yna--2020-02-04--(EDITORIAL from Korea Herald on Feb. 4)

(EDITORIAL from Korea Herald on Feb. 4)

Washington denied US entry to foreign nationals who have traveled anywhere in China in the past 14 days .
The @ @ @ @ @ banned noncitizens who recently traveled to China .
New Zealand began to deny entry to @ @ @ @ @ through China for two weeks starting Monday .
Vietnam recently barred almost all flights to @ @ @ @ @ suspended all flights to and from China .
Some Latin American countries have either barred @ @ @ @ @ China or canceled flights from the nation .

Tardy response
Restricting travel from Hubei isn't enough to stop Wuhan pneumonia
The government has announced a package of "strong" measures to contain the spread of a new coronavirus, called Wuhan pneumonia, but their effectiveness is questionable.
The measures came too late, and furthermore they are insufficient.
Starting Tuesday, the government will bar foreigners who have been in China's Hubei province in the past two weeks from entering the country. South Korean nationals who visited the region will have to quarantine themselves for 14 days. A visa-free program for Chinese visitors to Jeju Island will also be suspended temporarily. In addition, there will be fewer flights and sea voyages to and from China.
The government had said it would not bar China sojourners from entering Korea, but as the situation became more serious, it imposed the ban. This is the first time Seoul has denied entry to Chinese people over a viral infection, but the decision seemed inevitable.
According to China's National Health Commission, the number of confirmed cases and death toll rose to 17,205 and 361, respectively, as of midnight Tuesday. A man died of the virus in the Philippines -- the first confirmed fatality outside China. Korea on Sunday reported three more cases, bringing the total here to 15.
Many countries have taken steps to restrict the entry of people from mainland China.
Washington denied US entry to foreign nationals who have traveled anywhere in China in the past 14 days. The Philippines and Australia have temporarily banned noncitizens who recently traveled to China. New Zealand began to deny entry to visitors departing from or transiting through China for two weeks starting Monday. Vietnam recently barred almost all flights to and from China. Italy suspended all flights to and from China. Some Latin American countries have either barred entry for people coming from China or canceled flights from the nation.
This is not xenophobia nor racial discrimination. These are self-rescue efforts to reduce the inflow of the virus by cutting off contact with high-risk regions.
Considering that many Chinese people visit Korea each day, the Korean government acted too late.
An online petition posted on the website of Cheong Wa Dae a day before the Lunar New Year holidays demanding a temporary entry ban for Chinese visitors had met with approval from more than 650,000 citizens as of Sunday.
President Moon Jae-in told the people not to "worry too much," but that easygoing attitude caused the government to miss a golden opportunity to curb the spread of the virus early.
About 5 million residents of Wuhan reportedly left for the holidays -- or out of fear of the virus -- before the city was placed under lockdown. More than 6,400 entered Korea through Incheon International Airport over the span of more than three weeks before the holidays started.
All of China's provinces and territories have now been touched by the outbreak. According to the World Health Organization's situation report, as of Feb. 1 China had reported 11,821 confirmed cases and only 7,153 of those were in Hubei province. It is doubtful that the spread of the virus can be arrested merely by denying entry to foreigners who have been in Hubei province.
About 20,000 Chinese nationals enter Korea by air or by sea each day. The nation should have taken strong measures early and proactively, but instead it took the lukewarm step of limiting entry to people who had been to Hubei province only after other countries had imposed much stronger restrictions. This is why the Moon administration faces criticism for being passive, out of fear that strong measures might offend Beijing.
Moon said Korea must respond more boldly than necessary to contain the virus, but the measures his administration has announced do not seem sufficient to allay people's anxiety.
Hospital workers in Hong Kong voted in favor of a strike unless the city closes its border with mainland China. The Moon government needs to weigh why doctors and nurses in Hong Kong felt so strongly about the matter.
If it believes it can contain the virus while leaving some entry channels open, it may have to discuss new measures in the near future.
(END)


yna--2020-02-04--Top headlines in major S. Korean newspapers

Korean-language dailies -- S. Korean patient infected with new coronavirus soon to be fully cured , virus remedy taking shape ( Kyunghyang Shinmun ) -- No progress yet in announced plan for hospital specializing in treating contagious diseases ( Kookmin Daily ) -- Ruling party pushes for expanding entry restrictions in response to virus ( Donga llbo ) -- New coronavirus causes more deaths than SARS , S. Korea mulls additional entry restrictions ( Seoul Shinmun ) -- Chinese shares plunge 7.7 pct amid virus-led panic ( Segye Times ) -- Global manufacturing supply chains suffer 'virus shock ' ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cancel hotel reservations , tourism industry directly hit by coronavirus outbreak ( JoongAng Ilbo ) -- 336 schools , kindergartens nationwide temporarily close or delay starting new semester ( Hankyoreh ) -- Cold wave to start today , coldest weather of this winter forecast ( Hankook Ilbo ) -- S. Korea 's car industry hit by 'triple crises ' of slump in domestic demand , production , exports ( Maeil Business Newspaper ) -- Chinese stock market suffers 'Black Monday , ' down 7.7 pct amid Wuhan fear ( Korea Economic Daily @

SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- The following are the top headlines in major South Korean newspapers on Feb. 4.
Korean-language dailies
-- S. Korean patient infected with new coronavirus soon to be fully cured, virus remedy taking shape (Kyunghyang Shinmun)
-- No progress yet in announced plan for hospital specializing in treating contagious diseases (Kookmin Daily)
-- Ruling party pushes for expanding entry restrictions in response to virus (Donga llbo)
-- New coronavirus causes more deaths than SARS, S. Korea mulls additional entry restrictions (Seoul Shinmun)
-- Chinese shares plunge 7.7 pct amid virus-led panic (Segye Times)
-- Global manufacturing supply chains suffer 'virus shock' (Chosun Ilbo)
-- S. Koreans rush to cancel hotel reservations, tourism industry directly hit by coronavirus outbreak (JoongAng Ilbo)
-- 336 schools, kindergartens nationwide temporarily close or delay starting new semester (Hankyoreh)
-- Cold wave to start today, coldest weather of this winter forecast (Hankook Ilbo)
-- S. Korea's car industry hit by 'triple crises' of slump in domestic demand, production, exports (Maeil Business Newspaper)
-- Chinese stock market suffers 'Black Monday,' down 7.7 pct amid Wuhan fear (Korea Economic Daily)
English-language dailies
-- Entry ban is criticized for being too little, too late (Korea JoongAng Daily)
-- Virus puts Moon administration to test (Korea Herald)
-- Calls grow for outright entry ban of Chinese (Korea Times)
(END)


yna--2020-02-04--Trump touts Korea trade deal ahead of Iowa caucus

`` Republicans in Iowa , go out and Caucus today , '' the president wrote .
`` Your great Trade @ @ @ @ @ , Canada , Japan , South Korea and more , are DONE .
Great times @ @ @ @ @ for decades , for our Farmers , Ranchers , Manufacturers and ALL .
Nobody else @ @ @ @ @ ! ''

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump urged Republicans in Iowa to vote in the caucus Monday, citing as one of his accomplishments a revised trade deal with South Korea.
Trump's message on Twitter came hours before the Iowa caucuses for the Republican and Democratic parties, the first major balloting for the November presidential election.
"Republicans in Iowa, go out and Caucus today," the president wrote. "Your great Trade Deals with China, Mexico, Canada, Japan, South Korea and more, are DONE. Great times are coming, after waiting for decades, for our Farmers, Ranchers, Manufacturers and ALL. Nobody else could have pulled this off!"
Trump has often touted his administration's trade deals, including the renegotiation of the South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement in 2018.
Under the new deal, the U.S. was able to extend tariffs on Korean pickup trucks by another 20 years to 2041. It also doubled the number of American cars that can be exported to South Korea without further modification.
In exchange, South Korea won an exemption from new U.S. tariffs on steel imports but still faces an annual quota of 2.68 million tons, or about 70 percent of its steel exports to the U.S. in recent years.
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


(Copyright)

The use of the content for any other purposes other than personal and noncommercial use is expressly prohibited without the @ @ @ @ @ News Agency .

All information carried by the Yonhap News Agency, including articles, photographs, graphics, audio and video images, and illustrations (collectively, the content) is owned by the Yonhap News Agency.
The use of the content for any other purposes other than personal and noncommercial use is expressly prohibited without the written consent of the Yonhap News Agency.
Any violation can be subject to a compensation claim or civil and criminal lawsuits.
Requests to use the content for any purpose besides the ones mentioned above should be directed in advance to Yonhap's Information Business Department at 82-2-398-3557 or 82-2-398-3552.
(END)


yna--2020-02-04--S. Korea to be hit by this winter's strongest cold wave Wednesday

The morning temperatures across the country are projected to plunge by at least 5 C from the previous day , @ @ @ @ @ the central administrative city of Sejong and minus 9 C in the western port city @ @ @ @ @ the KMA .

SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is expected to see the strongest cold wave yet this winter on Wednesday, with the windchill reaching minus 19 C in the country's capital, the national weather agency said.
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said it is set to issue a cold snap alert for much of the country on Tuesday night, with the northeastern province of Gangwon to be placed under a cold wave warning.
It added the country's southwestern provinces of Jeolla, southeastern provinces of Gyeongsang and Jeju Island may see snow or rain in the early morning.
This photo taken on Feb. 4, 2020, shows a citizen in a thick winter jacket walking on a street in Seoul. (Yonhap)
The KMA forecast Seoul's morning low to drop to minus 12 C, the lowest this season, with the windchill temperature estimated to be minus 19 C.
The morning temperatures across the country are projected to plunge by at least 5 C from the previous day, recording minus 10 C in the central administrative city of Sejong and minus 9 C in the western port city of Incheon, according to the KMA.
Daily highs will range between minus 4 C and minus 5 C across the country, 4-7 C lower than the 30-year average, the agency said.
The KMA said the cold spell is expected to continue through Thursday.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-04--(2nd LD) S. Korean airlines halt 57 pct of China routes on coronavirus

Another budget carrier , Air Busan Co. , has decided to suspend seven out of its nine routes to China @ @ @ @ @ one route .
Jeju Air has suspended all seven routes to China temporarily , with @ @ @ @ @ .

(ATTN: CHANGES headline; UPDATES figures in paras 2-5)
SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- A deadly new coronavirus has prompted South Korean airlines to suspend more than half of their flight services to China, industry sources said Tuesday.
As of Tuesday, industry leader Korean Air Lines Co. and seven other carriers have temporarily suspended 57 out of their 100 routes to the neighboring country due to the coronavirus scare.
The airlines have also decided to reduce flights on 24 routes to Chinese cities, including the capital Beijing.
Korean Air, the country's national flag carrier, has decided to suspend 20 out of its 31 Chinese routes, while sharply cutting flights on eight routes.
No. 2 industry player Asiana Airlines Inc. has suspended six routes and reduced flights on 15 routes.
Three South Korean low-cost carriers -- Air Seoul Inc., Eastar Jet and Jin Air -- have suspended a combined 11 routes to China.
This undated file photo shows masked travelers arriving at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. (Yonhap)
Another budget carrier, Air Busan Co., has decided to suspend seven out of its nine routes to China, while reducing flights on one route. Jeju Air has suspended all seven routes to China temporarily, with T'way halting all six routes.
The flight disruptions come amid mounting concerns over the potentially deadly virus that originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
South Korea has 16 confirmed cases of the virus so far, while China's death toll has reached more than 420.
On Tuesday, South Korea imposed a temporary ban on the entry of foreigners who have traveled to Hubei Province over the past two weeks in a bid to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
Seoul is also looking at raising its travel alert level to a "withdrawal recommendation" for all of mainland China. Currently, South Korea has a withdrawal recommendation, the second highest in its four-tier travel warning system, only for Hubei province.
In light of that, industry watchers said, South Korean airlines may further suspend or reduce their flights to Chinese cities down the road.
Calling for government support for the struggling industry, airline officials feared that the industry may suffer more damage from the new coronavirus crisis than from the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003.
This undated file photo shows travelers looking at flight details at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-02-04--(LEAD) S. Korea toughens penalties against hoarding of protective masks

Under the new rule , a person who engages in hoarding of such products will face a prison sentence of @ @ @ @ @ a maximum fine of 50 million won ( US $ 42,108 ) , the Ministry @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .

(ATTN: UPDATES headline, lead; ADDS more info in paras 3, 4)
SEJONG, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Tuesday approved tougher penalties against the hoarding of protective masks and hand sanitizers, as the new coronavirus outbreak has sparked a sharp rise in demand, officials said.
Under the new rule, a person who engages in hoarding of such products will face a prison sentence of a maximum two years or a maximum fine of 50 million won (US$42,108), the Ministry of Economy and Finance said in a statement.
Such penalties will go into effect Wednesday and will be in force until April 30, according to the ministry.
It added that some 180 inspectors, including those from the police and antitrust watchdog, are assigned to crack down on hoarding activities.
Earlier this week, Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki told reporters that there could not have been shortages without unfair business practices, such as hoarding.
"The government will do the following to discourage market manipulation, particularly in the face mask market," Hong said.
Market manipulation of protective masks, such as price rigging, will be treated as administrative and criminal offenses, Hong said.
The new coronavirus, which was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in mid-December last year, has killed more than 460 people and infected more than 20,000.
The supply of masks has not met demand in South Korea, with some industry watchers blaming Chinese tourists and merchants for going on a buying binge here to protect themselves from the coronavirus.
It is increasingly difficult to purchase masks with good filtering features either online or at brick-and-mortar stores and pharmacies.
Concerns about the spread of the virus have deepened, with South Korea having reported 16 cases of the new coronavirus so far.
A worker packages boxes of facial masks at a pharmacy in Jongno, central Seoul, on Jan. 31, 2020, amid growing concerns about the spread of the new strain of coronavirus. (Yonhap)
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-04--Samsung launches powerful memory chip for AI, supercomputing systems

Samsung said the Flashbolt offers a data transfer speed of 3.2 gigabits per second ( Gbps ) , while providing @ @ @ @ @ gigabytes per second per stack , which is enough to transmit 82 full HD movies @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. said Tuesday it has launched a new memory chip suited to high-performance computing (HPC) systems and artificial intelligence-powered data analytics.
Samsung said the Flashbolt is the industry's first third-generation High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) 2E memory chip and will deliver twice the capacity of its previous-generation Aquabolt.
"The new 16-gigabyte HBM2E is uniquely suited to maximize high-performance computing systems and help system manufacturers to advance their supercomputers, AI-driven data analytics and state-of-the-art graphics systems in a timely manner," the company said.
Samsung said the Flashbolt offers a data transfer speed of 3.2 gigabits per second (Gbps), while providing a memory bandwidth of 410 gigabytes per second per stack, which is enough to transmit 82 full HD movies in one second.
The South Korean tech giant said it expects to begin volume production of the new DRAM chip in the first half of the year.
"The company will continue providing its second-generation Aquabolt lineup while expanding its third-generation Flashbolt offering, and will further strengthen collaborations with ecosystem partners in next-generation systems," Samsung said.
This image provided by Samsung Electronics Co. on Feb. 4, 2020, shows the company's new Flashbolt HBM2E chips. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-04--Hun Sen: Cambodia expects more investment from S. Korea

`` Especially , I am happy that the two nations signed the double taxation avoidance pact .
I hope that @ @ @ @ @ chance for more ( South Korean ) investors to come to Cambodia , '' he @ @ @ @ @ .

SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Tuesday his country hopes to draw more investment from South Korea by taking advantage of a double taxation avoidance pact between the two sides.
Meeting with President Moon Jae-in at Cheong Wa Dae, he stressed that bilateral relations are continuously developing as shown in the signing of the pact and an agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters last November.
"Especially, I am happy that the two nations signed the double taxation avoidance pact. I hope that it will serve as a chance for more (South Korean) investors to come to Cambodia," he told Moon via a translator.
He asked Moon to encourage more South Korean firms to do business in the Southeast Asian country while speaking in front of pool reporters at the outset of their meeting.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in (R) talks with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Feb. 4, 2020. (Yonhap)
The prime minister also noted that Cambodia began exporting mango products to South Korea at the start of this year.
Moon agreed that bilateral ties are continuing to strengthen on the basis of the firmer systemic foundation.
The two nations also launched a joint study on the possibility of a bilateral free trade agreement last November.
Two-way trade volume rose to US$1.3 billion in 2019 from $870 million two years earlier, according to the Korea International Trade Association.
Moon said South Korea will cooperate with Cambodia on its plan to host an Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit later this year.
He also requested Cambodia's support for South Korea's hosting of the second P4G summit in June. P4G stands for Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030, a public-private initiative to tackle climate change and other sustainable development challenges.
Cheong Wa Dae characterized the Moon-Hun Sen session as a "meeting," not summit talks. The prime minister is on a visit here to attend a forum.
He was scheduled to participate in the South Korea-ASEAN special summit that took place in Busan last year. But he canceled the trip, citing the illness of his mother-in-law.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-04--S. Korea, Japan to hold working-level talks this week on trade, history row

South Korea has called for Japan to retract the export controls and has stressed that addressing the pending wartime issues @ @ @ @ @ the top court 's decisions on the forced labor victims .
Japan has insisted all @ @ @ @ @ occupation of the Korean peninsula were settled in a 1965 accord that normalized their ties @

SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- Diplomats from South Korea and Japan will meet in Seoul this week to continue working-level talks on a protracted row over wartime history and trade, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.
Kim Jung-han, director-general for Asia and Pacific affairs, will meet with his Japanese counterpart, Shigeki Takizaki, on Thursday to discuss the pending issues, the ministry said in a release. Takizaki is expected to arrive in Seoul on Wednesday.
This week's talks come about three weeks after their last meeting, which took place in San Francisco when the two were accompanying their foreign ministers gathered for trilateral talks with the United States.
Relations between Seoul and Tokyo remain chilled as the two countries remain far apart over how to resolve Tokyo's export restrictions against Seoul that came in protest of South Korean court rulings that ordered Japanese firms to compensate victims of wartime forced labor.
Seoul decided to terminate a military information-sharing pact with Japan in a tit-for-tat move against Tokyo's export control, but the planned termination was suspended at the last minute in November as the two sides agreed to seek solutions through diplomacy.
South Korea has called for Japan to retract the export controls and has stressed that addressing the pending wartime issues cannot proceed without respecting the top court's decisions on the forced labor victims. Japan has insisted all reparation issues regarding its 1910-45 occupation of the Korean peninsula were settled in a 1965 accord that normalized their ties.
In San Francisco, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha had one-on-one talks with her Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, on the sidelines of the trilateral gathering to discuss the row, but the talks ended without progress.
This composite photo filed on Jan. 14, 2019, shows Kim Jung-han (L), director-general for Asia and Pacific Affairs at South Korea's foreign ministry, and his Japanese counterpart, Shigeki Takizaki. (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-04--(LEAD) Military draft notice sent to disgraced K-pop star Seungri

If he is allowed to postpone military service repeatedly because of his trial under way at a civilian court , @ @ @ @ @ evading the service as the legal age limit for the service could pass , the @ @ @

(ATTN: ADDS more details in last 10 paras)
By Oh Seok-min
SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- Seungri, a former member of K-pop boy band BIGBANG, has been sent a notification of his mandatory military service, while he has been on trial on charges of gambling and arranging prostitution, the military manpower agency said Tuesday.
Last month, the prosecution indicted the scandal-ridden celebrity without physical detention on charges of gambling overseas and breaching the foreign exchange transaction act, as well as the act on the punishment of arranging commercial sex acts.
"As the investigation into singer Seungri finished, we've sent the notice to have him serve the due duty," the Military Manpower Administration (MMA) said in a release.
If he is allowed to postpone military service repeatedly because of his trial under way at a civilian court, he could eventually end up evading the service as the legal age limit for the service could pass, the agency said.
The agency did not disclose the exact date as it is part of his personal information, but the government generally sends the notice to draftees around a month ahead of the designated date.
If Seungri submits a written request for postponement with a relevant reason, as stipulated in the conscription law, the administration is supposed to deliberate on that and make a final decision.
Under the country's conscription law, a man subject to mandatory military service can delay enlistment before turning 31 if he lives abroad or is under detention or serving a prison term due to a criminal conviction, among other reasons.
Last year, he sought postponement while under a prosecution probe, and the request was accepted. Seungri turned 30 this year.
Noting that his case will be referred to a military tribunal upon his enlistment, the agency vowed to "proactively collaborate with the prosecution for consistent and fair trials."
All able-bodied South Korean men must carry out service for about two years in a country that faces North Korea across a heavily fortified border.
Seungri, whose real name is Lee Seung-hyun, is accused of arranging sex services for acquaintances from Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong between December 2015 and January 2016. He also allegedly used such sex services.
Prosecutors also suspect the singer habitually gambled in Las Vegas with Yang Hyun-suk, the founder and former chief of YG Entertainment. The two, who allegedly gambled for over three years starting in December 2013, are accused of breaching the foreign exchange transaction act in the process.
Seungri ceased all entertainment activities in March last year after Burning Sun, a nightclub he was affiliated with, was probed over drugs and sexual abuse.
The nightclub drew an outpouring of suspicions as a hotbed of collusion with police officials, drug trafficking, tax evasion and other illegalities, prompting President Moon Jae-in to order a thorough investigation into the case.
Seungri, a former member of popular boy band BIGBANG, arrives at a court in Seoul on Jan. 13, 2020, to attend a hearing on the legality of his arrest over allegations of gambling in a hotel casino in Las Vegas and arranging sex services for investors. (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-04--(2nd LD) Passengers from China undergo strict quarantine screening under entry ban

Meanwhile , the Seoul government has still shown a careful attitude towards elevating its infectious disease alert level by one @ @ @ @ @ 4 .
Instead , the government has been managing the situation under a Level 4-like @ @ @ @ @ and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters under the supervision of the prime minister , officials explained .

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details in paras 20-21 and last 3 paras)
SEOUL/INCHEON, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- With the entry ban taking effect Tuesday for non-Korean travelers coming from or through China's Hubei province, tensions are running high at Incheon International Airport, the gateway to Seoul, where an army of hundreds of customs and health officials are mobilized at the airport's three "China-only" arrival counters to detect passengers with suspected symptoms of the new coronavirus.
The unprecedented entry ban, announced Sunday by the South Korean government, applies to all foreign travelers who over the past 14 days have stayed in or traveled to the central Chinese province, the home to Wuhan, where the novel coronavirus is believed to have originated late last year.
Tension at the airport, located in Incheon's Yeongjongdo district, spiked at around 40 minutes past midnight Monday, when Korean Air Flight 854 landed there from Beijing and arrived at Gate 232 of Terminal 2.
It was the first plane arriving from China after the entry ban for non-Korean visitors to Hubei province went into effect.
A monitor at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, displays information on ways to fight the new coronavirus on Feb. 3, 2020. (Yonhap)
All the passengers from Beijing were herded to one of the airport's three China-only quarantine inspection areas that opened the previous day to separate passengers flying in from China from arrivals from non-Chinese airports.
Terminal 2's China-only quarantine desk was manned by a large number of officers from the Incheon Airport National Quarantine Station and about 50 officials dispatched by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
All the quarantine officers and health ministry officials, who were wearing face masks and gloves, moved in unison as Korean Air 854 passengers approached Terminal 2's China-only quarantine desk.
The passengers were first asked to fill out health questionnaires to check whether they had fever or respiratory symptoms. Foreigners, in particular, were required to write a special quarantine report, providing their mobile numbers and domestic stay addresses and disclosing any visit to Hubei province in the past two weeks.
Passengers then moved in front of the quarantine officers, who used thermometers to examine them for fever and respiratory symptoms. Anybody found with symptoms was immediately isolated for treatment.
Passengers who passed through the quarantine check without any symptoms were asked to confirm their domestic contact details.
A group of 24 officials actually called the mobile numbers submitted by passengers.
Passengers whose phone numbers were verified were issued a quarantine certificate. The certificate had to be submitted during the next stage of immigration. Without a certificate, immigration was to be denied.
Immigration officials also checked whether foreign passengers' passports were issued in Hubei province.
If a stay in or visit to Hubei was confirmed, entry was to be banned for the concerned passenger.
Passengers wearing face masks wait near a departure gate of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on Feb. 2, 2020. (Yonhap)
A foreign passenger who successfully went through all the quarantine and immigration screening with her daughter said that she didn't feel much inconvenience despite being forced to undergo multiple stages of quarantine and immigration.
She said such procedures are necessary to help stop the spread of the viral disease.
Airport officials said all 100-odd passengers arriving from Beijing aboard Korean Air Flight 854 passed through the lengthy quarantine and immigration procedures without reporting any trouble.
Despite the enforcement of such meticulous quarantine procedures, however, some critics and officials say there could be some loopholes in detecting everyone infected with the coronavirus.
"It is not easy to detect infection during its latent period with the current medical technology. Thus we're securing contact numbers of all passengers to respond effectively if asymptomatic carriers pass through airport quarantine screening and spread the disease in society," said an official.
A Chinese visitor shows off his quarantine certificate after entering South Korea via Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on Feb. 4, 2020. (Yonhap)
According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, a dozen more international flights from China touched down in South Korea by 4 p.m. Tuesday, but not a single passenger was denied entry.
A total of 118 direct flights between China and South Korea are planned for Tuesday.
"The entry of only one passenger was delayed briefly due to the absence of the person's contact number. After a SIM card from a local mobile carrier was delivered and the necessary contact number secured, the person was allowed to enter the country," said Kim Gang-lip, deputy head of the central disaster headquarters, in a media briefing.
If a foreigner is found to have made a false statement after entering the country, he or she will be forced to leave the country and reentry will also be prohibited.
Among Chinese passengers, holders of a passport issued in Hubei province are denied entry into South Korea regardless of the place of departure. In addition, the existing visas issued by the South Korean Consulate General in Wuhan will be temporarily suspended.
To help avoid confusion, all passengers are offered prior notice on Seoul's toughened immigration procedures before checking into flights bound for South Korea.
The Incheon airport installed 84 telephones at the China-only quarantine areas for the purpose of verifying all passengers' phone numbers. Besides the health ministry, the Ministry of National Defense sent 90 personnel to the airport to assist in the quarantine efforts. Nationwide, 217 defense ministry personnel, including 40 interpreters, were deployed to airports and seaports.
At Gimhae International Airport, the gateway to Busan, the nation's second-largest city on the southern coast, customs and quarantine officials also remained on maximum alert throughout the morning, though the number of passengers was far smaller than usual.
Chinese nationals arrive at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on Feb. 4, 2020, after undergoing toughened quarantine and immigration procedures. (Yonhap)
Airport restaurants were nearly empty, while almost all people inside the terminal were wearing face masks.
The Busan branch of Korea Airports Corp. said a total of three flights were scheduled to arrive at the Gimhae airport from China, beginning with Asiana Airlines Flight OZ346 from Shenyang at 1:40 p.m. and two more jets from Qingdao at 3:25 p.m. and Shanghai at 4:50 p.m.
The branch said the three flights from China will carry 408 passengers to Gimhae in the day.
Prior to the outbreak of the coronavirus, an average of 10 flights arrived at Gimhae from China per day, transporting about 1,800 passengers.
Like the Incheon airport, the Gimhae airport will thoroughly separate the arrival and quarantine areas for passengers coming from China and force them to undergo checks for fever and respiratory symptoms, and verification of their domestic contact numbers.
On Jeju Island, the southern resort island, a visa-free entry program for Chinese visitors was temporarily suspended from Tuesday, as parts of the government's efforts to stem the spread of coronavirus infection.
Chinese tourists can hardly be seen at both departure and arrival halls of Jeju International Airport, due largely to the suspension of the visa-free program.
Passengers are scarce at Jeju International Airport's international terminal on Jeju Island on Feb. 3, 2020. (Yonhap)
Only four passengers were on board an aircraft that arrived at the Jeju airport from Shanghai at 9:40 a.m.
The four passengers were allowed entry only after undergoing all the necessary quarantine and immigration procedures.
Hit by the coronavirus crisis and the Chinese government's ban on overseas group tours, the number of direct flights between Jeju and China is expected to decrease from 149 per week to 28 by the end of next month, according to airport officials.
The suspension of the visa-free program for Chinese visitors, as well as the reduced number of direct flights with China, is likely to further batter Jeju's tourism sector.
The number of arrivals in South Korea from China dived to 11,381 on Monday from a daily average of over 30,000 early this month, government data showed. Monday's arrivals included 3,090 South Korean nationals, with the other 8,291 being foreigners.
Officials analyzed that the number of South Korean travelers to China has significantly decreased, while Chinese nationals have increasingly refrained from entering South Korea for business or sightseeing purposes.
Meanwhile, the Seoul government has still shown a careful attitude towards elevating its infectious disease alert level by one notch to the highest Level 4. Instead, the government has been managing the situation under a Level 4-like manual through the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters under the supervision of the prime minister, officials explained.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-04--Samsung's new smartphones to go on sale in S. Korea from Feb. 14: sources

The Galaxy S20 , presumed to be the successor of the Galaxy S10e , is expected to go on sale @ @ @ @ @ 1.2 million won , according to sources , while the Galaxy S20 Plus , the @ @ @ @ @ , is likely to be sold at 1.35 million won .
The high-end version , @ @ @ @ @ Ultra , is expected to be sold for around 1.6 million won .

SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co.'s new foldable phone and new flagship smartphone to be unveiled next week are likely go on sale in South Korea from Feb. 14, sources here said Tuesday.
Samsung is scheduled to introduce its clamshell-type foldable phone, supposedly known as the Galaxy Z Flip, and a new version of its flagship smartphone, which is likely to be named the Galaxy S20, at the company's "Unpacked" event in San Francisco next Tuesday (U.S. time).
Although the world's largest smartphone maker has yet to announce the launch schedule of its new smartphones, officials at mobile carriers here said that the Galaxy Z Flip is expected to be launched on Feb. 14.
This image provided by Samsung Electronics Co. shows information for the company's Unpacked 2020 event. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The price of Samsung's new vertically folding phone has not been confirmed, but sources here said it could be sold at around 1.6 million won (US$1,347).
For the Galaxy S20 series, mobile carrier officials said Samsung's new flagship phone is likely to be launched on March 6, with preorders starting from Feb. 14.
The Galaxy S20, presumed to be the successor of the Galaxy S10e, is expected to go on sale with a price tag of 1.2 million won, according to sources, while the Galaxy S20 Plus, the successor of the Galaxy S10, is likely to be sold at 1.35 million won. The high-end version, supposedly named the Galaxy S20 Ultra, is expected to be sold for around 1.6 million won.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-04--(2nd LD) S. Korean figure skaters to test mettle against int'l stars on home ice

In his first senior season in 2018-2019 , Cha took bronze at the Grand Prix Final , one of five @ @ @ @ @ ISU event .
He was in second place after the short program at the 2019 @ @ @ @ @ sixth overall .

(ATTN: ADDS comments in paras 11-14, photo)
SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- Budding South Korean figure skaters will go up against some of the sport's biggest stars at an international competition on home ice this week.
The Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, organized by the International Skating Union (ISU), will run from Thursday to Sunday at Mokdong Ice Rink in Seoul. Skaters from Asia, the Americas, Oceania and Africa -- four of the continents represented by the Olympic Rings -- will compete in four disciplines: men's singles, ladies' singles, pairs and ice dance.
South Korea last hosted this annual event in 2017.
In this Penta Press file photo from Jan. 13, 2020, South Korean figure skater You Young performs her free skating program during the ladies' singles competition at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics at Lausanne Skating Arena in Lausanne, Switzerland. (Yonhap)
The Four Continents was first held in 1999, in response to the European championship. And South Korea has produced just one medalist, the 2009 ladies' singles champion, Kim Yu-na.
This year, a trio of South Korean women will try to end the drought in the singles, led by the 15-year-old You Young.
You, fresh off a Winter Youth Olympics gold medal last month, is the only South Korean female to perform triple axel. She also has a bronze medal from Skate Canada, one of six ISU Grand Prix stops, and recently won her third straight national title.
Former junior standouts Lim Eun-soo and Kim Ye-lim will also take the ice at Mokdong.
They'll have to contend with the defending champion from Japan, Rika Kihira. The 17-year-old is even more technically accomplished than You, and the Japanese is the first woman to land a triple axel-triple jump combination at an ISU competition.
Kihira's personal best score is 233.12 points from December 2018 at the ISU Grand Prix Final, and her season best is 231.84 from November 2019 at the NHK Trophy.
You, currently in her first senior season, has both the season and personal best of 217.49.
South Korean figure skater You Young trains at Mokdong Ice Rink in Seoul on Feb. 4, 2020, ahead of the International Skating Union's Four Continents Figure Skating Championships. (Yonhap)
In her official practice Tuesday, You nailed her triple axel, the most difficult of triple jumps with the high-risk, high-reward element.
"I recently sprained my ankle practicing triple axels, and I feel great after landing it cleanly today," You said. "My focus at this competition will be on executing triple axels. I don't think I am perfect with the jump just yet."
You said she's been training with Kihira in Japan and admitted the Japanese remains a superior skater.
As for where she'd like to finish, "If I think about placements, I am only going to start feeling pressure."
Also representing Japan in the ladies' singles will be Wakaba Higuchi, the 2018 world silver medalist, and Kaori Sakamoto, the 2018 Four Continents champion.
In this file photo from Dec. 15, 2019, Cha Jun-hwan of South Korea performs her free skating program during the first round of the national team trials at Gimhae Citizens Sports Center Ice Rink in Gimhae, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)
In the men's singles, Cha Jun-hwan will look to bounce back from a season-long slump.
In his first senior season in 2018-2019, Cha took bronze at the Grand Prix Final, one of five medals he won at an ISU event. He was in second place after the short program at the 2019 Four Continents before ended up sixth overall.
The development of the 18-year-old has slowed this season, as he's struggled to land quadruple jumps with consistency. Cha has yet to win an international medal this season, his second straight South Korean national title being the only win of any note.
After his first official practice Tuesday, Cha said he's going to take the safer route with his programs and attempt three quadruple jumps in the short program and free skate combined, instead of five that he did earlier in the season.
"My goal at this competition is to skate clean programs," Cha said. "I won't force the issue too much."
Cha added he has put memories of poor results, both from last year's Four Continents and from the early part of this season, out of his mind.
"I am going in with a clean slate," Cha said. "I am trying not to put too much pressure on myself."
While Cha still represents the host country's best medal hope, any path to the podium will likely go through Yuzuru Hanyu, the two-time defending Olympic champion from Japan.
In addition to his two Olympic gold medals, Hanyu has claimed two world titles and four Grand Prix Final titles. He has yet to win a Four Continents gold, with three silvers in three appearances so far.
Both Cha and Hanyu train with famed Canadian coach Brian Orser in Toronto. The South Korean teen said he and the Japanese star have had some small talks over the past couple of weeks and added, "I hope we can all do well here."
South Korean figure skater Cha Jun-hwan trains at Mokdong Ice Rink in Seoul on Feb. 4, 2020, ahead of the International Skating Union's Four Continents Figure Skating Championships. (Yonhap)
Jin Boyang of China, the 2018 Four Continents champion, and Jason Brown, the reigning U.S. national silver medalist, will try to keep Hanyu away from the top of the podium.
The competition will open at 11 a.m. with the rhythm dance portion of ice dance, followed by the pairs short program and the ladies' short program.
Friday will feature free dance in ice dance and the men's short program. The free programs for both the ladies' singles and the pairs will be Saturday. The men's singles champion will be crowned after Sunday's free skate.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-04--Military draft notice sent to disgraced K-pop star Seungri

SEOUL , Feb. 4 ( Yonhap ) -- Seungri , a former member of K-pop boy band BIGBANG , has @ @ @ @ @ his mandatory military service , while he has been on trial on charges of gambling @ @ @ @ @ military manpower agency said Tuesday .

SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- Seungri, a former member of K-pop boy band BIGBANG, has been sent a notification of his mandatory military service, while he has been on trial on charges of gambling and arranging prostitution, the military manpower agency said Tuesday.
Last month, the prosecution indicted the scandal-ridden celebrity without physical detention on charges of gambling overseas and breaching the foreign exchange transaction act, as well as the act on the punishment of arranging commercial sex acts.
"As investigation into singer Seungri finished, we've sent the notice to have him serve the due duty," the Military Manpower Administration (MMA) said in a release.
The agency did not disclose the exact date as it is part of his personal information, but, the government generally sends the notice to draftees around a month ahead of the designated date.
All able-bodied South Korean men must carry out service for about two years in a country that faces North Korea across a heavily fortified border.
Seungri, a former member of popular boy band BIGBANG, arrives at a court in Seoul on Jan. 13, 2020, to attend a hearing on the legality of his arrest over allegations of gambling in a hotel casino in Las Vegas and arranging sex services for investors. (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-04--(LEAD) S. Korean figure skaters to test mettle against int'l stars on home ice

(ATTN: ADDS comments in paras 15-18, 21, photo)
SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- Budding South Korean figure skaters will go up against some of the sport's biggest stars at an international competition on home ice this week.
The Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, organized by the International Skating Union (ISU), will run from Thursday to Sunday at Mokdong Ice Rink in Seoul. Skaters from Asia, the Americas, Oceania and Africa -- four of the continents represented by the Olympic Rings -- will compete in four disciplines: men's singles, ladies' singles, pairs and ice dance.
South Korea last hosted this annual event in 2017.
In this Penta Press file photo from Jan. 13, 2020, South Korean figure skater You Young performs her free skating program during the ladies' singles competition at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics at Lausanne Skating Arena in Lausanne, Switzerland. (Yonhap)
The Four Continents was first held in 1999, in response to the European championship. And South Korea has produced just one medalist, the 2009 ladies' singles champion, Kim Yu-na.
This year, a trio of South Korean women will try to end the drought in the singles, led by the 15-year-old You Young.
You, fresh off a Winter Youth Olympics gold medal last month, is the only South Korean female to perform triple axel. She also has a bronze medal from Skate Canada, one of six ISU Grand Prix stops, and recently won her third straight national title.
Former junior standouts Lim Eun-soo and Kim Ye-lim will also take the ice at Mokdong.
They'll have to contend with the defending champion from Japan, Rika Kihira. The 17-year-old is even more technically accomplished than You, and the Japanese is the first woman to land a triple axel-triple jump combination at an ISU competition.
Kihira's personal best score is 233.12 points from December 2018 at the ISU Grand Prix Final, and her season best is 231.84 from November 2019 at the NHK Trophy.
You, currently in her first senior season, has both the season and personal best of 217.49.
Also representing Japan in the ladies' singles will be Wakaba Higuchi, the 2018 world silver medalist, and Kaori Sakamoto, the 2018 Four Continents champion.
In this file photo from Dec. 15, 2019, Cha Jun-hwan of South Korea performs her free skating program during the first round of the national team trials at Gimhae Citizens Sports Center Ice Rink in Gimhae, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)
In the men's singles, Cha Jun-hwan will look to bounce back from a season-long slump.
In his first senior season in 2018-2019, Cha took bronze at the Grand Prix Final, one of five medals he won at an ISU event. He was in second place after the short program at the 2019 Four Continents before ended up sixth overall.
The development of the 18-year-old has slowed this season, as he's struggled to land quadruple jumps with consistency. Cha has yet to win an international medal this season, his second straight South Korean national title being the only win of any note.
After his first official practice Tuesday, Cha said he's going to take the safer route with his programs and attempt three quadruple jumps in the short program and free skate combined, instead of five that he did earlier in the season.
"My goal at this competition is to skate clean programs," Cha said. "I won't force the issue too much."
Cha added he has put memories of poor results, both from last year's Four Continents and from the early part of this season, out of his mind.
"I am going in with a clean slate," Cha said. "I am trying not to put too much pressure on myself."
While Cha still represents the host country's best medal hope, any path to the podium will likely go through Yuzuru Hanyu, the two-time defending Olympic champion from Japan.
In addition to his two Olympic gold medals, Hanyu has claimed two world titles and four Grand Prix Final titles. He has yet to win a Four Continents gold, with three silvers in three appearances so far.
Both Cha and Hanyu train with famed Canadian coach Brian Orser in Toronto. The South Korean teen said he and the Japanese star have had some small talks over the past couple of weeks and added, "I hope we can all do well here."
South Korean figure skater Cha Jun-hwan trains at Mokdong Ice Rink in Seoul on Feb. 4, 2020, ahead of the International Skating Union's Four Continents Figure Skating Championships. (Yonhap)
Jin Boyang of China, the 2018 Four Continents champion, and Jason Brown, the reigning U.S. national silver medalist, will try to keep Hanyu away from the top of the podium.
The competition will open at 11 a.m. with the rhythm dance portion of ice dance, followed by the pairs short program and the ladies' short program.
Friday will feature free dance in ice dance and the men's short program. The free programs for both the ladies' singles and the pairs will be Saturday. The men's singles champion will be crowned after Sunday's free skate.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-04--(3rd LD) Hyundai, Kia suspend some production lines amid coronavirus-triggered crunch

Hyundai Motor has seven domestic plants -- five in Ulsan , one in Asan and one in Jeonju -- and @ @ @ @ @ in China , one in the United States , one in the Czech Republic , @ @ @ @ @ in Russia , one in India and one in Brazil .
Their combined capacity reaches @ @ @ @

(ATTN: ADDS details in paras 10 and 14-15, stock prices in 22nd para)
By Choi Kyong-ae
SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Co. and its sister company Kia Motors Corp. said Tuesday they have suspended some of their assembly lines here due to shortages of parts from China amid the spreading coronavirus outbreak.
Hyundai Motor halted the assembly lines for the production of the carmaker's independent brand Genesis's sedan models at its No. 5 plant in Ulsan, 414 kilometers southeast of Seoul, from Tuesday, a company spokesman said over the phone.
The company and its union also have agreed to gradually suspend assembly lines at the remaining four plants in Ulsan by Friday, with its two other domestic plants, in Jeonju and Asan, also scheduled to halt operations by the same day, he said.
This file photo provided by Hyundai Motor shows an employee working at an assembly line of the carmaker's No. 2 plant in Ulsan. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
They expect the plants will be suspended until Feb. 10 or 11 as the company is expected to obtain some stocks of wiring harness parts, a key component for a variety of models, from domestic companies.
The Chinese authorities called on manufacturers to stop operations until Feb. 9, a week after the end of the Lunar New Year holiday, to keep the new coronavirus from spreading.
"If auto parts factories in China resume operations on Feb. 10 or 11, production losses from lack of parts will be limited," the spokesman said.
Hyundai Motor has seven domestic plants -- five in Ulsan, one in Asan and one in Jeonju -- and 10 overseas plants -- four in China, one in the United States, one in the Czech Republic, one in Turkey, one in Russia, one in India and one in Brazil. Their combined capacity reaches 5.5 million vehicles.
In an email message sent to workers at the Ulsan plants on Monday, Vice President Ha Eon-tae, head of Hyundai's main plant, said it the suspension of certain car assembly lines in Ulsan is "inevitable" as South Korean parts suppliers in China have suspended production due to the Chinese government's restrictions on plant operations amid the coronavirus scare.
Kia, which is 34 percent owned by Hyundai, started reducing output at its plants in Hwaseong and Gwangju, outside of Seoul, for the same reasons, a union spokesman said.
"As of this week, production at Sohari plants in Gwangmyeong remains intact from parts problems. But the Gwangmyeong plants may suffer a lack of supply if the virus prolongs," he said.
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 reaches 3.84 million units.
Hyundai and Kia, which together form the world's fifth-biggest carmaker by sales, are concerned about an extended shortage of auto components from their Korean suppliers in China.
Hyundai canceled overtime work over the weekend to produce the flagship Palisade sport utility vehicle at the Ulsan plant in an initial countermeasure to manage its parts inventories.
The two carmakers said they are in talks with local auto parts companies that have production facilities at home and abroad for the supply of necessary parts.
"In case of an extended shortage of parts from China, we will ask local parts makers to fully operate their domestic plants and buy more components from their plants in Southeast Asia," the spokesman said.
This undated file photo, provided by Hyundai Motor Group, shows Hyundai and Kia's headquarters buildings in southern Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The fallout from the virus could deal a further blow to Hyundai and Kia, which have been struggling with declining sales in China, the world's biggest automobile market, in the past three years.
In China, the carmakers' sales remained weak due to the lingering impact of political tensions between Seoul and Beijing over the deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system, called THAAD, in South Korea in 2017.
Hyundai and Kia's combined sales in China fell 22 percent to 909,000 vehicles last year from 1,161,000 units a year earlier. The two carmakers aim to sell 7.5 million autos globally this year, higher than the 7.2 million units they sold last year.
In April last year, Hyundai shut down one of its five plants in China, and in May, Kia suspended one of its three plants there due to lower demand.
Since emerging out of the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, the new coronavirus has killed at least 425 and infected 20,438 people in China as of Tuesday and reached 24 countries, as far away as the U.S.
South Korea has reported 16 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Tuesday.
On Tuesday, shares in Hyundai and Kia underperformed the broader KOSPI's 1.8 percent gain. Hyundai Motor rose 0.4 percent to 124,000 won and Kia gained 0.4 percent at 40,250 won.
GM Korea Co., Renault Samsung Motors Corp. and SsangYong Motor Co. are also bearing the brunt of the parts shortages.
Leoni Wiring Systems Korea, Inc., the South Korean unit of German auto parts maker Leoni AG, has recently decided to suspend operations of its wiring plant in China until Feb. 9, in line with the Chinese government's policy.
On Tuesday, SsangYong Motor stopped the operations of its sole car assembly plant in Pyeongtaek, 70 km south of Seoul, and will maintain the suspension until Feb. 12 due to the supply crunch.
"We will decide whether to extend the period depending on supply conditions in China," a SsangYong Motor spokesman said.
GM Korea and Renault Samsung said they are closely monitoring the situation involving the novel coronavirus to minimize the impact on production.
"We don't see any immediate impact on our production as we can receive wiring parts from our alliance partners Nissan Motor and Mitsubishi," a Renault Samsung spokesperson said. "But if the virus continues to spread, there will be some shortages of parts."
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-04--(URGENT) Military draft notice sent to disgraced K-pop star Seungri

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


Yonhap News Summary

SEOUL/YEONGJONGDO , South Korea -- With the entry ban taking effect Tuesday for non-Korean travelers coming from or through China @ @ @ @ @ are running high at Incheon International Airport , the gateway to Seoul , where an @ @ @ @ @ and health officials are mobilized at the airport 's three `` China-only '' arrival counters @ @ @ @ @ symptoms of the new coronavirus .

The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday.
-----------------
(5th LD) S. Korean tests positive for virus after Bangkok trip, total now at 16
SEOUL -- South Korea on Tuesday confirmed its 16th case of the novel coronavirus infection, with the latest patient having recently visited Thailand, as more stringent quarantine measures are being taken to stem the spread of the virus.
The patient, a 42-year-old South Korean woman, returned from a trip to Thailand on Jan. 19 and started feeling chills on Jan. 25, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
-----------------
(LEAD) Passengers from China undergo strict quarantine screening under entry ban
SEOUL/YEONGJONGDO, South Korea -- With the entry ban taking effect Tuesday for non-Korean travelers coming from or through China's Hubei province, tensions are running high at Incheon International Airport, the gateway to Seoul, where an army of hundreds of customs and health officials are mobilized at the airport's three "China-only" arrival counters to detect passengers with suspected symptoms of the new coronavirus.
The unprecedented entry ban, announced Sunday by the South Korean government, applies to all foreign travelers who over the past 14 days have stayed in or traveled to the central Chinese province, the home to Wuhan, where the novel coronavirus is believed to have originated late last year.
-----------------
S. Korea set to approve tougher penalties against hoarding of protective masks
SEJONG -- South Korea is set to approve tougher penalties Tuesday against those who engage in hoarding of protective masks, as China's coronavirus outbreak has sparked a sharp rise in demand for such masks, officials said.
Under the tougher penalties, a person who engages in hoarding of protective masks will face a prison sentence of a maximum two years or a maximum fine of 50 million won (US$42,108), the Ministry of Economy and Finance said in a statement.
-----------------
S. Korea delivers 1.5 mln masks to virus-hit Wuhan: ministry
SEOUL -- South Korea has delivered 1.5 million masks and other relief items to the virus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan, the foreign ministry said Tuesday, as part of a provision of such goods to help Beijing cope with the disease.
An Asiana Airlines cargo flight, carrying the masks and more than 120,000 items of protective clothing and goggles, left for Wuhan on Monday and returned early Tuesday, the ministry said.
-----------------
(LEAD) Novel coronavirus test kits to be available at hospitals this week
SEOUL -- South Korea said Tuesday that coronavirus test kits will be available at hospitals across the country this week in a move to better fight the fast-spreading new virus.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said it will allow the real time test kits to be used at some 50 designated clinics from Friday, with the test results coming out within six hours, shorter than the current 12 hours.
-----------------
Cheong Wa Dae dismisses report of delay in Xi's trip to S. Korea into June
SEOUL -- The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae dismissed a news report Tuesday that Chinese President Xi Jinping's plan to visit South Korea is being delayed to June due to the outbreak of a new coronavirus.
A local newspaper reported that Cheong Wa Dae has been pushing for Xi's trip to Seoul between March and April, but the plan is being put off to June as China focuses on containing the spread of the virus.
-----------------
N. Korea maintains stable rate of inflation despite sanctions: report
SEOUL -- North Korea appears to have maintained a relatively stable rate of inflation last year despite crippling sanctions restricting its global trade, a report showed Tuesday.
The report by a researcher at the Korean Institute for National Unification contradicts speculation that the prices of daily necessities have risen sharply in North Korea as sanctions undercut supplies to the communist state.
-----------------
Court orders agency to pay fans for Ronaldo's 'no-show'
INCHEON -- A South Korean court on Tuesday ruled in favor of local football fans who demanded compensation for football star Cristiano Ronaldo's "no-show" incident in a much-awaited match last year.
A sellout crowd of 65,000 filled the Seoul World Cup Stadium in July 2019 for an exhibition match between a K League All-Star team and Ronaldo's team, Juventus FC.
-----------------
S. Korean JCS chairman, U.S. Pacific Fleet commander vow cooperation for peace efforts
SEOUL -- South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Park Han-ki and U.S. Pacific Fleet commander Adm. John Aquilino agreed Tuesday to continue cooperation to support joint efforts for peace on the Korean Peninsula, Park's office said.
Their meeting took place while Aquilino is in South Korea for a five-day trip that began on Sunday.
-----------------
Movie ticket sales fall to 8-year low in Jan.
SEOUL -- South Korean movie theaters saw their total monthly admissions for January drop to an eight-year low, data showed Tuesday, amid fears of the rapid spread of the new coronavirus.
According to data compiled by the Korean Film Council, a total of 16.8 million people went to theaters over the one-month period.
(END)


yna--2020-02-04--S. Korea delivers 1.5 mln masks to virus-hit Wuhan: ministry

Regarding a separate US $ 5 million emergency assistance plan to China , the government has provided Beijing with about @ @ @ @ @ clothing , and talks are under way to decide how to carry out the remainder @ @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has delivered 1.5 million masks and other relief items to the virus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan, the foreign ministry said Tuesday, as part of a provision of such goods to help Beijing cope with the disease.
An Asiana Airlines cargo flight, carrying the masks and more than 120,000 items of protective clothing and goggles, left for Wuhan on Monday and returned early Tuesday, the ministry said.
Seoul announced last week it would provide 2 million masks and 100,000 other relief items to the region under lockdown, the epicenter of the virus outbreak, from where it has evacuated 701 South Korean nationals.
The delivered stock, however, fell short of the figures Seoul pledged earlier, as the items have also been running out fast in South Korea amid growing fear of person-to-person transmission. Seoul has reported 16 confirmed cases of infection.
"We plan to execute an additional provision this month in consideration of domestic demand of the items," a ministry official said.
Regarding a separate US$5 million emergency assistance plan to China, the government has provided Beijing with about $300,000 worth of protective clothing, and talks are under way to decide how to carry out the remainder, the official said.
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-04--Table tennis player sees long way to go despite upset win over Chinese

`` Obviously , beating the Chinese players in the doubles was a huge confidence boost , but I do n't @ @ @ @ @ at the German Open , '' Jang told reporters at Incheon International Airport , just @ @ @ @ @ In the past , I could rely on my strong forehand against players from China @ @ @ @ @ 've got it all figured out .
Even though we won the final , I @ @ @ @ @ performance level . ''

INCHEON, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- No South Korean table tennis player had a better month of January than Jang Woo-jin. The 24-year-old helped the men's national team secure a spot at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics at a qualifying tournament in Portugal. Then in the final week of January, Jang teamed up with Cho Dae-seong for the men's doubles title at the German Open, an International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Tour Platinum event.
That they beat the heavily favored Chinese tandem of Ma Long and Lin Gaoyuan in the final was an encouraging development in an Olympic year. But Jang, who arrived back home Tuesday, said he thinks he could have played much better.
South Korean table tennis player Jang Woo-jin speaks to reporters at Incheon International Airport, just west of Seoul, on Feb. 4, 2020. (Yonhap)
"Obviously, beating the Chinese players in the doubles was a huge confidence boost, but I don't think I played particularly well at the German Open," Jang told reporters at Incheon International Airport, just west of Seoul. "In the past, I could rely on my strong forehand against players from China. But I think they've got it all figured out. Even though we won the final, I wasn't satisfied with my performance level."
In particular, Jang said he has to improve his backhand, noting that he felt like he "hit a wall" in terms of his techniques in Germany.
The emerging doubles star is clearly holding himself to high standards. Jang is 17th in the world, and his partner, Cho, is still just 17 and is ranked 122nd. When they went up against Ma and Lin, ranked third and fourth in the world, the safe money would have been on the Chinese duo.
But the South Koreans prevailed in a five-set battle and took the deciding frame handily at 11-6.
"We saw this competition as the beginning of our road to the Olympics," Jang said. "And it was nice to get off to a good start."
This photo captured from the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) website shows the South Korean men's double team of Cho Dae-seong (L) and Jang Woo-jin (2nd from L) after they defeated Ma Long (2nd from R) and Lin Gaoyuan of China in the men's doubles final at the ITTF World Platinum Tour German Open in Magdeburg, Germany, on Feb. 1, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
China remains the dominant force in international table tennis. It swept up four gold medals at stake at the 2016 Olympics in the men's singles, men's team, women's singles and women's team. The mixed team event has been added for this year, and China is once again favored to run the table and win all five titles.
South Korea has its best shot at reaching the podium in the men's team event, and the country will go only as far as Jang will take it.
"I used to get all excited whenever I beat Chinese players in the past," Jang said with a smile. "But this victory didn't feel like that big a deal."
Jang's coach, Kim Taek-soo, was far more effusive in his assessment than Jang himself.
"The way (Jang and Cho) were playing, we could easily have won without dropping a set," Kim said. "The Chinese players looked rattled. Our guys should be proud of themselves. I think we've beaten China more than anyone else recently."
At the Olympic qualifying tournament, Kim said his players outperformed their opponents in every aspect.
"I was a nervous wreck, and I am sure the players felt the same pressure," the coach said. "But they showed really good character and played great as a team. With that kind of determination, we should be competitive at the Olympics."
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-04--BOK board members see slow but clear signs of improvement: minutes

`` The conditions facing our economy appear to have not changed much since the last monetary policy board meeting in @ @ @ @ @ war is showing signs of easing for now , but they only seem to have @ @ @ @ @ escalating , '' a board member said .

By Byun Duk-kun
SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- A majority of South Korea's monetary policy board members apparently see gradual but definite signs of improvements in economic conditions surrounding the country, minutes from their latest rate-setting meeting showed Tuesday, possibly indicating the board may stand pat on rate cuts for some time.
"The local economy continues to face an overall slump but is showing signs of improvement in certain sectors," one of the board's seven members told the meeting held Jan. 17, according to the minutes from the meeting released by the Bank of Korea (BOK).
In the photo, taken Jan. 17, 2020, Bank of Korea Gov. Lee Ju-yeol (C) speaks with other members of the BOK monetary policy board before the start of the board's first rate-setting meeting of the year, in which the 7-member board voted 5-2 to keep the base rate frozen at 1.25 percent. (Yonhap)
"The U.S.-China trade relations and the global semiconductor market that have worked as very negative factors on our exports and facility investment are showing gradual movements toward positive changes," the board member was quoted as saying.
The unidentified member was one of five who voted for a rate freeze in this year's first rate-setting meeting.
South Korea's policy rate has been frozen at a record low of 1.25 percent since October when the BOK board slashed the base rate by a quarter percentage point to match the all-time low in its second rate cut in three months and also in three years.
Still, the board has been, and still is, expected to further reduce the key rate to help accommodate Asia's fourth-largest economy.
The economy, which grew at a decade low of 2 percent last year, is forecast to expand 2.3 percent this year, the slowest growth since 2009 except for last year.
Two of the seven board members voiced a need to cut the base rate to 1.0 percent, insisting the economic conditions at home and abroad remain uncertain, according to the minutes.
"The conditions facing our economy appear to have not changed much since the last monetary policy board meeting in November. The U.S.-China trade war is showing signs of easing for now, but they only seem to have kept the dispute from further escalating," a board member said.
"Also, with the emergence of the geopolitical risk called the Iran crisis, it is difficult to conclude that conditions for global trade have improved," the member added.
The majority of five, however, noted the recent trade deal between Washington and Beijing, as well as a possible recovery in the global chip market, may lead to a rebound in South Korea's exports.
South Korea's exports plunged 10.3 percent on-year in 2019, marking 14 consecutive months of decline since December 2018.
Such a large and steady decline has partly been attributed to the trade dispute between the world's largest economies that are also the largest importers of South Korean products.
"It may be too early to be too confident but there is a growing expectation that the slump in our country's exports and facility investment may be eased on progress in the U.S.-China trade negotiations," a board member said.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-04--Cheong Wa Dae dismisses report of delay in Xi's trip to S. Korea into June

A local newspaper reported that Cheong Wa Dae has been pushing for Xi 's trip to Seoul between March and @ @ @ @ @ is being put off to June as China focuses on containing the spread of the @ @

SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae dismissed a news report Tuesday that Chinese President Xi Jinping's plan to visit South Korea is being delayed to June due to the outbreak of a new coronavirus.
A local newspaper reported that Cheong Wa Dae has been pushing for Xi's trip to Seoul between March and April, but the plan is being put off to June as China focuses on containing the spread of the virus.
President Moon Jae-in's office said the report is not true since it has never specified the timing of Xi's trip.
"In late December 2019, Cheong Wa Dae affirmed that Xi's trip to Seoul will occur in the first half," Han Jung-woo, deputy presidential spokesperson, told a press briefing.
"Details about the timing are under consultation between Seoul and Beijing. Both sides will jointly announce the result once they finish consultations," he added.
This file photo, taken on March 7, 2019, shows Han Jung-woo, deputy Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson, holding a press briefing at the office of President Moon Jae-in in Seoul. (Yonhap)
Earlier in the day, new Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming called for making a "scientific" decision to combat the novel coronavirus in line with the U.N. health agency's recommendations against unnecessary travel restrictions.
His press briefing here coincided with South Korea's imposition of an entry ban on foreigners who visited China's Hubei province in the past 14 days starting on Tuesday.
As for some critics' views that Xing issued a thinly-veiled criticism of the Korean government's measures, a Cheong Wa Dae official said his remarks apparently indicated the need for cooperation between Seoul and Beijing.
"We think the matter needs to be discussed from a broader context," the official said on the background.
"China is South Korea's largest trading partner. This issue should be resolved through communication and close cooperation."
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-02-04--(LEAD) Seoul stocks snap 3-day losing streak on China stimulus, Korean won sharply up

Since the outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year , the new coronavirus has killed at least @ @ @ @ @ 20,000 people in China as of Tuesday and reached 24 countries , including the U.S @

(ATTN: ADDS photo and bond yields at bottom)
SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korean shares snapped a three-day losing streak to spike by almost 2 percent on Tuesday, as foreigners purchased large-cap stocks on Chinese stimulus measures to offset fallout from the new coronavirus. The Korean won rose sharply against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 39.02 points, or 1.84 percent, to 2,157.90, ending the selling streak for the past three days sparked by the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus.
China added stimulus measures to shore up growth, and the People's Bank of China announced its plan to inject US$21.7 billion into markets last week, analysts said.
The KOSPI plunged 5.7 percent last week.
"Expectations for a rate cut in China and Chinese economic stimulus packages improved investor sentiment," Seo Sang-young, a researcher at Kiwoom Securities Co., said.
This photo taken on Feb. 4, 2020 shows the dealing room of KEB Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea. (Yonhap)
Still, investors will remain wary as global stock markets are highly volatile due to the coronavirus outbreak that is continuing to spread across borders and is driving down demand in China, the world's second-biggest economy after the United States.
Since the outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, the new coronavirus has killed at least 425 and infected more than 20,000 people in China as of Tuesday and reached 24 countries, including the U.S.
South Korea has reported 16 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Tuesday.
Foreigners and individuals bought a combined 690.9 billion won ($582 million) worth of stocks, offsetting institutions' net selling of stocks valued at 704.1 billion won.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics Co. rose 2.97 percent to 58,900 won, No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix Inc. climbed 2.53 percent to 97,100 won and top carmaker Hyundai Motor Co. gained 0.40 percent to 124,000 won.
Among losers, leading steelmaker POSCO fell 0.23 percent to 214,000 won, and dominant tobacco company KT&G Corp. was down 1.93 percent to 91,600 won.
The local currency closed at 1,187.40 won to the dollar, up 7.60 won from the previous session's close.
Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, closed lower. The yield on three-year Treasurys rose 4.0 basis points to 1.331 percent, and the return on the benchmark five-year government bond increased 6.9 basis points to reach 1.442 percent.
entropy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-31--Pompeo praises S. Korea for handling of coronavirus

`` The media kept talking , 'South Korea , South Korea . '
We have a great relationship with President @ @ @ @ @ But when I hear so much about South Korea -- so , in eight days @ @ @ @ @ we do more testing than they did in eight weeks .
And it 's a @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .

By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, March 30 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo praised South Korea on Monday for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, saying the country should be applauded for bringing down its infection rate.
Pompeo spoke in a telephone briefing with Yonhap News Agency and other Asian news outlets as South Korea marked the 18th consecutive day that new infections hovered around 100 or fewer.
"They have had a pretty effective effort," he said. "It appears from all the data that we can see that the South Koreans have managed to come across a peak inside of South Korea, and for that they should be applauded."
This pool photo published by Reuters shows U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaking during a news conference at the State Department in Washington on March 25, 2020. (Yonhap)
South Korea has been widely praised in the American news media and elsewhere for rapidly implementing COVID-19 testing measures after the country reported its first case in January.
As of the end of Sunday, South Korea had a total of 9,661 cases, including 158 deaths. Meanwhile, the U.S. recently overtook China as the country with the largest number of infections at more than 140,000, including some 2,000 deaths.
Last week U.S. President Donald Trump boasted that the United States had tested more people in eight days than South Korea did in eight weeks.
The claim was later proven to be incorrect and also disregarded the large difference in populations.
"I told you yesterday, eight days here because you heard so much about South Korea," Trump said Thursday during a White House press briefing on the coronavirus.
"The media kept talking, 'South Korea, South Korea.' We have a great relationship with President Moon of South Korea. But when I hear so much about South Korea -- so, in eight days, in eight days, we do more testing than they did in eight weeks. And it's a very highly sophisticated test," he said.
In a phone call with President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday, Trump asked for South Korea's assistance with medical equipment, according to Moon's office, Cheong Wa Dae.
Trump and the White House have made no mention of such a request.
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-31--(LEAD) Pompeo: U.S. looks forward to meeting N.K. leadership for nuclear talks

`` From early on , when it became apparent that the North Koreans were likely to have a challenge , @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .
`` We 've done that through the World Food Bank .
@ @ @ @ @ .
And we have assisted other countries and made clear that we would do all @ @ @ @ @ sure that their humanitarian assistance could get into that country as well . ''

(ATTN: UPDATES with more remarks by Pompeo, background in last 8 paras)
By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, March 30 (Yonhap) -- The United States looks forward to sitting down with North Korea's leadership for nuclear talks, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday, shortly after Pyongyang accused him of slandering the regime and said it will "go our own way."
Pompeo was responding to an official North Korean statement that condemned his earlier call on the Group of Seven major economies to continue diplomatic and economic pressure on Pyongyang.
In a telephone briefing with Yonhap News Agency and other Asian news outlets, the secretary said President Donald Trump has made clear that international sanctions on North Korea must continue until it takes steps to denuclearize.
This AFP photo shows U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaking during a press conference at the State Department in Washington on March 25, 2020. (Yonhap)
"The president's position on North Korea and mine has been in lockstep since the very first day I became secretary of state," he said, responding to North Korea's complaint that Pompeo was going against the will of Trump, who recently offered assistance with the coronavirus pandemic in a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
"We have been trying very diligently from the American side since (the June 2018 Singapore summit between Trump and Kim) to move forward with those negotiations and hope that we will get an opportunity to do that," he added, noting that the leaders agreed at the summit to denuclearize North Korea and create a "brighter future" for the North Korean people.
"President Trump has also been clear, until we get to that point, till we get to the point where we have made sufficient progress along the way, the sanctions -- not American sanctions, but U.N. Security Council resolutions -- will continue to be enforced and in place," he continued.
"And we hope that we will get this opportunity to sit down with the North Korean leadership again and begin to chart a path forward to a brighter future for the North Korean people. It's been President Trump's position since we began our efforts," Pompeo said.
Nuclear talks between the two countries have stalled for more than a year since the second Trump-Kim summit in Vietnam in February 2019 ended without a deal.
The North gave the U.S. until the end of 2019 to show flexibility after Washington rejected Pyongyang's offer to dismantle part of its nuclear program in exchange for large sanctions relief.
As the year passed without a breakthrough, Kim threatened to soon show off a "new strategic weapon" and this month he resumed testing short-range missiles.
But Pompeo said the U.S. stands by its offer to help the communist country fight COVID-19.
"From early on, when it became apparent that the North Koreans were likely to have a challenge, we've offered assistance," he said. "We've done that through the World Food Bank. We've done it directly. And we have assisted other countries and made clear that we would do all that we could to make sure that their humanitarian assistance could get into that country as well."
He said he hopes countries such as North Korea and Iran will be transparent in reporting their COVID-19 caseloads and fatalities, as well as their efforts to reduce the spread, so that an effective global countermeasure can be developed.
North Korea has not reported a single case of the coronavirus, but many suspect the regime may be covering up an outbreak.
North Korean state media has repeatedly reported on the country's efforts to prevent an epidemic by quarantining people and tightening its borders.
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


(Copyright)

The use of the content for any other purposes other than personal and noncommercial use is expressly prohibited without the @ @ @ @ @ News Agency .

All information carried by the Yonhap News Agency, including articles, photographs, graphics, audio and video images, and illustrations (collectively, the content) is owned by the Yonhap News Agency.
The use of the content for any other purposes other than personal and noncommercial use is expressly prohibited without the written consent of the Yonhap News Agency.
Any violation can be subject to a compensation claim or civil and criminal lawsuits.
Requests to use the content for any purpose besides the ones mentioned above should be directed in advance to Yonhap's Information Business Department at 82-2-398-3557 or 82-2-398-3552.
(END)


yna--2020-03-30--(7th LD) S. Korea wary of cluster, imported infections amid sign of declining new cases

Daegu 's health authorities said a total of 58 people -- including five medical staff and 53 patients -- at @ @ @ @ @ were newly confirmed to have been infected with the virus , bringing the total at @ @ @ @ @ marking the single largest cluster of infections so far in the city .

(ATTN: UPDATES 3rd para with latest figure; ADDS new info in paras 15-17)
SEOUL, March 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korea saw a slight decline in new coronavirus cases Monday, but cluster infections in Seoul and other regions continued to emerge, coupled with a rise in cases involving arrivals from overseas.
The 78 new COVID-19 cases, detected Sunday and down from 105 new cases a day earlier, brought the nation's total infections to 9,661 and marked the 18th consecutive day that new infections have hovered around 100 or fewer additional cases, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
The death toll rose by six to 158, the KCDC said. Four more deaths -- including a man in his 60s from a hospital in the southeastern city of Daegu, -- were reported Monday but have yet to be added to the official tally.
Quarantine officials carry out a disinfection operation against the new coronavirus at a nursing hospital in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on March 30, 2020. (Yonhap)
South Korea's health authorities once again stressed a "no-tolerance" policy in dealing with violators of the two-week self-isolation, adding that Korean nationals will face lawsuits and foreigners will be expelled.
Starting Wednesday, the country will enforce a two-week mandatory quarantine on all entrants from overseas in a drastic move to curb a steady rise in imported cases.
Under the new measure, all arrivals to the country regardless of nationality are required to stay in isolation for 14 days. Visitors without local addresses are to stay in government-designated facilities at their own expense.
The KCDC said an average of around 300 people with symptoms enter the country every day, with between 20 and 30 of them testing positive for the virus.
"The rate of testing positive to COVID-19 among people with symptoms has increased recently as the so-called community spread in other countries spread," KCDC Director General Jeong Eun-kyeong said.
South Korea has been already enforcing both a two-week quarantine period and virus tests for all long-term arrivals from Europe, regardless of symptoms. Entrants from the United States have also been required to self-isolate at home for two weeks.
Foreigners who do not follow the self-quarantine rules without a valid reason will be immediately deported, health authorities said.
"Foreigners who leave their homes without notification will immediately be deported," Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip told reporters.
A British national in his 30s violated self-isolation rules by walking around on streets without wearing a face mask even after taking a COVID-19 test, the authorities said.
The South Korean government said it is conducting an investigation to decide whether to deport him and seek compensation for possible damages.
The man had contact with a total of 23 people over the period of five days in four cities including Suwon, just south of Seoul, the KCDC said.
In another case, Seoul's Yongsan district office filed a complaint on Monday against a Polish man who allegedly broke the self-quarantine rule.
The 42-year-old resident was ordered to self-isolate from March 13-26 after one of his friends, also from Poland, was confirmed to be infected on March 12.
Investigation found that during the two weeks, he had visited a convenience store and walked around at a park near his home, according to the district office. He was asymptomatic during the quarantine period but tested positive on March 26 and was hospitalized.
This photo taken on March 27, 2020, shows a building in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, that houses a hospital and a nursing home that each reported large numbers of new coronavirus infection cases. (Yonhap)
Of the 78 new cases reported Monday, 29 were imported cases, the KCDC said. Twenty-seven of them are South Korean nationals and two are foreigners.
The country has reported 476 COVID-19 cases coming from overseas, with 90 percent of them South Korean nationals, the KCDC said.
The government has prepared facilities that can quarantine about 2,000 foreigners at the same time for a 14-day period, Kim said.
The KCDC said fewer than 100 foreigners entering the country for short-term visits are expected to be quarantined at the facilities each day.
Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, the nation's two worst-affected regions, reported 14 and 11 new cases, respectively, the KCDC said.
Daegu's health authorities said a total of 58 people -- including five medical staff and 53 patients -- at a hospital in the city were newly confirmed to have been infected with the virus, bringing the total at the facility to 133 and marking the single largest cluster of infections so far in the city.
Other major provinces and cities also reported infections, with 31 additional cases in Seoul and the surrounding region -- Gyeonggi Province and the western port city of Incheon.
The new infections brought the total number of cases in the metropolitan area to 947, the KCDC said.
This marked the second straight day that the number of new infections in the capital surpassed that in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, where 7,922 cases have so far been reported.
Seoul reported 16 new cases, partly due to a church in the Guro district that has emerged as a new hot spot of infections in the capital city.
The Seoul city government said at least 28 COVID-19 patients have been linked to the church, up six from a day earlier.
In regards to the case of a family from Gimpo, west of Seoul, that retested positive for COVID-19, the KCDC said the virus was highly likely to have been reactivated.
On Saturday, a couple in their 30s and their 17-month-old child again tested positive for the virus after being discharged from a hospital.
"It is more likely for virus of the Gimpo family to have been reactivated than them being reinfected with the virus," Jeong said, also ruling out the possibility of an error in the test.
There have so far been about 10 COVID-19 patients who again tested positive after being deemed fully recovered.
The KCDC also urged people to practice social distancing through April 5 to contain the spread of the virus.
A total of 14,009 people are currently under self-isolation measures as of Sunday, which is sharply down from some 34,000 when the number peaked, the KCDC said.
Citizens are strongly urged to stay home, except for essential needs or jobs. The government has restricted religious gatherings, indoor sports activities and visits to nightclubs and other entertainment venues in a bid to stem small-scale cluster infections.
Entrants at South Korea's main gateway, Incheon International Airport, wait for a bus that will carry them to their respective houses on March 30, 2020. Starting on April 1, the country will enforce a two-week mandatory quarantine on all entrants from overseas in a drastic move to curb a steady rise in imported cases of COVID-19. (Yonhap)
The government said it is preparing "everyday life quarantine" guidelines for people to carry out steps as part of their routines as authorities brace for a prolonged pandemic.
The guidelines are aimed at quarantining in a way that allows social and economic activities to continue.
The government also said it will form a body involving experts within this week to discuss quarantine measures that can be taken in everyday life.
Amid concerns over infection in communities, the education ministry is likely to announce a further extension of school breaks Tuesday at the earliest.
The new school year for child care centers, kindergartens and schools across the country usually begins in early March, but the date has been tentatively postponed to next Monday.
The ministry is weighing whether to adopt remote classes for all students next Monday or to start the school year for seniors and other high school students.
So far, 5,228 patients have recovered, and 4,275 are receiving treatment. A total of 372,002 people have tested negative for the virus out of 395,194 people tested since Jan. 3. The virus was first detected in the country on Jan. 20.
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-30--Pompeo: U.S. looks forward to meeting N.K. leadership for nuclear talks

`` We have been trying very diligently from the American side since ( the June 2018 Singapore summit between Trump @ @ @ @ @ forward with those negotiations and hope that we will get an opportunity to do that @ @ @ @ @ noting that the leaders agreed at the summit denuclearize North Korea and create a `` @ @ @ @ @ North Korean people .

By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, March 30 (Yonhap) -- The United States looks forward to sitting down with North Korea's leadership for nuclear talks, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday, shortly after Pyongyang accused him of slandering the regime and said it will "go our own way."
Pompeo was responding to an official North Korean statement that condemned his earlier call on the Group of Seven major economies to continue diplomatic and economic pressure on Pyongyang.
In a telephone briefing with Yonhap News Agency and other Asian news outlets, the secretary said President Donald Trump has made clear that international sanctions on North Korea must continue until it takes steps to denuclearize.
This AFP photo shows U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaking during a press conference at the State Department in Washington on March 25, 2020. (Yonhap)
"The president's position on North Korea and mine has been in lockstep since the very first day I became secretary of state," he said, responding to North Korea's complaint that Pompeo was going against the will of Trump, who recently offered assistance with the coronavirus pandemic in a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
"We have been trying very diligently from the American side since (the June 2018 Singapore summit between Trump and Kim) to move forward with those negotiations and hope that we will get an opportunity to do that," he added, noting that the leaders agreed at the summit denuclearize North Korea and create a "brighter future" for the North Korean people.
"President Trump has also been clear, until we get to that point, till we get to the point where we have made sufficient progress along the way, the sanctions -- not American sanctions, but U.N. Security Council resolutions -- will continue to be enforced and in place," he continued.
"We hope that we will get this opportunity to sit down with the North Korean leadership again and begin to chart a path forward to a brighter future for the North Korean people. It's been President Trump's position since we began our efforts," Pompeo said.
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-03-30--S. Korea reports 7 more African swine fever cases in wild boars

South Korea confirmed its first-ever outbreak of the animal disease in September last year .
Although no additional ASF cases @ @ @ @ @ since early October , authorities continue to discover dead wild boars carrying the disease , @ @ @ @ @

SEOUL, March 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Monday reported seven new cases of African swine fever (ASF) in wild boars found dead near the inter-Korean border.
The discoveries, made in the eastern county of Hwacheon, Gangwon Province, increased the number of infections in wild boars to 467, according to the state-run National Institute of Environmental Research.
South Korea confirmed its first-ever outbreak of the animal disease in September last year. Although no additional ASF cases on farms have been reported since early October, authorities continue to discover dead wild boars carrying the disease, mostly in border areas.
North Korea reported its first outbreak of ASF at a pig farm near its border with China in May last year.
Different from other animal diseases, which are airbourne, African swine fever spreads through direct contact with infected animals or their remains, according to experts.
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)