, as a replacement for an annual Children's Day event on the Cheong Wa Dae lawn, due to the coronavirus.
Moon and first lady Kim Jung-sook participated in the production of a special video clip using the format of Minecraft, a popular sandbox video game.
With recordings of their voices and messages inserted as Minecraft characters, the clip features a tour of Cheong Wa Dae and a press briefing by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the country's response to COVID-19.
"We've been looking forward to seeing you, but because of the COVID-19 outbreak, we invited you here this year," Moon said.
He pointed out that children nationwide have been kept out of school for months.
"Thank you for helping us overcome COVID-19 together," the president said. "Please remember that grown-ups are working hard to overcome this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. We are all heroes who are beating COVID-19 together!"
The first lady reminded kids that washing their hands and wearing masks are among very important methods to combat the virus.
Cheong Wa Dae also released footage with English subtitles for children in foreign countries.
This image released by Cheong Wa Dae shows a virtual tour of the presidential office, using the format of Minecraft, a popular sandbox video game. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-05--S. Korean firm donates 2,500 COVID-19 test kits to Mozambique

The embassy said in a Facebook message that the test kits were provided by Youngsan Glonet Corp. , which provides @ @ @ @ @ to help raise the market share of the South Korean carmaker 's vehicles in Mozambique @

JOHANNESBURG, May 5 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean firm has donated Korean-made kits for 2,500 new coronavirus tests to Mozambique, the South Korean Embassy in Mozambique said Tuesday.
Mozambique's Health Minister Armindo Tiago expressed gratitude to South Korea during a donation ceremony Monday.
The embassy said in a Facebook message that the test kits were provided by Youngsan Glonet Corp., which provides consulting services to Hyundai Motor to help raise the market share of the South Korean carmaker's vehicles in Mozambique.
Mozambique has so far reported 80 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
This photo, provided by the South Korean Embassy in Mozambique, shows Mozambique's Health Minister Armindo Tiago (C) and South Korean Ambassador to Mozambique Yeo Sung-jun (2nd from R) posing for a camera during a donation ceremony for COVID-19 test kits on May 4, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-05-05--(LEAD) LG Twins beat defending champs Doosan Bears to open 2020 KBO season

Wilson and Kelly will not be available for the opening three-game series .
They were quarantined for 14 days in @ @ @ @ @ the United States -- they had gone home after spring training due to the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ are still ramping back up for their usual regular season load .

(ATTN: ADDS more results at bottom, photo)
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, May 5 (Yonhap) -- The LG Twins defeated the defending champions Doosan Bears 8-2 to start the 2020 regular season in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) on Tuesday, powered by the first home run of the season from their captain.
Kim Hyun-soo blasted his fourth career Opening Day home run for the Twins at Jamsil Stadium and drove in three runs, as the Twins got the better of their Seoul rivals. Kim's was the KBO's very first long ball of the new season.
It was one of five games played across the nation, as baseball officially returned following weeks of intrasquad and preseason games.
Cha Woo-chan of the LG Twins pitches against the Doosan Bears in their Korea Baseball Organization season opening game at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on May 5, 2020. (Yonhap)
The regular season was initially slated to start on March 28, but the season was delayed due to the coronavius pandemic. South Korea has seen a steady decline in new cases, with no locally transmitted cases reported over the past two days.
The Twins opened the scoring in the bottom second, with Kim Min-sung's RBI double off starter Raul Alcantara cashing in Park Yong-taik, who came all the way from first after drawing a walk.
Kim Hyun-soo's two-run jack in the third, just clearing the fence in left, put the Twins ahead 3-0.
The Bears got a run back in the top fourth, with Kim Jae-hwan's towering homer to deep right field against starter Cha Woo-chan.
Kim Hyun-soo of the LG Twins watches his two-run home run against the Doosan Bears in their Korea Baseball Organization season opening game at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on May 5, 2020. (Yonhap)
They wasted a one-on, two-out opportunity in the top seventh. After a walk and a single, Oh Jae-won grounded into a rally-killing, 6-4-3 double play.
Kim Hyun-soo delivered an insurance run with a double off the right-center wall in the bottom eighth, capping off his three-RBI day.
The Twins added four runs in the same eighth inning for good measure, two of them courtesy of two wild pitches by reliever Chae Ji-seon, and the last two on Yoo Kang-nam's two-run double.
Cha, starting ahead of two American aces Tyler Wilson and Casey Kelly, held the Bears to Kim's solo shot, while striking out seven and walking two.
Three LG relievers limited the Bears to a run -- from a sacrifice fly by Kim Jae-ho -- on three hits.
Wilson and Kelly will not be available for the opening three-game series. They were quarantined for 14 days in late March upon returning from the United States -- they had gone home after spring training due to the coronavirus outbreak here -- and they are still ramping back up for their usual regular season load.
The LG Twins and the Doosan Bears play their Korea Baseball Organization season opening game at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on May 5, 2020. (Yonhap)
Elsewhere, Warwick Saupold threw a complete game shutout as the Hanwha Eagles blanked the SK Wyverns 3-0 at SK Happy Dream Park in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul.
It was the official opener for the season and also the first game to finish. At two hours and six minutes, it was the fastest Opening Day game in league history.
Saupold became the first foreign starter to toss a shutout on a KBO Opening Day.
The Kiwoom Heroes beat up on the Kia Tigers 11-2 in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of the capital, and spoiled the KBO managerial debut for Matt Williams, the 2014 National League Manager of the Year and the only American skipper in the KBO this season.
The game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field was halted for about 20 minutes during the bottom of the fourth after a fire broke out near the ballpark and black smoke reached the field.
Warwick Saupold of the Hanwha Eagles celebrates his complete game shutout victory over the SK Wyverns in their Korea Baseball Organization season opener at SK Happy Dream Park in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, on May 5, 2020. (Yonhap)
Four different Kiwoom players drove in two runs each, with cleanup Park Byung-ho going 3-for-5 with a two-run home run in the eighth.
In the first game aired by ESPN to the American audience, the NC Dinos shut out the hosts Samsung Lions 4-0 behind three solo home runs at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
NC designated hitter Na Sung-bum, a potential big leaguer represented by uber-agent Scott Boras, hit the first of three solo blasts in the fourth.
The Lotte Giants beat the KT Wiz 7-2, thanks to strong debuts by a couple of new foreign players.
Shortstop Dixon Machado came through with a go-ahead, three-run home run in the seventh, while starter Dan Straily held the Wiz to two runs on three hits in 5 2/3 innings at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, 45 kilometers south of Seoul.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-05--No Opening Day nerves for KBO's crafty lefty

After spring training ended in early March , Wilson and Kelly went home to be with their families while the @ @ @ @ @ Korea .
When they returned , they were ordered into 14-day quarantine , mandated by @ @ @ @ @ all international arrivals .
The two right-handers have been trying to regain their form after @ @ @ @ @ were not quite ready to begin the regular season against the Doosan Bears on Tuesday @

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, May 5 (Yonhap) -- Veteran left-hander Cha Woo-chan received the Opening Day nod for the LG Twins almost by default. With all due respect to the crafty lefty, Cha is not the best starter on the staff for his Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club. He is not even their second best pitcher.
Two American starters, Tyler Wilson and Casey Kelly, usually occupy the top two spots in the rotation. But the coronavirus pandemic threw the Twins' plan to have either one of them open the season out of whack.
Cha Woo-chan of the LG Twins pitches against the Doosan Bears in their Korea Baseball Organization season opening game at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on May 5, 2020. (Yonhap)
After spring training ended in early March, Wilson and Kelly went home to be with their families while the coronavirus was raging in South Korea. When they returned, they were ordered into 14-day quarantine, mandated by the South Korean government on all international arrivals. The two right-handers have been trying to regain their form after the forced layoff, but were not quite ready to begin the regular season against the Doosan Bears on Tuesday.
Enter Cha, a 32-year-old with three previous Opening Day assignments for the Samsung Lions. This was his first Opening Day start as a Twin.
And Cha picked up his first career Opening Day win at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, throwing six solid innings of one-run ball to help the Twins to an 8-2 victory. He held the Bears to three hits and struck out seven.
"I had plenty of time to prepare for this start, and I wasn't nervous at all because I'd done this before," Cha said. "I didn't throw as hard as I would have liked, but I didn't mind that so much because I was really pleased with the command of my breaking balls."
Cha's fastball topped out at 141 kilometers per hour (87.6 miles per hour), but he mixed that with curve, slider and forkball. Cha's only mistake came on a hanging curveball in the top of the fourth inning against Doosan cleanup Kim Jae-hwan, who crushed it deep into right-center field.
"It wasn't a bad pitch, and I think Jae-hwan just hit it well," Cha said. "I knew left-handed hitters were looking for curveballs at certain counts. So after two strikes, I tried to keep them off balance with fastballs and sliders."
Cha Woo-chan of the LG Twins (top) pitches against the Doosan Bears in their Korea Baseball Organization season opening game at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on May 5, 2020. (Yonhap)
This victory was the Twins' first over the Bears, the two Jamsil Stadium co-tenants, on an Opening Day since 1989. They still trail the Bears in the Opening Day head-to-head meetings at 2-8.
Cha said he knew about the Twins' recent history of poor showings against the Bears, but he was trying not to do too much.
"I just wanted to keep the damage to a minimum," he said. "I had the help of defense behind me, and my catcher (Yoo) Kang-nam called a great game."
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-05--LG Twins beat defending champs Doosan Bears to open 2020 KBO season

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, May 5 (Yonhap) -- The LG Twins defeated the defending champions Doosan Bears 8-2 to start the 2020 regular season in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) on Tuesday, powered by the first home run of the season from their captain.
Kim Hyun-soo blasted his fourth career Opening Day home run for the Twins at Jamsil Stadium and drove in three runs, as the Twins got the better of their Seoul rivals. Kim's was the KBO's very first long ball of the new season.
It was one of five games played across the nation, as baseball officially returned following weeks of intrasquad and preseason games.
Cha Woo-chan of the LG Twins pitches against the Doosan Bears in their Korea Baseball Organization season opening game at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on May 5, 2020. (Yonhap)
The regular season was initially slated to start on March 28, but the season was delayed due to the coronavius pandemic. South Korea has seen a steady decline in new cases, with no locally transmitted cases reported over the past two days.
The Twins opened the scoring in the bottom second, with Kim Min-sung's RBI double off starter Raul Alcantara cashing in Park Yong-taik, who came all the way from first after drawing a walk.
Kim Hyun-soo's two-run jack in the third, just clearing the fence in left, put the Twins ahead 3-0.
The Bears got a run back in the top fourth, with Kim Jae-hwan's towering homer to deep right field against starter Cha Woo-chan.
Kim Hyun-soo of the LG Twins watches his two-run home run against the Doosan Bears in their Korea Baseball Organization season opening game at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on May 5, 2020. (Yonhap)
They wasted a one-on, two-out opportunity in the top seventh. After a walk and a single, Oh Jae-won grounded into a rally-killing, 6-4-3 double play.
Kim Hyun-soo delivered an insurance run with a double off the right-center wall in the bottom eighth, capping off his three-RBI day.
The Twins added four runs in the same eighth inning for good measure, two of them courtesy of two wild pitches by reliever Chae Ji-seon, and the last two on Yoo Kang-nam's two-run double.
Cha, starting ahead of two American aces Tyler Wilson and Casey Kelly, held the Bears to Kim's solo shot, while striking out seven and walking two.
Three LG relievers limited the Bears to a run -- from a sacrifice fly by Kim Jae-ho -- on three hits.
Wilson and Kelly will not be available for the opening three-game series. They were quarantined for 14 days in late March upon returning from the United States -- they had gone home after spring training due to the coronavirus outbreak here -- and they are still ramping back up for their usual regular season load.
The LG Twins and the Doosan Bears play their Korea Baseball Organization season opening game at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on May 5, 2020. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-05--(LEAD) Baseball game interrupted by fire near stadium

The play was halted for 19 minutes before it resumed .
The disruption clearly did not affect the Heroes , @ @ @ @ @ in the top fifth to jump out to an 8-0 lead .

(ATTN: UPDATES with resumption)
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, May 5 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean baseball game was interrupted by a fire that broke out near a stadium in the southern part of the country on Tuesday.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season opening game between the Kia Tigers and the Kiwoom Heroes was halted during the bottom of the fourth inning, when black smoke from a fire near Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju reached the ballpark.
When it became too difficult to see, home plate umpire Jeon Il-soo suspended the game, with the Heroes ahead 4-0 with one out in the bottom fourth.
The play was halted for 19 minutes before it resumed. The disruption clearly did not affect the Heroes, who put up a four-spot in the top fifth to jump out to an 8-0 lead.
The scoreboard at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul, flashes a message on the suspension of the Korea Baseball Organization season opening game between the Kia Tigers and the Kiwoom Heroes, with black smoke from a fire near the stadium covering the field. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-05--Tada operator files constitutional petition against revised passenger transport law

The act allows the company to rent out its vans with drivers for at least six hours at airports and @ @ @ @ @ tour purposes .
Previously , chauffeur-driven Tada vans were able to serve customers without limits @ @ @ @ @ areas .

SEOUL, May 5 (Yonhap) -- The operator of the ride-hailing service Tada has filed a constitutional appeal against a revised passenger transport service act, company officials said Tuesday, accusing the amendment of infringing on the freedom of corporate activities and other basic rights.
The Value Creators & Company (VCNC) submitted the petition to the Constitutional Court on Friday, about two months after the National Assembly passed the revision that effectively bans the ride-hailing service.
The act allows the company to rent out its vans with drivers for at least six hours at airports and ports, and only for tour purposes. Previously, chauffeur-driven Tada vans were able to serve customers without limits on service hours and rental areas.
"(VCNC) filed the petition on May 1, as the revised act virtually bans Tada and thus infringes on the constitutionally protected right to pursue happiness, the right to equality, and freedom of corporate activities," the company said in a statement.
The VCNC pointed out that the act encroaches upon people's rights to make their own decisions by restricting options related to transportation.
Following the passage of the revision in March, the VCNC suspended its key ride-haling service. The passage followed an intense tug of war over the country's growing mobility market between technology-driven mobility companies and taxi drivers.
Launched in October 2018, Tada had won 1.7 million registered users in an indication of public support for the new mobility option in a country where it is not easy to grab a taxi in busy commercial areas, especially at night.
This photo, taken on Dec. 10, 2019, shows a Tada van running on a road in downtown Seoul. (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-05--Baseball game interrupted by fire near stadium

The Korea Baseball Organization ( KBO ) season opening game between the Kia Tigers and the Kiwoom Heroes was halted @ @ @ @ @ fourth inning , when black smoke from a fire near Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju @ @ @ @

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, May 5 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean baseball game was interrupted by a fire that broke out near a stadium in the southern part of the country on Tuesday.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season opening game between the Kia Tigers and the Kiwoom Heroes was halted during the bottom of the fourth inning, when black smoke from a fire near Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju reached the ballpark.
When it became too difficult to see, home plate umpire Jeon Il-soo suspended the game, with the Heroes ahead 4-0 with one out in the bottom fourth.
The scoreboard at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul, flashes a message on the suspension of the Korea Baseball Organization season opening game between the Kia Tigers and the Kiwoom Heroes, with black smoke from a fire near the stadium covering the field. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-05--Baseball back in S. Korea as nation emerges from coronavirus pandemic

Those two and the rest of the games were played without fans .
Due to lingering COVID-19 concerns , the @ @ @ @ @ will remain closed to the public .
Even when teams do start allowing fans into @ @ @ @ @ only be done so gradually .
For instance , teams will first start selling 20 @ @ @ @ @ then go from there depending on the situation with the virus .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, May 5 (Yonhap) -- The scene was eerily quiet. If you were only trying to pick up some sound without seeing what was happening, you wouldn't have guessed that you were at a baseball game.
Maybe you could still have heard a pin drop, but as LG Twins left-hander Cha Woo-chan was getting ready to deliver his first pitch of the 2020 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season Tuesday, the few people that were allowed at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul -- media, team officials and cheerleaders -- were waiting with bated breath. It was straight out of a golf tournament, with fans eagerly anticipating a booming drive that splits the fairway and prompts a "Get in the hole!" chant.
Players for the LG Twins and the Doosan Bears stand for the national anthem before the start of their Korea Baseball Organization season opening game at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on May 5, 2020. (Yonhap)
Cha's first pitch against Doosan Bears leadoff man Park Kun-woo missed down and away. And there were no fans to acknowledge that pitch, with cheers or jeers.
LG catcher Yoo Kang-nam quickly rolled the ball toward the dugout, so that it could be preserved as a memento to mark the start of what promises to be the most unusual season in KBO's 38-year history.
With the nation emerging from the coronavirus pandemic, having reported zero locally transmitted cases over the past two days, professional baseball officially returned in South Korea on Tuesday.
All 10 KBO clubs were in action at five stadiums across the nation. Seoul had a light drizzle ahead of the Twins-Bears contest but not enough to cause any delay.
Two of the games had their starts disrupted by inclement weather, including the one between the Samsung Lions and the NC Dinos in Daegu, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul. It was also the first game to be televised live by ESPN, the U.S. cable station that announced the rights deal on the eve of Opening Day.
The game in Seoul and another in Incheon, just west of the capital city, between the SK Wyverns and the Hanwha Eagles, were also covered by nearly 20 foreign media outlets.
Cheerleaders for the LG Twins root for the home team at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul against the Doosan Bears in their Korea Baseball Organization season opening game on May 5, 2020. (Yonhap)
Those two and the rest of the games were played without fans. Due to lingering COVID-19 concerns, the early part of the season will remain closed to the public. Even when teams do start allowing fans into their parks, it will only be done so gradually. For instance, teams will first start selling 20 percent of the seats and then go from there depending on the situation with the virus.
The Twins and the Wyverns, though, decided to bring their cheerleaders back on to the stage, trying to create a game-like atmosphere the best they could. At Jamsil, the Twins cheering squad blasted walkup songs for every LG batter and made sure Cha also got some love by chanting his name after strikeouts.
In between innings, cheerleaders performed to K-pop music or team songs on the stage, with the mascots also getting in on the act. And before the top of the fifth, the scoreboard in center played a video clip of a full Jamsil Stadium from the last season, with more than 20,000 fans erupting in cheers for the Twins.
The constant, "from first pitch to the final out" cheering from boisterous fans is a major part of KBO in-stadium experience. That was one major element missing Tuesday.
A flag for the LG Twins rests on the empty stands at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul during a Korea Baseball Organization season opening game between the Twins and the Doosan Bears on May 5, 2020. (Yonhap)
But virtually everything else that makes up a typical baseball game was there, from home runs to diving grabs, from a double to left-center gap to a 5-4-3 double play, and from a bat drop to a swing that went unchecked on a breaking ball in the dirt.
By the start of the bottom sixth in Seoul, the sun started to poke through the dark clouds. The symbolism was impossible to miss.
After months of struggling to contain the virus, life is returning to normal in South Korea. There really was light at the end of the tunnel. The sun is shining again.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-05--Eyes of the world: Foreign media descend on KBO stadiums for Opening Day

`` Everyone was getting their temperature checked , and everyone here is wearing masks , '' Amagasaki said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ hold , I wanted to see how the season would begin in the KBO .
@ @ @ @ @ circumstance is right for sports to begin in South Korea . ''

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, May 5 (Yonhap) -- Journalists from nearly 20 international media outlets flocked to baseball stadiums across South Korea on Tuesday, trying to get a glimpse into the nation emerging from the global coronavirus pandemic, with the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) launching its 2020 season.
The regular season began across five ballparks Tuesday, the Children's Day national holiday, after the start was pushed back from the original March 28 Opening Day due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
This photo taken May 5, 2020, shows Jamsil Stadium in Seoul ahead of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game between the LG Twins and the Doosan Bears. (Yonhap)
The government has loosened its social distancing guidelines and the beginning of baseball, the most popular sport in the country, is regarded as a clear sign that life is returning to normal, if only so slowly.
All five games opened without fans in the stands, and stadiums will remain closed to the public until further notice.
Victoria Kim, a Seoul correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, visited Jamsil Stadium in Seoul for a game between the LG Twins and the Doosan Bears, curious to see how the season will play out without fans early on.
"I am here to see how you conduct a baseball season in the time of a global pandemic," Kim told Yonhap News Agency. "There's a lot of natural interest in the KBO (among U.S. fans) partly because of a lot of connection between Korea and the U.S., and a lot of former major league players here."
The U.S. sports cable giant ESPN has struck a deal to televise six KBO games per week this season and will also carry playoff games in the fall. Major League Baseball (MLB) hasn't been able to start its season due to the pandemic.
Takuro Amagasaki, a Seoul correspondent from Nippon TV, speaks to South Korean reporters at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul ahead of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game between the LG Twins and the Doosan Bears on May 5, 2020. (Yonhap)
The KBO also has a deal with the Japanese site SPOZONE (www.spozone.jp), which will carry two South Korean games per day and will then gradually increase that number. Japan's top league, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), also remains grounded.
Takuro Amagasaki, a correspondent here from Nippon TV, said he was impressed with the tight quarantining measures taken at Jamsil Stadium, despite the fact that there have been no locally transmitted COVID-19 cases the past two days.
"Everyone was getting their temperature checked, and everyone here is wearing masks," Amagasaki said. "With the NPB season on hold, I wanted to see how the season would begin in the KBO. It looks as though the circumstance is right for sports to begin in South Korea."
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-05--Fire kills more than 2,000 pigs in Seogwipo

The blaze started at around 8:30 p.m. Monday , promoting the fire service to deploy more than 160 personnel there @ @ @ @ @ City said .
It was extinguished at 5:11 a.m. Tuesday .
No human casualty was @ @ @ @ @ the fire still unknown .

SEOGWIPO, South Korea, May 5 (Yonhap) -- This week's fire at a large hog farm in Seogwipo on South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju has caused an estimated 1 billion won (US$815,993) worth of damage, including the loss of about 2,350 pigs, fire authorities said Tuesday.
The blaze started at around 8:30 p.m. Monday, promoting the fire service to deploy more than 160 personnel there, the authorities in Seogwipo City said. It was extinguished at 5:11 a.m. Tuesday. No human casualty was reported with the cause of the fire still unknown.
The blaze engulfed the second floor of the two-story farming facility -- one of the two facilities at the piggery that has raised a total of 6,000 pigs. Those killed in the fire were among the 4,000 pigs at the fire-ravaged facility.
Employees of the hog farm reported the fire to the authorities after learning of it through a safety alert system Monday afternoon.
Fire authorities deploy heavy equipment to put out a fire at a hog farm in Seogwipo on the southern resort island of Jeju on May 4, 2020. (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-05-05--(3rd LD) S. Korea sees no new local infection cases for 2nd day

`` Social distancing in everyday life does not mean the termination of COVID-19 , '' Park said in a Seoul @ @ @ @ @ `` It means each and every one of the citizens is now responsible for his @ @ @ @ @ ''

(ATTN: UPDATES with more information, additional remarks from officials in paras 10-16)
SEOUL, May 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported three more cases of the new coronavirus Tuesday, but all from other countries with no locally transmitted cases.
The three imported cases put the total number of infection cases here at 10,804, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
The country has reported no locally transmitted cases for two consecutive days.
The three new cases also mark the lowest daily figure in 77 days since Feb. 18 when the country reported two new cases of COVID-19.
Also, South Korea has now reported fewer than 10 new infection cases per day for six consecutive days.
A drive-thru market selling agricultural products opens in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, on April 29, 2020, in an effort to avoid coronavirus infections. (Yonhap)
With the possible slowdown in the spread of the disease here, the Seoul government has decided to relax its monthslong social distancing campaign starting Wednesday.
School will begin opening to students in phases next Wednesday, while the government will shift its social distancing campaign to what it calls an "everyday-life quarantine scheme" this week.
Health Minister Park Neung-hoo, however, said the move does not indicate an end of the outbreak.
"Social distancing in everyday life does not mean the termination of COVID-19," Park said in a Seoul meeting held earlier Tuesday. "It means each and every one of the citizens is now responsible for his or her own hygiene."
President Moon Jae-in praised the government and its social distancing campaign.
"We still may not lower our guard, but the COVID-19 crisis is fast becoming stabilized," the president said in a message posted on his social networking service accounts.
"South Korea's quarantine steps have become global standards, and the country will switch to social distancing in everyday life tomorrow," he added.
The number of new infection cases began to shrink after the government launched the nationwide campaign in early March when the country daily reported hundreds of new cases.
The number of new cases has dipped to an average 9.1 per day since late April, according to the KCDC.
With such a drop in the number of new cases, the government is now considering lowering its warning by a notch from the highest level of four, Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip told a daily press briefing.
"I believe there will be no major changes to government steps even if the warning level is reduced," he said.
Health Minister Park Neung-hoo (L) speaks in a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters in Seoul on May 5, 2020. (Yonhap)
So far, 9,283 patients here have been released after making full recoveries, up 66 from a day earlier, according to the KCDC.
The country's death toll came to 254, up two from Monday.
The country has so far tested 640,237 people for COVID-19. Over 96 percent, or 620,575 of them, have tested negative.
With a steady decline in the number of patients, the government plans to further reduce the number of hospitals and beds earmarked for COVID-19 patients.
It currently has 5,533 hospital beds specifically reserved for coronavirus patients, 4,649 of which are currently vacant, according to the vice health minister.
The number will be reduced to 3,808, with 2,924 of them immediately available to patients.
"However, those that will be switched to beds for patients with non-transmittable diseases will immediately be redesignated if needed," Kim said.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-05--Today in Korean history

Today in Korean history

2018 -- A South Korean court rules that an Iranian who converted from Islam to Christianity should be given refugee @ @ @ @ @ persecuted if he goes back to his country .
( END )

May 6
1952 -- Commercial phone lines connecting Seoul and Busan open.
1981 -- The Korea Fair Trade Commission, the nation's antitrust watchdog, is launched.
2003 -- The National Assembly passes a revision bill on war veterans and Agent Orange patients to expand government subsidies and free treatment.
2005 -- President Roh Moo-hyun demands that Japan take concrete "action" rather than make "apologies" for the atrocities it committed during its colonization of the Korean Peninsula and World War II.
2018 -- A South Korean court rules that an Iranian who converted from Islam to Christianity should be given refugee status as he could be persecuted if he goes back to his country.
(END)


yna--2020-05-05--ESPN power rankings aside, Doosan Bears manager thinks team will be just fine

`` We often talk about doing the best we can , but in sports , you have to win , @ @ @ @ @ We 've done well in recent seasons ( with three titles in the past five @ @ @ @ @ think that may have attracted some interest in the U.S . ''

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, May 5 (Yonhap) -- As part of its deal to broadcast Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) games to the American audience this season, ESPN will also be covering the league on its web platform, ESPN.com.
Just ahead of the start of the 2020 season here on Tuesday, ESPN.com released its first KBO power rankings. The 2019 runners-up Kiwoom Heroes came out on top, with the defending champions, Doosan Bears, down in third place.
That's a tad low for a team picked by many South Korean pundits to repeat as the champions in 2020. ESPN.com noted that the Bears have lost their No. 1 starter Josh Lindblom, who won 20 games en route to earning the regular season MVP award and parlayed the strong season to a three-year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers.
This file photo from March 11, 2020, shows Doosan Bears' manager Kim Tae-hyoung during the Korea Baseball Organization club's practice at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul. (Yonhap)
When informed of the power rankings in his pregame presser at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on Tuesday, Doosan manager Kim Tae-hyoung just smiled and said, "I am sure they did their research."
Losing a 20-game winner from the rotation would hurt most teams. The Bears parted ways with another American starter, Seth Frankoff, who won 27 games combined in 2018 and 2019.
Replacing them are two former major leaguers, Chris Flexen and Raul Alcantara. This is Flexen's first year in the KBO, and Alcantara pitched for another KBO team, the KT Wiz, in 2019, going 11-11 with a 4.01 ERA.
Kim quipped that losing Lindblom may cost his team "about 10 wins" but quickly turned around and said his two new pitchers will be just fine.
"Josh was pitching at another level, and he was the best in this league," Kim said. "I think the two guys that we have now will pitch well for us, as long as they don't miss their turn in the rotation."
ESPN will televise six games per week and will also air postseason games. The second game of the all-Seoul three-game set between the Bears and the LG Twins will be on ESPN at 5:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Wednesday.
Asked how he wanted to appeal to American fans, Kim said succinctly, "Winning is everything."
"We often talk about doing the best we can, but in sports, you have to win," Kim said. "We've done well in recent seasons (with three titles in the past five years), and I think that may have attracted some interest in the U.S."
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-05--KBO club manager sees ESPN deal as 'good opportunity' for promotion

This will be a season unlike any other in the KBO , which held its inaugural season in 1982 .
@ @ @ @ @ , the early portion of the season will be played without fans in the stands @ @ @ @ @ the rest of the KBO have had some experience in that regard with weeks of @ @ @ @ @ six preseason games , behind closed doors , Ryu predicted things will feel different now @ @ @ @ @

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, May 5 (Yonhap) -- With the global coronavirus pandemic having brought most of the sporting world to a halt, LG Twins manager Ryu Joong-il is grateful for the start of a new South Korean baseball season and also for an opportunity to get the brand out to the international audience.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) will become the second pro baseball league, after the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) in Taiwan, to start a season. The Twins will host their Seoul rivals Doosan Bears at Jamsil Stadium in the nation's capital at 2 p.m. Tuesday is also the Children's Day national holiday in South Korea.
On the eve of the Opening Day -- pushed back from March 28 -- ESPN and the KBO announced that the U.S. sports cable giant will be airing six KBO games a week, plus the playoffs and the championship Korean Series. The landmark deal will bring South Korean ball games live to the U.S. audience hungry for live baseball, with the Major League Baseball (MLB) season seemingly weeks, if not months, away from its Opening Day due to the pandemic.
LG Twins manager Ryu Joong-il speaks to reporters before a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on May 5, 2020. (Yonhap)
"I think this is a good opportunity for us to promote South Korean baseball internationally," Ryu said in his pregame press conference, with a sizable throng of international media also clinging to his every word.
"Our players may not be as strong or fast as major leaguers, but we can play some small ball and manufacture runs," Ryu added. "We may not be as good as MLB, but we'll still try to show people that Korean baseball has come a long way."
This will be a season unlike any other in the KBO, which held its inaugural season in 1982. Due to lingering COVID-19 concerns, the early portion of the season will be played without fans in the stands. Though the Twins and the rest of the KBO have had some experience in that regard with weeks of intrasquad games, followed by six preseason games, behind closed doors, Ryu predicted things will feel different now that games will count.
"I am not sure how this situation will affect our players' focus," Ryu said. "Maybe the guys will feel more relaxed, or maybe it will have some negative impact."
Ryu expressed hope that the league will start allowing fans back in around early June, by which time students who have been held out of school since early March will be back in classrooms.
In a typical regular season, the Twins-Bears rival showdown on Children's Day is one of the toughest tickets. Pitting those Jamsil co-tenants against each other on May 5 has become an annual KBO tradition. And even without fans in the stands, Ryu said he thinks his players may tighten up a bit at the mere thought of taking on the Bears on Children's Day.
LG Twins players take a batting practice before a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on May 5, 2020. (Yonhap)
"I am hoping they'll just see this as one of 144 games, and nothing more," Ryu added.
Those 144 games will be squeezed into a May-November window, instead of the usual March-October calendar. There will be no All-Star break this year, and teams will have to play doubleheaders and games on Mondays, normally the designated off day in the KBO, to get in those games.
Ryu predicted there will be a lot of "external variables" that will affect teams' performances.
"It's going to be the survival of the fittest," he said. "I think the team with the most depth and capable reserves will come out on top in the end."
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-05--Brokerages' overseas operations see profit jump in 2019

The combined net profit of 67 overseas branches of 14 securities companies stood at US $ 182.4 million in 2019 @ @ @ @ @ won from 2018 , according to the data from the Financial Supervisory Service .

SEOUL, May 5 (Yonhap) -- Overseas branches of South Korean securities companies saw their combined net profit rise 48.5 percent in 2019 from a year earlier due mainly to increased interest income and earnings from commission fees, data showed Tuesday.
The combined net profit of 67 overseas branches of 14 securities companies stood at US$182.4 million in 2019, up $59.6 million won from 2018, according to the data from the Financial Supervisory Service.
The hike in net profit came on the back of increased interest income and earnings from commission fees.
The Financial Supervisory Service in Yeouido in western Seoul (Yonhap)
Securities companies' branches in Asia, including Hong Kong, Vietnam and Indonesia, accounted for 83.7 percent of their combined net profit last year.
Net profit of overseas branches of 14 securities has been on the rise since 2017.
The South Korean securities companies operate 67 branches in 14 countries, including nine in the United States and five in China.
At the end of last year, the total assets of securities companies' overseas branches stood at $58.47 billion, up 18.1 percent from a year earlier, the data showed.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-05--U.N. sanctions panel approves S. Korean NGO's aid project for N.K.

With the approval for the sanctions exemption , Green Tree International is to carry out its program for six months @ @ @ @ @ program aims to support the rehabilitation process at the Korean Rehabilitation Center for Children with @ @ @ @ @

SEOUL, May 5 (Yonhap) -- The U.N. Security Council's committee on sanctions against North Korea has approved an application from a South Korean nongovernmental agency to conduct its aid program in the communist state, its website showed Tuesday.
With the approval for the sanctions exemption, Green Tree International is to carry out its program for six months until Oct. 30. The program aims to support the rehabilitation process at the Korean Rehabilitation Center for Children with Disabilities in the North.
The agency applied for the sanctions exemption through South Korea's permanent mission at the U.N. on April 6.
The Seoul-based aid agency has engaged in humanitarian activities related to supporting the disabled around the world and children in the North, its website said.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-05--(2nd LD) S. Korea sees no new local infection cases for 2nd day

(ATTN: CHANGES headline, lead; UPDATES with additional details, more information, minor changes in paras 2-5, 13-16)
SEOUL, May 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported three more cases of the new coronavirus Tuesday, but all from other countries with no locally transmitted cases.
The three imported cases put the total number of infection cases here at 10,804, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
The country has reported no locally transmitted cases for two consecutive days.
The three new cases also mark the lowest daily figure in 77 days since Feb. 18 when the country reported two new cases of COVID-19.
Also, South Korea has now reported fewer than 10 new infection cases per day for six consecutive days.
A drive-thru market selling agricultural products opens in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, on April 29, 2020, in an effort to avoid coronavirus infections. (Yonhap)
With the possible slowdown in the spread of the disease here, the Seoul government has decided to relax its monthslong social distancing campaign.
School will begin opening to students in phases next Wednesday, while the government will shift its social distancing campaign to what it calls an "everyday-life quarantine scheme" this week.
Health Minister Park Neung-hoo, however, said the move does not indicate an end of the outbreak.
"Social distancing in everyday life does not mean the termination of COVID-19," Park said in a Seoul meeting held earlier Tuesday. "It means each and every one of the citizens is now responsible for his or her own hygiene."
Health Minister Park Neung-hoo (L) speaks in a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters in Seoul on May 5, 2020. (Yonhap)
So far, 9,283 patients here have been released after making full recoveries, up 66 from a day earlier, according to the KCDC.
The country's death toll came to 254, up two from Monday.
The country has so far tested 640,237 people for COVID-19. Over 96 percent, or 620,575 of them, have tested negative.
With a steady decline in the number of patients, the government plans to further reduce the number of hospitals and beds earmarked for COVID-19 patients.
It currently has 5,533 hospital beds specifically reserved for coronavirus patients, 4,649 of which are currently vacant, Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip told a daily press briefing.
The number will be reduced to 3,800, with 2,924 of them immediately available to patients.
"However, those that will be switched to beds for patients with non-transmittable diseases will immediately be redesignated if needed," Kim said.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-06--S. Korea reports no new local virus cases for 3rd day amid lax social distancing

SEOUL , May 6 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korea reported two more cases of the new coronavirus , all @ @ @ @ @ , on Wednesday , marking no local new infections for the third consecutive day amid @ @ @ @

SEOUL, May 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported two more cases of the new coronavirus, all of which are imported cases, on Wednesday, marking no local new infections for the third consecutive day amid relaxed social distancing.
The new infections brought the nation's total caseload to 10,806, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
On Tuesday, the country added just three cases, the lowest figure in more than two months.
The country decided to lift its strict social distancing scheme that had been put in force since early March starting Wednesday, amid a slowdown in the number of new infections that had peaked at 909 in late February.
South Koreans are allowed to go back to their daily routines while adhering to basic precautionary guidelines. Schools will open in phases starting next week as well.
People maintain a safe social distance while buying tickets at an amusement park in eastern Seoul on May 5, 2020, Children's Day and the last day of the government-led social distancing campaign to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
The nation's death toll increased by one to 255.
In total, 9,333 people in South Korea have recovered from the virus, up 50 from a day earlier.
Daegu, the nation's worst virus-hit region located 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, added no new cases for third consecutive day. The city accounts for 64 percent of the nation's total COVID-19 cases.
In sync with the eased quarantine guidelines, health authorities said earlier that they are also considering lowering its warning level by a notch from the highest level of four.
Health authorities, however, say the latest changes do not mean that South Korea has fully won the battle against the pandemic.
Experts warn another wave of the COVID-19 pandemic may hit the country hard later, given the lack of a vaccine for the highly contagious virus.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-06--(URGENT) 50 more people released after full recovery from coronavirus, bringing total to 9,333:KCDC

(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--2020-05-06--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 1 more virus death, death toll now at 255: KCDC


yna--2020-05-06--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 2 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 10,806: KCDC


yna--2020-05-06--Hyundai launches upgraded Palisade SUV in S. Korea

The In-Car Payment , or CarPay , service that makes payments for fuel and parking available through the navigation system @ @ @ @ @ the Palisade model , as part of the connected car services , from the second @ @ @ @ @ .

SEOUL, May 6 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Co. on Wednesday launched the upgraded Palisade sport-utility vehicle in the domestic market to boost sales amid coronavirus woes.
The 2020 Palisade comes with a 3.8-liter gasoline engine or a 2.2-liter diesel engine, the company said in a statement.
The flagship SUV sells at the starting price of 35 million won (US$29,000), with the price going up to 53 million won depending on options, it said.
The In-Car Payment, or CarPay, service that makes payments for fuel and parking available through the navigation system, will be applied to the Palisade model, as part of the connected car services, from the second half, the company said.
This file photo provided by Hyundai Motor shows the Palisade SUV. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-05-06--PM calls for maintaining daily social distancing as new quarantine scheme begins

`` We should bear in mind that reopening schools and boosting the economy will be possible only when practicing social @ @ @ @ @ routine , '' Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said at a meeting on the government 's @ @ @ @

SEOUL, May 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's prime minister called on citizens Wednesday to thoroughly maintain social distancing in their daily lives as the country began to relax quarantine rules amid a declining number of new coronavirus infections.
After the implementation of strict social distancing measures for six weeks, the government began to switch to an "everyday life quarantine" scheme Wednesday to allow people to carry out social and economic activities under quarantine rules.
"We should bear in mind that reopening schools and boosting the economy will be possible only when practicing social distancing takes root as daily routine," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said at a meeting on the government's response to COVID-19.
Chung described the new scheme as the "minimum" steps that should be taken in order for even a limited return to normalcy.
"The government unveiled details about social distancing guidelines as part of daily routines. But it is of no use if people do not implement them in daily lives" he said.
The education ministry announced Friday it will gradually reopen schools starting on May 13 with high school seniors first attending classes.
The operation of state-run museums and libraries will resume starting Wednesday as well, in line with government social distancing guidelines.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-06--BTS joins Obamas, Lady Gaga in YouTube virtual commencement next month

BTS will also give a performance in an after-party following the online ceremony , along with other artists , according @ @ @ @ @ the management agency of BTS .

SEOUL, May 6 (Yonhap) -- K-pop band BTS will join ex-U.S. President Barack Obama, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and American pop icon Lady Gaga in giving speeches during a virtual commencement event by YouTube next month, the band's agency said Wednesday.
An image of BTS, provided by Big Hit Entertainment (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The streaming event, "Dear Class of 2020" set for June 6 (U.S. time), is a virtual commencement celebration, bringing together inspirational leaders, celebrities and YouTube creators to celebrate graduates and their families online, according to YouTube.
The list of commencement speakers include former first lady Michelle Obama; former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates; Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google LLC; and Pakistani activist and Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai.
BTS will also give a performance in an after-party following the online ceremony, along with other artists, according to Big Hit Entertainment, the management agency of BTS.
YouTube said special appearances for the event include singers Alicia Keys, Zendaya and actor Kelly Rowland, as well as many other entertainers.
This promotional image for a YouTube virtual graduation event, "Dear Class of 2020," set for June 6, 2020, is provided by the video-sharing service. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-06--Veteran second baseman happy to be back in familiar spot

The drought , or the streak depending on your perspective , ended Tuesday for Jeong , who returned to the @ @ @ @ @ for the LG Twins on Opening Day against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Stadium in @ @ @ @ @ with the Twins in the offseason after an up-and-down , six-year run with the Hanwha @ @ @ @ @ an unceremonious move to center field and first base for the former All-Star second baseman @ @ @ @ @ second base had come on May 31 , 2018 .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, May 6 (Yonhap) -- Not that anyone was counting, but it had been 705 days since Jeong Keun-woo last made a regular season start at second base in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).
The drought, or the streak depending on your perspective, ended Tuesday for Jeong, who returned to the familiar place on the diamond for the LG Twins on Opening Day against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul. The 37-year-old signed with the Twins in the offseason after an up-and-down, six-year run with the Hanwha Eagles. The stint included an unceremonious move to center field and first base for the former All-Star second baseman. His last start at second base had come on May 31, 2018.
Jeong Keun-woo of the LG Twins celebrates his double against the Doosan Bears in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on May 5, 2020. (Yonhap)
Jeong made the most of his return to second base Tuesday, making an impressive diving catch in the top of the third. Jeong lunged to his right to snare a hard one-hopper off the bat of Park Kun-woo and got back to his feet quickly to throw out the runner.
Jeong smiled like a kid who walked into the candy store after already finishing off a bag of chocolate chip cookies. LG starter Cha Woo-chan bowed in appreciation, and first baseman Roberto Ramos, who handled Jeong's low throw with ease, also slapped his mitt to celebrate the highlight reel play.
"I was nervous because it'd been such a long time since I last played second base in the regular season," Jeong said after the game. "At least I got a few reps there during the preseason. And that diving grab settled me down quite a bit."
Jeong also made an impact at the plate in the bottom half of that inning.
With one out, Lee Chun-woong hit a single to right but was caught stealing second with Jeong at the plate. Now with two outs and down to his final strike as the Twins were nursing a 1-0 lead, Jeong kept the inning alive by lining a double to the left-center gap.
Three pitches later, Kim Hyun-soo launched a two-run home run to left for a 3-0 Twins lead.
That double was Jeong's only hit of the game, but he continued to make his presence felt on defense. In the top of the fourth inning, Jeong caught a line drive and then doubled off Jose Miguel Fernandez at first to snuff out a potential rally. In the seventh, with the Bears trying to mount a late comeback with men at first and second, Jeong was in the middle of a 6-4-3 twin killing.
The former All-Star and the national team mainstay has spent the bulk of his 16 seasons at second base. From 2006 to 2013 with the SK Wyverns, Jeong was a superb defender, perhaps the best in the league, and also stole 265 bases, including a career-high 53 in 2009. At the plate, he packed some gap power into his 172-centimeter (5-foot-8) frame.
The decline began almost as soon as he signed a big free agent deal with the Eagles prior to his age-32 season in 2014. By advanced fielding numbers, Jeong quickly went from elite to average, and never recovered. And controversially, Hanwha manager Han Yong-duk put Jeong at first base in 2018 to make room for younger prospects at second base. Jeong got 33 starts there that season and 24 more last year. The move didn't sit well with Eagles fans, but Jeong soldiered on.
He was by far the shortest first baseman in the league in those two seasons. It's a position typically occupied by big and tall players whose fielding skills may be limited but who make themselves a big target for infielders.
Jeong Keun-woo of the LG Twins (C) makes a throw to first base to complete a double play against the Doosan Bears in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on May 5, 2020. (Yonhap)
Last year, Song Kwang-min, listed at 182 centimeters, was the regular third baseman for the Eagles. When a third baseman is that much taller than his first baseman, the margin for error when it comes to throws across the diamond is, well, small.
"Height Doesn't Measure Heart," or HDMH, is the trademarked personal catchphrase for New York Mets right-hander Marcus Stroman, who, at 5 foot, 8 inches tall, is one of the shortest players in the majors. Stroman plays with a huge chip on his shoulder and has shrewdly turned slights into business opportunities.
Jeong, on the other hand, doesn't exude the brooding, "me against the world" attitude. In the way he smiles sheepishly after turning a tough double play or the way he interacts with younger teammates, there's still a bit of childlike joy in him.
"I am just happy to help the team win," Jeong said. "We got off to a great start in 2020, and it feels like we'll be in for a pretty good year."
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-06--SK Innovation shifts to red in Q1

SK Innovation shifts to red in Q1

The operating profit was 76.8 percent higher than the average estimate , according to the survey by Yonhap Infomax , @ @ @ @ @ Yonhap News Agency .
The estimate of net profit was not available .

SEOUL, May 6 (Yonhap) -- SK Innovation Co. on Wednesday reported its first-quarter net loss of 1.55 trillion won (US$ 1.3 billion), swinging from a profit of 208.8 billion won a year earlier.
The company said in a regulatory filing that it posted an operating loss of 1.77 trillion won for the January-March period, compared with a profit of 328.1 billion won a year ago. Sales fell 12.6 percent to 11.16 trillion won.
The operating profit was 76.8 percent higher than the average estimate, according to the survey by Yonhap Infomax, the financial data firm of Yonhap News Agency. The estimate of net profit was not available.
※ This article was generated by Yonhap's proprietary algorithm using data from Yonhap Infomax and Korea Exchange(KRX).
(END)


yna--2020-05-06--S. Korea begins war excavation project for this year

The project , which will run till the end of November , kicked off in seven regions and is set @ @ @ @ @ country , according to the ministry .
It was originally scheduled to begin in March @ @ @ @ @ the new coronavirus .

SEOUL, May 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Wednesday began its annual project to discover and identify the remains of soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War, the defense ministry said, as this year marks the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the three-year conflict.
The project, which will run till the end of November, kicked off in seven regions and is set to gradually expand across the country, according to the ministry. It was originally scheduled to begin in March but was delayed due to the new coronavirus.
Amid the postponement, the government focused on identifying soldiers from the remains it had already found and succeeded in identifying four warriors who fought in the war, it said.
This year, the ministry aims to secure 12,500 gene samples of the bereaved families and complete the construction of an identification center by October.
The authorities currently have 50,000 samples of the families' genes, but it falls short of some 135,000 veterans who remain to be found, the ministry said.
The government is also considering mobilizing robots to find the remains, it said.
"This year, the ministry will focus on achieving qualitative accomplishment while continuing our quantitative success on the project," the ministry said in a release.
In this photo, provided by the defense ministry, soldiers excavate the remains of war dead at Arrowhead Ridge, a site of fierce battles during the 1950-53 Korean War, inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). South Korea resumed excavating the remains on April 20, 2020, as Pyongyang remained unresponsive to calls for joint work as was agreed between the two sides. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-06--Hyundai, Kia partially resume domestic production amid virus woes

Hyundai will extend the suspension of the No .
3 plant in Ulsan , 414 kilometers southeast of Seoul , @ @ @ @ @ extend the suspension of the No .
2 plant in Gwangju , 330 km southwest @ @ @ @ @ Sohari , Gwangmyeong plant near Seoul , until Sunday and once again from May 22-25 @ @ @ @ @ .

SEOUL, May 6 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. said Wednesday they have partially resumed operations at their domestic plants as the coronavirus outbreak continues to affect the automobile industry.
The corporate duo suspended their domestic plants from April 30 through Tuesday to keep inventories at manageable levels amid COVID-19 worries.
Hyundai will extend the suspension of the No. 3 plant in Ulsan, 414 kilometers southeast of Seoul, until Sunday. Kia will extend the suspension of the No. 2 plant in Gwangju, 330 km southwest of Seoul, and the Sohari, Gwangmyeong plant near Seoul, until Sunday and once again from May 22-25, according to the companies.
"The other domestic plants have restarted production to make delayed deliveries of ordered vehicles," a Hyundai spokesman said by phone.
This undated file photo shows the headquarters of Hyundai Motor Group in southern Seoul, South Korea. (Yonhap)
Hyundai has seven domestic plants and 10 overseas plants -- four in China and one each in the United States, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Russia, India and Brazil. Their combined capacity reaches 5.5 million vehicles.
Kia, which is 34 percent owned by Hyundai, has eight domestic passenger vehicle plants and seven overseas ones -- three in China and one each in the U.S., Slovakia, Mexico and India. Their overall capacity is 3.84 million units.
On the overseas front, Hyundai and Kia restarted production at their plants in Alabama and Georgia, respectively, on Monday (U.S. time) and plan to flexibly operate the plants "depending on the COVID-19 developments and local market conditions.
Hyundai has suspended the Alabama plant since March 18 when one of its local employees was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus. Kia has halted the Georgia plant since March 30 due to lack of engine supplies from Hyundai's Alabama plant.
Hyundai's India plant will also resume operations this week as the carmaker satisfied all the requirements presented by the local government to restart production, the spokesman said.
The Chennai plant has suspended operations since March 22 in line with the local government's guidance to stem the spread of COVID-19 across the country.
India announced a nationwide shutdown on March 25, affecting transportation, manufacturing plants and almost all e-commerce.
But the two carmakers' plants in China are in operation, though they have yet to return to full production.
From January to April, they sold a combined 339,254 vehicles in the U.S., down 15 percent from 396,793 units in the year-ago period.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-06--Seoul stocks open higher on Wall Street gains

U.S. stocks advanced for a second straight day Tuesday ( local time ) as investors bet on a gradual reopening @ @ @ @ @ after coronavirus lockdowns .
American stocks also received a boost from a rebound in oil @ @

SEOUL, May 6 (Yonhap) -- Seoul stocks opened higher Wednesday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street amid the new coronavirus pandemic.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 23.51 points, or 1.24 percent, to 1,918.88 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
U.S. stocks advanced for a second straight day Tuesday (local time) as investors bet on a gradual reopening of businesses around the country after coronavirus lockdowns. American stocks also received a boost from a rebound in oil prices.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.56 percent to close at 23,883.09, while the Nasdaq rose 1.13 percent to finish at 8,809.12.
In Seoul, most large-cap stocks got off to a solid start.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics gained 0.62 percent, and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix rose 1.11 percent.
South Korea's No. 1 automaker, Hyundai Motor, surged 2.51 percent, while auto parts maker Hyundai Mobis advanced 0.88 percent.
Top chemical firm LG Chem jumped 1.11 percent, and leading steelmaker POSCO climbed 0.84 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,223.10 won against the U.S. dollar, up 6.0 won from the previous session's close.
(END)


Wednesday's weather forecast

SEOUL , May 6 ( Yonhap ) -- The following is the weather forecast for South Korea 's 12 major @ @ @ @ @ .


yna--2020-05-06--Gold funds shine, but oil ETFs lose big on coronavirus

The yellow metal has reemerged as a safe haven as the United States and other major economies seek to expand @ @ @ @ @ the prolonged impact of the COVID-19 outbreak , FnGuide said .

SEOUL, May 6 (Yonhap) -- Gold funds in South Korea have shined over the past three months on investors' flight to safety amid the coronavirus pandemic, but oil funds have fared dismally on tumbling crude prices, a market tracker said Wednesday.
The three-month average return of 12 local gold funds with assets of 1 billion won (US$816,000) or more came to 10.22 percent as of last Wednesday, according to FnGuide.
The figure far outperformed the median return rate of minus 12.16 percent for domestic stock funds over the three-month period.
The financial information provider attributed the gold funds' solid performance to a bump in gold prices as investors are increasingly turning to safe assets during the coronavirus outbreak.
According to the Korea Exchange, one gram of gold fetched 68,860 won (US$56) on the domestic market on April 24, the highest close since the market's opening in March 2014.
The yellow metal has reemerged as a safe haven as the United States and other major economies seek to expand quantitative easing to cope with the prolonged impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, FnGuide said.
In contrast, oil funds in South Korea have been on the skids over the cited period as the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic has sent crude prices plunging.
Two major oil commodity exchange traded funds (ETFs), which are pegged to crude prices, posted an average return of minus 64 percent to 74 percent.
Oil ETFs consist of either crude firm stocks or futures and derivative contracts to track the price and performance of oil, or in some cases oil-related indexes.
International oil prices have been in freefall, battered by sinking demand due to the coronavirus outbreak and major exporters' failure to agree on a production cut.
Last month, international oil prices took a roller-coaster ride with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures lapsing into negative territory.
Despite poor returns, local commodity-focused funds had about 9.8 trillion won under their management as of last Wednesday, up 8.4 trillion won from three months earlier, according to FnGuide.
(END)


KOSDAQ 650.15 UP 8.24 points (open)


KOSPI 1,919.45 UP 24.08 points (open)


yna--2020-05-06--Dollar opens at 1,222.5 won DN from 1,229.1 won


yna--2020-05-06--N. Korean exports tumble over 4 years on tougher sanctions: report

Watches were North Korea 's leading export item in 2019 , accounting for 18.8 percent of the total .
Ferrosilicon @ @ @ @ @ and silicon , came next with 11.3 percent and wigs with 11.2 percent .

SEOUL, May 6 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's exports plunged in 2019 from four years earlier due to tougher international economic sanctions with its trade dependence on China hitting a record high, a report said Wednesday.
The reclusive country's overseas shipments came to US$261 million last year, down 20.9 percent from a year earlier, according to the report from the Korea International Trade Association (KITA).
The figure also amounted to just one-seventeenth of the country's exports of US$4.56 billion recorded in 2015.
In contrast, Pyongyang's imports climbed 15.6 percent on-year to $2.68 billion last year, with its trade gaining 11 percent to $2.95 billion.
"North Korean exports have been markedly larger than its overseas shipments since the international community ramped up economic sanctions on the country," KITA said.
The United Nations and the United States toughened its penalties on North Korea for its nuclear weapons and missile development program.
The report showed North Korea's trade partners numbering 62 last year, down sharply from 115 the previous year, with China remaining its No. 1 trade partner.
North Korea's trade dependence on its biggest economic ally reached an all-time high of 95.2 percent in 2019, which was also up from 91.7 percent a year earlier.
Trade between the two countries stood at $2.84 billion last year, up 15.3 percent from the prior year.
Watches were North Korea's leading export item in 2019, accounting for 18.8 percent of the total. Ferrosilicon, an alloy of iron and silicon, came next with 11.3 percent and wigs with 11.2 percent.
Exports of its five leading products -- coal, iron ore, fabrics, knitted goods and fisheries products -- came to almost nil last year due to the toughened international economic sanctions.
KITA predicted North Korea's trade will shrink considerably this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, adding its trade dependence on Beijing will likely hit a new high.
(END)


yna--2020-05-06--N. Korean leader receives commemorative medal from Russia

The medal was granted on Tuesday `` on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Russia 's victory in the @ @ @ @ @ the Korean Central News Agency said , referring to the end of World War II @

SEOUL, May 6 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has received a commemorative medal from Russian President Vladimir Putin, state media reported Wednesday, amid the two countries' stepped-up efforts to strengthen their bilateral ties.
The medal was granted on Tuesday "on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Russia's victory in the Great Patriotic War," the Korean Central News Agency said, referring to the end of World War II.
Russian Ambassador to North Korea Alexander Matsegora delivered the medal to the North's Foreign Minister Ri Son-gwon during a ceremony held at the Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang, it added.
North Korea and Russia have intensified efforts to strengthen their bilateral ties since Kim and Putin held their first summit in April last year in the Russian far eastern city of Vladivostok.
Marking the first anniversary of the summit, North Korea issued a statement last month, reaffirming Pyongyang's commitment to advancing its "strategic" and "friendly" relations with Russia.
This photo captured from the Facebook account of the Russian Embassy in North Korea shows North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Son-gwon (R) receiving a commemorative medal from Russian Ambassador Alexander Matsegora in the Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang on May 5, 2020. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-06--U.S. expects S. Korea to be flexible in defense cost-sharing talks: official

`` Our leaders have spoken recently , and we 'll continue to look for ways to sit down and talk @ @ @ @ @ a virtual seminar hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies , noting that @ @ @ @ @ it difficult for negotiators to meet face to face .

By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, May 5 (Yonhap) -- The United States expects South Korea to be flexible in their defense cost-sharing negotiations, a U.S. official said Tuesday, amid a prolonged impasse in talks.
The comment by Marc Knapper, deputy assistant secretary of state for Korea and Japan, suggests Washington continues to seek significant increases in Seoul's contributions to the cost of stationing 28,500 American troops on the peninsula.
"Our leaders have spoken recently, and we'll continue to look for ways to sit down and talk," he said during a virtual seminar hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, noting that the coronavirus pandemic has made it difficult for negotiators to meet face to face.
"Suffice to say that I think we believe our side has been very flexible up until now," he added. "And we're looking for some flexibility on the part of the Korean side too."
South Korea reportedly offered a 13 percent increase on the US$870 million it agreed to pay under last year's Special Measures Agreement, which lapsed at the end of December.
Without citing any figures, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters last month that he rejected South Korea's proposal because he felt it was not enough.
Citing the absence of a new cost-sharing deal, U.S. Forces Korea last month placed some 4,000 South Korean employees on unpaid leave.
This image shows U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Korea and Japan Marc Knapper. (Yonhap)
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-06--Uzbekistan to help S. Korean firms in infrastructure projects: deputy PM

The South Korean builder is set to conduct a feasibility study on the renovation and modernization project for the Mubarek @ @ @ @ @ half of this year and to sign a contract in 2021 based on the results @

SEOUL, May 6 (Yonhap) -- Uzbekistan's deputy prime minister said Wednesday that Tashkent will cooperate with Seoul to ensure South Korean companies can boost their participation in infrastructure projects in the central Asian country.
Sardor Umurzakov, who is in charge of investment and foreign economic relations, made the comments in a videoconference meeting with South Korean Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki, according to the Ministry of Finance and Economy.
Last year, South Korean builder SK Engineering & Construction Co. signed a memorandum of understanding with the Uzbek energy ministry and the Korea Energy Agency for a US$200 million power plant modernization project in Uzbekistan.
The South Korean builder is set to conduct a feasibility study on the renovation and modernization project for the Mubarek power plant in the first half of this year and to sign a contract in 2021 based on the results.
Also in 2019, SK E&C signed a collaboration agreement with Uzbekistan's state-run oil and gas company, Uzbekneftegaz, on a modernization project for a Bukhara refinery.
Hong and Umurzakov agreed to quickly complete their joint study on a potential free trade agreement between the two countries.
Umurzakov also expressed gratitude to South Korea for its assistance in combating the coronavirus pandemic.
South Korea donated Korean-made COVID-19 test kits worth $250,000 to Uzbekistan and dispatched Choi Jae-wook, a preventive medicine professor at Korea University, to Uzbekistan for four weeks to help Uzbekistan contain the coronavirus outbreak.
In Uzbekistan, the coronavirus has killed 10 people and infected more than 2,200.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-06--FM Kang discusses anti-virus cooperation with envoys

She then urged the senior diplomats to help take advantage of the positive response it has received from international organizations @ @ @ @ @ assets , and to use this as an opportunity to build a new model for @ @ @ @ @ .

SEOUL, May 6 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha spoke with South Korean envoys to United Nations agencies in a videoconference on Wednesday and discussed ways to expand cooperation to overcome the coronavirus pandemic, her office said.
The ministry said that ambassadors to the U.N., the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, UNESCO, Vienna and Geneva attended the conference.
In the talks, Kang stressed the importance of multilateral cooperation and called on the envoys to engage in diplomatic processes using their experiences and the leverage South Korea has gained from tackling COVID-19.
She then urged the senior diplomats to help take advantage of the positive response it has received from international organizations and turn them into diplomatic assets, and to use this as an opportunity to build a new model for cooperating with the global community.
The diplomats reported on developments in their respective organizations and regions and on their plans for greater contributions to ongoing anti-virus endeavors.
On Wednesday, South Korea reported two new virus infections, both from overseas, bringing the total tally to 10,806 with 255 deaths.
A file photo of Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha taken on March 20, 2020 (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-05-06--(LEAD) Naju, Cheongju tapped as final candidate cities to host synchrotron radiation accelerator

The city claimed it is ahead of the competition in terms of future growth potential , and it pointed out @ @ @ @ @ build the facility have already been dealt with , so there is no risk of @ @ @ @ @ once the accelerator is built , the city will invite companies and laboratories , which @ @ @ @ @ to the local economy .

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 4, 7, 9)
SEOUL, May 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's science ministry on Wednesday tapped Naju and Cheongju as the candidate cities for the country's next-generation synchrotron radiation accelerator, which will be a key facility for cutting-edge research efforts going forward.
Naju in South Jeolla Province, 355 kilometers south of Seoul, and North Chungcheong Province's Cheongju, 137 kilometers southeast of the capital city, made bids to host the facility along with Chuncheon in Gangwon Province and North Gyeongsang Province's Pohang, the Ministry of Science and ICT said.
It said officials and experts carefully reviewed presentations made by all cities and checked their feasibility claims earlier in the day before the selection was made for the project set to receive 1 trillion won (US$816 million) in state funds.
"Naju and Cheongju were deemed as being the most appropriate locations for the accelerator," the ministry said.
Naju stressed that hosting the accelerator will contribute to balanced national growth, with leading research schools such as Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology expected to contribute to future research.
It pointed out that the city is located right next to Gwangju, a major urban center of 1.5 million people, and that the proposed site for the accelerator is on very stable granite bedrock that is mostly flat, which could help reduce construction costs.
Cheongju highlighted its central location in the country and its excellent transportation infrastructure as well as its relative proximity to Daedeok Innopolis, with its abundant human resources and easy access to top technical universities.
The city claimed it is ahead of the competition in terms of future growth potential, and it pointed out that related administrative procedures to build the facility have already been dealt with, so there is no risk of delay. It said that once the accelerator is built, the city will invite companies and laboratories, which would be a great boon to the local economy.
The ministry said on-site inspections to check the cities will be conducted on Thursday, with the winner to be announced on Friday.
The accelerator facility will harness electrons moving at extremely high speeds to create energy and X-ray beams that can be used to check and analyze superfine materials. This process can be used in the development of new advanced materials, displays and semiconductors; fuel growth in biotech and life sciences; and have far reaching industrial and scientific applications.
Regional governments and public thinks tanks have estimated that hosting the accelerator could have a production inducement effect reaching trillions of won and lead to employment opportunities for well over 100,000 people during the duration of construction and its operations.
This has caused regional governments to compete with each other and align themselves with schools and laboratories to emphasize their qualifications.
The country already has third- and fourth-generation accelerators in Pohang in the country's southeastern region, but there have been growing calls for a more up-to-date facility to meet growing demand.
Once a city is announced, the science ministry said preliminary feasibility studies will be conducted within the year, with the project set to kick off in 2022 at the latest.
This file image provided by North Gyeongsang Province shows the radiation accelerator in Pohang, 374 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-06--S. Korean pension fund's consortium buys Portuguese road operator Brisa

The London-based infrastructure fund said the closing of the transaction , which is expected to be completed at the end @ @ @ @ @ this year , is subject to certain regulatory conditions , including European Union antitrust clearance @

SEOUL, May 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's National Pension Service (NPS) said Wednesday that its consortium has purchased a combined 81 percent stake in Portuguese road operator Brisa.
The consortium also included Dutch pension fund manager APG Asset Management NV and Swiss Life Asset Management AG.
The NPS, which had 714.3 trillion won (US$602.4 billion) in assets under its management as of the end of February, declined to give any details on its stake in Brisa, the leading toll road operator in Portugal.
Brisa operates 1,628 kilometers of motorways in Portugal.
Arcus Infrastructure Partners said last month that it sold a 40.6 percent stake in Brisa, as did Portugal's family-run Jose de Mello Group.
The London-based infrastructure fund said the closing of the transaction, which is expected to be completed at the end of the third quarter of this year, is subject to certain regulatory conditions, including European Union antitrust clearance.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-06--Naju, Cheongju tapped as final candidate cities to host synchrotron radiation accelerator

The accelerator facility will harness electrons moving at extremely high speeds to create energy and X-ray beams that can be @ @ @ @ @ superfine materials .
This process can be used in the development of new advanced materials @ @ @ @ @ fuel growth in biotech and life sciences ; and have far reaching industrial and scientific @ @

SEOUL, May 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's science ministry on Wednesday tapped Naju and Cheongju as the candidate cities for the country's next-generation synchrotron radiation accelerator, which will be a key facility for cutting-edge research efforts going forward.
Naju in South Jeolla Province, 355 kilometers south of Seoul, and North Chungcheong's Cheongju, 137 kilometers southeast of the capital city, made bids to host the facility along with Chuncheon in Gangwon Province and North Gyeongsang's Pohang, the Ministry of Science and ICT said.
It said officials and experts carefully reviewed presentations made by all cities and checked their feasibility claims earlier in the day, before the selection was made.
"Naju and Cheongju were deemed as being the most appropriate locations for the accelerator," the ministry said.
Naju stressed that hosting the accelerator will contribute to balanced national growth, with leading research schools such as Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology expected to contribute to future research. Cheongju highlighted its central location in the country and its excellent transportation infrastructure as well as its relative proximity to Daedeok Innopolis, with its abundant human resources and easy access to top technical universities.
The ministry said on-site inspections to check the cities will be conducted on Thursday, with the winner to be announced on Friday.
The accelerator facility will harness electrons moving at extremely high speeds to create energy and X-ray beams that can be used to check and analyze superfine materials. This process can be used in the development of new advanced materials, displays and semiconductors; fuel growth in biotech and life sciences; and have far reaching industrial and scientific applications.
Regional governments and public thinks tanks have estimated that hosting the accelerator could have a production inducement effect reaching trillions of won and lead to employment opportunities for well over 100,000 people during the duration of construction and its operations.
This has caused regional governments to compete with each other and align themselves with schools and laboratories to emphasize their qualifications.
The country already has third- and fourth-generation accelerators in Pohang in the country's southeastern region, but there have been growing calls for a more up-to-date facility to meet growing demand.
Once a city is announced, the science ministry said preliminary feasibility studies will be conducted within the year, with the project set to kick off in 2022 at the latest.
This file image provided by North Gyeongsang Province shows the radiation accelerator in Pohang, 374 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-06--USFK maintains current anti-virus warning level despite S. Korea's guideline relaxation

`` While the current COVID-19 conditions in South Korea are heading in the right direction with confirmed cases consistently remaining @ @ @ @ @ the vast majority coming from off the peninsula , USFK assessed that it is still @ @ @ @ @ its guard as the risk and threat of COVID-19 to the force remains , '' @ @ @ @ @ .

SEOUL, May 6 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Wednesday it will maintain the current health protection level despite South Korea's loosening of social distancing guidelines and will closely monitor developments before making a decision on its possible relaxation.
On Wednesday, South Korea ended its monthslong intensive social distancing campaign and switched to "everyday life quarantine" guidance to better support people's return to normal life as it has been able to stabilize the spread of the COVID-19 virus here.
"While the current COVID-19 conditions in South Korea are heading in the right direction with confirmed cases consistently remaining near single digits, and the vast majority coming from off the peninsula, USFK assessed that it is still too early to let down its guard as the risk and threat of COVID-19 to the force remains," USFK said in a release.
USFK has implemented the Health Protection Condition Level of Charlie, or HPCON C, for all USFK installations, which limits non-necessary off-post activities to stem the spread of the virus. It is the third highest warning level in its five-scale system, which ranges from HPCON A to B, C, C+ and D.
Late last month, it also renewed the current Public Health Emergency for a month to be in effect through May 23.
"We'll watch and see how these new measures play out over the next week or so, and then if the current conditions are maintained, we'll move forward with relaxing our preventative measures as well, to include moving to HPCON Bravo (HPCON B)," USFK Commander Gen. Robert Abrams said, adding to the statement.
On Wednesday, South Korea reported two more COVID-19 patients, both of which are imported cases. It marked the third consecutive day of no new local infections. The total cases stood at 10,806, including 255 deaths.
So far, USFK has reported a total of 26 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus among its population, and 17 of them have fully recovered.
"Our requirement to 'Fight Tonight' hasn't gone away, and that's why we're moving ahead with an abundance of caution before we relax our preventive health conditions," Abrams stressed.
This photo posted on U.S. Forces Korea's Facebook page on April 28, 2020, shows USFK individuals wearing masks. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-05-06--Car sales plunge 48 pct in April on coronavirus impact

Kia has eight domestic plants -- two in Gwangmyeong , three in Hwaseong and three in Gwangju -- and seven @ @ @ @ @ China and one each in the U.S. , Slovakia , Mexico and India .
Their @ @ @ @ @ units .

SEOUL, May 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's car sales plunged 48 percent last month from a year earlier as the spreading coronavirus outbreak continued to affect vehicle production and sales, data showed on Wednesday.
The country's five carmakers -- Hyundai Motor Co., Kia Motors Corp., GM Korea Co., Renault Samsung Motors Corp. and SsangYong Motor Co. -- sold a combined 341,944 vehicles in April, down from 662,571 units a year ago, according to data from the companies.
The lower sales largely resulted from suspended operations of Hyundai and Kia's major overseas plants and output reductions by the parent firms of the three other carmakers as COVID-19's spread across the world exerted considerable impact on the global economy.
Hyundai and Kia, which together form the world's fifth-biggest carmaker by sales, suspended most of their plants in the United States, Europe, Russia and India last month following the local governments' directives to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
As a result, Hyundai's sales plunged 57 percent to 159,079 vehicles last month from 368,953 units a year ago. Kia's sales dropped 41 percent to 134,216 from 227,943 during the same period.
The companies have been moving to focus on boosting sales in the domestic market to offset declining sales in overseas markets.
Hyundai has seven domestic plants -- five in Ulsan, one in Asan and one in Jeonju -- and 10 overseas plants -- four in China and one each in the United States, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Russia, India and Brazil. Their combined annual capacity reaches 5.5 million vehicles.
Kia has eight domestic plants -- two in Gwangmyeong, three in Hwaseong and three in Gwangju -- and seven overseas ones -- three in China and one each in the U.S., Slovakia, Mexico and India. Their overall capacity is 3.84 million units.
They set a combined sales goal of 7.54 million autos in global markets this year, higher than the 7.2 million units they sold last year. But they are widely expected to fall short of the target due to the coronavirus impact.
Hyundai and Kia are likely to report poor earnings results this year as their sales in China remain weak, while showing no signs of a rebound.
To offset tepid demand in China, Hyundai and Kia had planned to put a bigger focus on boosting sales in the U.S. market this year by launching Hyundai's Tucson SUV, Hyundai's independent Genesis brand's GV80 SUV and G80 sedan and Kia's Sportage SUV.
But the coronavirus outbreak and suspension of their overseas plants will make it hard to offset weak Chinese sales with U.S. sales.
SsangYong Motor was the worst performer. Its sales plunged 45 percent on-year to 6,813 units in April from 12,281 due to weaker demand for its models.
GM Korea's sales declined 27 percent to 28,749 from 39,242 during the same period on weak exports. Renault Samsung's sales were down 4.6 percent to 13,087 from 13,720 during the cited period.
From January to April, the five carmakers sold 2,033,112 vehicles, down 19 percent from 2,522,338 a year earlier.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)