yna--2020-12-19--Today in Korean history

Today in Korean history

1997 -- President Kim Young-sam and President-elect Kim Dae-jung agree to grant special pardons to former Presidents Chun Doo-hwan and @ @ @ @ @ Roh were sentenced to life imprisonment and 17 years in prison , respectively , for @ @ @ @ @ coup that brought Chun to power in 1980 .
Chun served as president until February @ @ @ @ @ succeeded by Roh , who served as president for five years .

Dec. 20
1974 -- North Korean spy Moon Se-gwang is executed for assassinating first lady Yook Young-su, the wife of President Park Chung-hee.
1979 -- A military court sentences KCIA chief Kim Jae-kyu and six others to death for assassinating President Park Chung-hee on Oct. 26, 1979. The murder brought Park's 18-year rule to an end.
1997 -- President Kim Young-sam and President-elect Kim Dae-jung agree to grant special pardons to former Presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo. Chun and Roh were sentenced to life imprisonment and 17 years in prison, respectively, for their roles in a 1979 coup that brought Chun to power in 1980. Chun served as president until February 1988, when he was succeeded by Roh, who served as president for five years.
2002 -- Lee Hoi-chang, the leader of the opposition Grand National Party, announces he will retire from politics.
2008 -- South Korea completes its four-year troop presence in Iraq by pulling out the last group of its Zaytun contingent that was dispatched to Irbil, a northern city, and an air support unit in neighboring Kuwait in 2004.
Korea dispatched a 3,600-strong noncombat force to Iraq at the request of the United States. The Zaytun unit provided medical services and other support to help rebuild the war-torn country.
2009 -- The United Nations General Assembly approves a resolution on North Korean human rights for the fifth straight year, calling on the communist North to improve its dire human rights conditions.
2011 -- South Korea expresses sympathy to the people of North Korea over the death of leader Kim Jong-il but decides not to send an official condolence delegation to the communist nation.
2012 -- Park Geun-hye, the standard-bearer of the ruling conservative Saenuri Party, is elected president of South Korea, becoming its first female leader. The National Election Commission confirmed at around 1:30 a.m. that Park had won the election 51.6 percent to 48 percent against Moon Jae-in of the Democratic United Party and was set to assume office Feb. 25.
(END)


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yna--2020-12-20--S. Korea mulls including rental assistance for virus-hit merchants in emergency handouts

`` As the third wave of the pandemic has had a far-reaching fallout on the economy , the scope of @ @ @ @ @ , '' a finance ministry official said .
`` As calls for rental assistance by @ @ @ @ @ are looking into more details . ''

SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is considering providing rental assistance to smaller merchants hard hit by the new coronavirus outbreak, when it will give them another round of emergency handouts next month, people familiar with the matter said Sunday.
The move comes as more smaller merchants and self-employed people are facing the growing burdens of paying rental fees due to the government's order to suspend their business amid the protracted pandemic.
The country is preparing to provide more than 3 trillion won (US$2.79 billion) in the third round of emergency handouts designed to help them fight the virus outbreak in January.
This photo, taken Dec. 15, 2020, shows almost no people at Namdaemun Market in central Seoul, one of South Korea's biggest traditional markets, amid the new coronavirus outbreak. (Yonhap)
"As the third wave of the pandemic has had a far-reaching fallout on the economy, the scope of affected people has also expanded," a finance ministry official said. "As calls for rental assistance by smaller merchants mounted, we are looking into more details."
Smaller merchants and the self-employed have been hardest hit by the pandemic as people have refrained from visiting off-line stores or dining out on concerns about virus infections.
"We are exploring ways to provide more tax benefits to landlords who cut rent and support rental assistance for tenants," a ruling Democratic Party (DP) official said.
Currently, the country provides tax credits on 50 percent of cuts in rental fees to landlords who reduce rents.
The government is considering providing financial assistance to help tenants cover fixed costs, including rent, in the cases that the government's order to suspend operations incurred economic damage.
If these supports are factored in, the amount of the emergency relief funds to be doled out in January may rise to at least 4 trillion won.
The DP also sees the need to create another extra budget early next year if new virus cases are not brought under control by the current level of social distancing.
South Korea is mulling whether to raise its social distancing guidelines to Level 3, the highest in its five-tier scheme, as virus cases are raging across the nation.
This year, the country drew up four rounds of supplementary budgets totaling 67 trillion won. Next year, the government plans to frontload 63 percent of the nation's budget spending in the first half to prop up the economy.
This photo, taken Dec. 17, 2020, shows a sign calling for a cut in rental fees that was put up at an underground shopping mall in Seoul's shopping district of Myeongdong. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-20--(LEAD) Ahn Cheol-soo declares bid for Seoul mayoral by-election

He said he would `` lay a bridge '' for that .
It remains uncertain whether the main opposition People @ @ @ @ @ call for a single candidate to take on the ruling Democratic Party in the election @

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with details)
SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Yonhap) -- Ahn Cheol-soo, head of the minor opposition People's Party, announced Sunday he will run in next year's Seoul mayoral by-election in order to pave the way for a presidential power transition.
He made clear that he wants to become a "unified candidate" for the opposition bloc. It will be his third bid for the Seoul mayorship.
Ahn stressed the significance of the election slated for April 15 next year.
"I thought I should throw myself into the race to prevent the situation of a (presidential) power change becoming impossible with a defeat in the Seoul mayor election," he said during a press conference at the National Assembly.
If the opposition bloc were to win the race, it would mean coming closer to victory in the presidential poll in March 2022, according to Ahn.
He said he would "lay a bridge" for that. It remains uncertain whether the main opposition People Power Party will accept his call for a single candidate to take on the ruling Democratic Party in the election.
Ahn Cheol-soo, head of the minor opposition People's Party (Yonhap)
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-20--KBO's Eagles hire ex-MLB coach Johnny Washington as new hitting coach

After coaching in the minors in the Los Angeles Dodgers system , Washington joined the Padres ' staff as the @ @ @ @ @ and became their hitting coach two years later .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean baseball club Hanwha Eagles announced Sunday they've hired former San Diego Padres' hitting coach Johnny Washington.
As the new hitting coach for the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club, Washington will be tasked with improving the league's most anemic offense in the 2020 season.
Johnny Washington, new hitting coach for the Hanwha Eagles, signs his contract with the Korea Baseball Organization club, in this photo provided by the Eagles on Dec. 20, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The California native joins an international staff led by first-year Venezuelan manager Carlos Subero, American bench coach Darryl Kennedy and the U.S.-born Puerto Rican pitching coach Jose Rosado.
Though Washington is relatively young for a coach at 36, the former infielder brings a decade of coaching experience across several levels.
After coaching in the minors in the Los Angeles Dodgers system, Washington joined the Padres' staff as the first base coach in 2017 and became their hitting coach two years later.
Following that season, Washington interviewed for the Los Angeles Angels' managerial position.
The Eagles posted the KBO's worst record in 2020 at 46-95-3 (wins-losses-ties) behind a dismal offense. They ranked last in the league in these categories: batting average (.245), runs (551), home runs (79), hits (1,189), strikeouts (1,163), walks (462), on-base percentage (.320) and slugging percentage (.338).
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-20--Brokerages raise stock price outlook for 2021 on global recovery, ample liquidity

The record low market rates , coupled with aggressive fiscal policies , will also help pull up the KOSPI , @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korean brokerage houses predicted the local stock market would continue its uptick move in 2021, citing signs of a global economic recovery and growing investor appetite for higher returns, data showed Sunday.
Multiple securities companies set their upper-end target band for the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) above 3,000 points, showing greater confidence from a month ago.
Between end-October and early November, brokerages had expected a band of 2,100-2,700 points, citing uncertainties from the new coronavirus pandemic.
The latest target range surpassed the key stock index's all-time high of 2,772.18 points Friday.
Shinhan Investment Corp. raised its target KOSPI band to 3,150-3,200 points, up from 2,100-2,700 points in late October.
The record low market rates, coupled with aggressive fiscal policies, will also help pull up the KOSPI, the brokerage said.
Hanwha Investment & Securities Co. raised its target band to 2,100-3,000 points, up from its 2,100-2,700 points forecast in late October.
"We projected a 10 percent increase in the 128 trillion-won net profit consensus, and maximized the price-earnings ratio (PER) to a record high thirteenfold," Hanwha Investment & Securities researcher Park Seung-young said.
Foundry, battery and electric vehicle-related shares are expected to lead the KOSPI's gain in 2021, Park said.
Global investment banks also joined the rosy projections.
JP Morgan set its upper band for the KOSPI at 3,200 points, citing expectations for South Korean companies' earnings improvement in 2021-2022 and optimism over the COVID-19 vaccine.
The IB giant said health care and battery large caps are likely to add weight next year, leading the KOSPI's uptick run.
jwc@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-20--Ahn Cheol-soo declares bid for Seoul mayoral by-election

He said he hopes to become a `` unified candidate '' for the opposition bloc .

SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Yonhap) -- Ahn Cheol-soo, head of the minor opposition People's Party, announced Sunday he will run in next year's Seoul mayoral by-election.
He said he hopes to become a "unified candidate" for the opposition bloc.
Ahn Cheol-soo, head of the minor opposition People's Party (Yonhap)
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-20--S. Korea to begin COVID-19 vaccination in Q1 2021, PM says

But the vaccine produced by AstraZeneca would only be available in the first half of 2021 under a current contract @ @ @ @ @ such other foreign drugmakers as Pfizer , Moderna and Janssen , he added .

SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will be able to start the coronavirus vaccination of its people in the first quarter of next year on a limited basis, according to Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun.
"Inoculation will begin as early as in February or March at the latest," he said in an interview with KBS, a Seoul-based broadcaster.
But the vaccine produced by AstraZeneca would only be available in the first half of 2021 under a current contract, not shots made by such other foreign drugmakers as Pfizer, Moderna and Janssen, he added.
His remarks came amid growing concerns that South Korea is lagging behind other nations in the procurement of coronavirus vaccines.
The government earlier announced it has secured early access to the vaccines developed by the four pharmaceutical companies.
The vaccines are slated to arrive in South Korea in stages, not en masse, starting in the first quarter, he pointed out.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun (Yonhap)
Despite the contracts, there's "no promise" on the specific dates of when they will be shipped here, he said.
South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is expected to permit the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine first early next year, he added.
Chung said the government launched a task force on coronavirus vaccine procurement in July, when the number of daily infections stood at around 100.
"Thus, there's an aspect that the government did not think (at that time) about enhancing the level of dependence on vaccines," he said.
New virus cases have soared to more than 1,000 a day recently.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-20--KDB to discuss loan rollover for SsangYong this week

The South Korean subsidiary of Indian carmaker Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said last week the outstanding loans amount to 59.9 @ @ @ @ @ interest is 600 million won , which accounts for 8 percent of its total equity @

SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Yonhap) -- The state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB), the main creditor of SsangYong Motor Corp., is set to decide on whether to roll over maturing loans extended to the financially troubled automaker this week, industry sources said Sunday.
Last week, SsangYong already missed the repayment of 60 billion won (US$54.8 million) of debt to its three creditors.
According to the sources, KDB will discuss whether to roll over 90 billion won in loans due Monday.
The South Korean subsidiary of Indian carmaker Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said last week the outstanding loans amount to 59.9 billion won and that the interest is 600 million won, which accounts for 8 percent of its total equity.
The debt includes 20 billion won from JP Morgan and 10 billion won from BNP Paribas.
The financial authorities and the KDB are also in talks over further extending financial help to SsangYong.
The SUV maker has logged operating deficits for 15 consecutive quarters as it fell behind in competition with its Korean rivals.
SsangYong sold 96,763 vehicles in the first 11 months this year, a 19 percent fall from a year earlier, due to weak sales abroad.
Mahindra has been looking for a partner for the debt-ridden subsidiary as part of its restructuring plan.
In 2011, Mahindra acquired a 70 percent stake in SsangYong Motor for 523 billion won and now holds a 74.6 percent stake in the carmaker.
A SsangYong Motor Co. official introduces the New Rexton SUV during an online event on Nov. 9, 2020, in this photo provided by the carmaker. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
sam@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-20--(LEAD) New infection cases hit fresh high, virus response faces biggest peril

The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients reached 278 , up three from the previous day .
In @ @ @ @ @ the number of intensive-care sickbeds that are immediately available came to just 13 as of @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES with more info in paras 4, 12-14,19; ADDS photo)
SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases spiked by more than 1,000 for the fifth straight day to hit a fresh record high Sunday, putting the country's virus battle in the most trouble so far amid rising death tolls.
The country added 1,097 more COVID-19 cases, including 1,072 local infections, raising the total caseload to 49,665, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
The tally marked a rise from 1,053 cases Saturday and 1,062 Friday. The previous record high was reported at 1,078 on Wednesday.
An uptick in virus cases came even as the country conducted fewer tests over the weekend. A total of 36,847 virus tests were carried out Saturday, about 20,000 fewer than those on business days.
Citizens line up to get coronavirus tests at a temporary testing center set up at the public plaza in front of City Hall in central Seoul on Dec. 19, 2020. (Yonhap)
The country is mulling whether to raise its social distancing guidelines to Level 3, the highest in its five-tier scheme, as the recent virus tally has already met criteria for the level.
Level 3 can be adopted when locally transmitted cases hover between 800 and 1,000 for a week or the daily tally doubles from the previous day.
Chains of cluster infections at facilities that include nursing homes and churches, and through private gatherings, continued to pop up. At least 185 cases were reported at a major correctional facility in eastern Seoul.
But health authorities said they are aiming to contain the current wave of the pandemic without raising virus curbs to Level 3 on concerns over impacts on the economy.
If the toughest curbs are imposed, more than 2 million shops and facilities will be ordered to be shut down.
South Korea has been applying Level 2.5 social distancing rules in the greater Seoul area, home to half of its 51.6 million population, and Level 2 rules in the rest of the country.
A relentless spike in virus cases spawned concerns about a shortage of hospital beds and a rise in fatalities. Health authorities issued a rare order to private hospitals Friday to secure more intensive-care beds for COVID-19 patients.
The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients reached 278, up three from the previous day. In the greater Seoul area, the number of intensive-care sickbeds that are immediately available came to just 13 as of Friday.
The country reported 15 additional deaths, raising the death toll to 674. The fatality rate was 1.36 percent. The daily number of deaths hit a record high of 22 on Thursday.
A hospital in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul, prepares to accept COVID-19 patients on Dec. 19, 2020, as it has decided to voluntarily become a base hospital that only treats coronavirus patients. (Yonhap)
The third wave of the pandemic is raging across the nation. Of the newly identified local infections, more than 70 percent cases were reported in the capital and its surrounding areas.
Of the local infections, 470 cases were reported in Seoul and 244 cases in Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital. Incheon, west of Seoul, reported 62 more cases.
Other municipalities reported new infections, with the country's largest port city of Busan adding 33 cases and South Gyeongsang Province reporting 49 new cases.
The country, meanwhile, added 25 imported cases, increasing the total to 5,082. Six cases came from the United States, followed by three each from Indonesia, Poland, Russia and Mexico.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 34,722, up 388 from the previous day.
The country has carried out 3,683,094 coronavirus tests since Jan. 3. The country reported the first case on Jan. 20.
This photo, taken Dec. 19, 2020, shows only a few people in what's been bustling areas near Gangnam Station in southern Seoul amid the third wave of the new coronavirus outbreak. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-20--S. Korea's kimchi exports soar this year

SEOUL , Dec. 20 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korea 's exports of kimchi rose sharply in the first 11 @ @ @ @ @ to its growing popularity , data showed Sunday .

SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's exports of kimchi rose sharply in the first 11 months of the year thanks to its growing popularity, data showed Sunday.
Overseas shipments of kimchi came to US$132 million in the January-November period, already surpassing last year's total, according to the customs data.
Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish normally made of fermented cabbage, salt and hot peppers, and is eaten with almost all meals.
Major export destinations included Japan, the United States, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Japan was the biggest buyer of South Korean kimchi products, importing $64.9 million worth from South Korea in the January-November period.
The U.S. came next with $21 million, followed by Hong Kong with $7 million and Taiwan with $5.4 million.
This photo, provided by Daesang Corp. on July 22, 2020, shows its Jonggajip kimchi. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
sam@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-20--N. Korea making all-out efforts against coronavirus before key party convention

It plans to convene the 8th Congress of the Workers ' Party of Korea next month , in which the @ @ @ @ @ to unveil the direction of its major policies at home and abroad .
No exact @ @ @ @ @ .

SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has been striving to stave off a COVID-19 outbreak on its soil ahead of a major national event, according to its state-controlled media Sunday.
It plans to convene the 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea next month, in which the Kim Jong-un regime is expected to unveil the direction of its major policies at home and abroad. No exact date has been announced yet.
The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the powerful ruling party, called for more thorough coronavirus virus prevention measures, citing the plan to hold the first party congress in five years. The previous session was attended by Kim and thousands of party delegates.
"Absolutely obeying emergency anti-virus measures" is "crucial" to protect the nation and the people, the newspaper stressed.
North Korean officials disinfect a local store, in this undated file photo captured from the Rodong Sinmun's website. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
It called for the strengthening of the line of defense against the virus and the "guarding of the 8th convention," even for people to risk death to guarantee its success.
The North has toughened relevant measures at antivirus checkpoints in border regions, including temperature checks and hand disinfection, it added.
In October, the North said virus prevention is the "main goal of the 80-day campaign" to achieve the country's national and economic goals by the end of the year in the runup to the party convention.
The Rodong Sinmun's latest report suggests the North is on track, for now, to open the party convention in January as scheduled amid speculation it may be postponed due to virus concerns.
Formally, the secretive country has not reported any COVID-19 case yet.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-20--New infection cases hit fresh high, virus response faces biggest peril

The country is mulling whether to raise its social distancing guidelines to Level 3 , the highest in its five-tier @ @ @ @ @ virus tally has already met criteria for the level .

SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases spiked by more than 1,000 for the fifth straight day to hit a fresh record high Sunday, putting the country's virus battle in the most trouble so far amid rising death tolls.
The country added 1,097 more COVID-19 cases, including 1,072 local infections, raising the total caseload to 49,665, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
The tally marked a rise from 1,053 cases Saturday and 1,062 Friday. The previous record high was reported at 1,078 on Wednesday.
Citizens line up to get coronavirus tests at a temporary testing center set up at the public plaza in front of City Hall in central Seoul on Dec. 19, 2020. (Yonhap)
The country is mulling whether to raise its social distancing guidelines to Level 3, the highest in its five-tier scheme, as the recent virus tally has already met criteria for the level.
Level 3 can be adopted when locally transmitted cases hover between 800 and 1,000 for a week or the daily tally doubles from the previous day.
Chains of cluster infections at facilities that include nursing homes and churches, and through private gatherings, continued to pop up. At least 185 cases were reported at a major correctional facility in eastern Seoul.
But health authorities said they are aiming to contain the current wave of the pandemic without raising virus curbs to Level 3 on concerns over impacts on the economy.
If the toughest curbs are imposed, more than 2 million shops and facilities will be ordered to be shut down.
South Korea has been applying Level 2.5 social distancing rules in the greater Seoul area, home to half of its 51.6 million population, and Level 2 rules in the rest of the country.
A relentless spike in virus cases spawned concerns about a shortage of hospital beds and a rise in fatalities. Health authorities issued a rare order to private hospitals Friday to secure more intensive-care beds for COVID-19 patients.
Of the newly identified local infections, 470 cases were reported in Seoul and 244 cases in Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital. Incheon, west of Seoul, reported 62 more cases.
Other municipalities reported new infections, with the country's largest port city of Busan adding 33 cases and South Gyeongsang Province reporting 49 new cases.
This photo, taken Dec. 19, 2020, shows only a few people in what's been bustling areas near Gangnam Station in southern Seoul amid the third wave of the new coronavirus outbreak. (Yonhap)
The country, meanwhile, added 25 imported cases, increasing the total to 5,082. Six cases came from the United States, followed by three each from Indonesia, Poland, Russia and Mexico.
South Korea reported 15 additional deaths, raising the death toll to 674. The fatality rate was 1.36 percent.
The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients reached 278, up three from the previous day.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 34,722, up 388 from the previous day.
The country has carried out 3,683,094 coronavirus tests, including 36,847 tests on Saturday, since Jan. 3.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-20--(URGENT) 388 more patients released from coronavirus treatment, total now at 34,722: KDCA

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


yna--2020-12-20--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 15 additional coronavirus deaths, total now at 674: KDCA


yna--2020-12-20--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 1,097 new coronavirus cases, total at 49,665: KDCA


Sunday's weather forecast

SEOUL , Dec. 20 ( Yonhap ) -- The following is the weather forecast for South Korea 's 12 major @ @ @ @ @ .


yna--2020-12-20--(LEAD) N.K. premier calls for building Mt. Kumgang tourist area 'our own way'

`` He stressed the need to build the tourist area our own way in which national character and modernity are @ @ @ @ @ with the natural scenery of the diamond mountain so as to turn the famous mountain @ @ @ @ @ one well-known for serving the people and a cultural resort envied by the whole world @ @ @ @ @ .

(ATTN: ADDS info throughout, photo)
By Koh Byung-joon
SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's Premier Kim Tok-hun visited the Mount Kumgang region on the country's eastern coast and called for building a modern and all-inclusive international tourist area "our own way," state media reported Sunday.
The visit, which came despite a nationwide fight against the coronavirus pandemic, suggests that the North could seek to develop the mountain resort in earnest under a new five-year economic development plan expected to be unveiled at a Workers' Party congress set for next month.
Premier Kim "called for pushing ahead with the development project of turning Mt. Kumgang area into modern and all-inclusive international tourist and cultural area under yearly and phased plans," the Korean Central News Agency said.
"He stressed the need to build the tourist area our own way in which national character and modernity are combined while in good harmony with the natural scenery of the diamond mountain so as to turn the famous mountain of the nation into the one well-known for serving the people and a cultural resort envied by the whole world," the KCNA said.
Kim also discussed "technical matters" stemming from reflecting the ruling party's views and satisfying the people's cultural needs in the "master plan" of development of the area, it said.
North Korean Premier Kim Tok-hun (C) speaks during his visit to the Mount Kumgang region in this photo disclosed by the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling Workers' Party, on Dec. 20, 2020. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
Launched in 1998, the Mount Kumgang tour program was regarded as a major inter-Korean cooperative project until it was suspended in 2008 after a female tourist was shot to death by a North Korean guard.
In September 2018, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim agreed to resume the Mount Kumgang tour program as soon as conditions are met. In his New Year last year, leader Kim said that he is ready to resume the joint project without preconditions.
North Korea, however, has pushed to turn the region into an international tourist area since leader Kim ordered the removal of all the "unpleasant-looking" South Korean-built facilities there in October 2019, saying the North should not rely on Seoul for its development.
South Korean had sought face-to-face meetings with the North to resolve relevant issues but the North had insisted on discussions in writing. In late January, the North notified the South that it would suspend the removal of the facilities in late January amid fears for the new coronavirus.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-20--N.K. premier calls for building Mt. Kumgang tourist area 'our own way'

`` He stressed the need to build the tourist area our own way in which national character and modernity are @ @ @ @ @ with the natural scenery of the diamond mountain so as to turn the famous mountain @ @ @ @ @ one well-known for serving the people and a cultural resort envied by the whole world @ @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's Premier Kim Tok-hun visited the Mount Kumgang region on the country's eastern coast and called for building a modern and all-inclusive international tourist area "our own way," state media reported Sunday.
"He called for pushing ahead with the development project of turning Mt. Kumgang area into modern and all-inclusive international tourist and cultural area under yearly and phased plans," he was quoted as saying by the Korean Central News Agency.
"He stressed the need to build the tourist area our own way in which national character and modernity are combined while in good harmony with the natural scenery of the diamond mountain so as to turn the famous mountain of the nation into the one well-known for serving the people and a cultural resort envied by the whole world," he added.
Launched in 1998, a tour program to Mount Kumgang was regarded as a major inter-Korean cooperative project until it was suspended in 2008 after a female tourist was shot to death by a North Korean guard.
North Korea, however, has pushed to turn the region into an international tourist area since leader Kim Jong-un ordered the removal of all the "unpleasant-looking" South Korean-built facilities there in October 2019, saying the North should not rely on Seoul for its development.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-20--(URGENT) N.K. premier calls for building Mt. Kumgang tourist area 'our own way'


yna--2020-12-20--(5th LD) Daily infections hit fresh high, gov't faces uphill battle

Amid no signs of a slowdown in the spread of the virus , Health Minister Park Neunghoo called on each @ @ @ @ @ patient in sticking to the government 's guidelines and participate in the nationwide social distancing @ @ @ @ @ the government ) not to adopt the highest Level 3 social distancing guidelines '' during @ @ @

(ATTN: ADDS experts' comments in paras 7-9, background in last para)
SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's daily coronavirus cases hit a record high Sunday, exceeding the 1,000 mark for the fifth straight day and posing the biggest challenge to the country's battle against the virus so far amid the rising death toll.
The country added 1,097 more COVID-19 cases, including 1,072 local infections, raising the total caseload to 49,665, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
Amid no signs of a slowdown in the spread of the virus, Health Minister Park Neunghoo called on each citizen to "be more patient in sticking to the government's guidelines and participate in the nationwide social distancing campaign in order (for the government) not to adopt the highest Level 3 social distancing guidelines" during a briefing.
Health Minister Park Neunghoo gives a briefing on the government's measures to stem the spread of COVID-19 at the Government Complex Seoul building in central Seoul on Dec. 20, 2020. (Yonhap)
Park warned against raising the distancing scheme to the "very serious" Level 3 in the greater Seoul area from the current Level 2.5, as it may have a grave impact particularly on the manufacturing and services industries.
"There should be enough discussions about the reality under the Level 3 guidelines, if adopted. The government is not considering imposing lockdowns, like restricting region-to-region movements, for now," said the minister.
Even if the toughest Level 3 curbs are adopted, the government will explore ways to allow people to maintain their daily lives, including purchases of necessities and meetings of fewer than five people, he said.
But health experts had a different view of the current situation, arguing it is inevitable to raise the distancing curbs to the highest level.
"There seems to be no other option but to adopt the Level 3 scheme in the greater Seoul area in order to curb the number of virus patients," Choi Won-seok, a professor of the division of infectious diseases at Korea University, said.
Another professor, Eom Joong-sik, who teaches about infectious diseases at Gachon University, said the government needs to adopt the Level 3 scheme to keep people from meeting in groups, as it will be hard to contain mass infections if the government misses the right timing.
An uptick in virus cases came even as the country conducted fewer tests over the weekend. A total of 36,847 virus tests were carried out Saturday, about 20,000 fewer than those on business days.
Health authorities said this week will be a critical juncture for the country to see whether the spread of the virus will accelerate.
Health workers conduct coronavirus tests on citizens at a temporary testing center set up in front of Seoul Station in central Seoul on Dec. 20, 2020. (Yonhap)
The recent virus tally has already met criteria for the adoption of the Level 3 scheme, the highest in the five-tier scheme.
Level 3 can be adopted when locally transmitted cases hover between 800 and 1,000 for a week or the daily tally doubles from the previous day.
If the toughest curbs are imposed, more than 2 million shops and facilities will be ordered to shut down.
The country has been applying Level 2.5 social distancing rules in the greater Seoul area, home to half of its 51.6 million population, and Level 2 rules in the rest of the country.
A relentless spike in virus cases spawned concerns about a shortage of hospital beds and a rise in fatalities. Health authorities issued a rare order to private hospitals Friday to secure more intensive-care beds for COVID-19 patients.
The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients reached 278, up three from the previous day. In the greater Seoul area, the number of intensive-care sickbeds that were immediately available came to just three as of Saturday. The capital reported no remaining such beds.
The country reported 15 additional deaths, raising the death toll to 674. The fatality rate was 1.36 percent. The daily number of deaths hit a record high of 22 on Thursday.
Health authorities earlier said they are seeking to secure an additional 10,000 sickbeds, including 300 intensive-care beds for seriously ill patients.
This photo, taken Dec. 20, 2020, shows a sign put up at a shop in Seoul's nightlife district of Itaewon that says it will temporarily suspend operations due to the new coronavirus outbreak. (Yonhap)
The third wave of the pandemic is raging across the nation. Of the newly identified local infections, more than 70 percent cases were reported in the capital and its surrounding areas.
Of the local infections, 470 cases were reported in Seoul and 244 cases in Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital. Incheon, west of Seoul, reported 62 more cases.
Other municipalities reported new infections, with the country's largest port city of Busan adding 33 cases and South Gyeongsang Province reporting 49 new cases.
Chains of cluster infections at facilities including nursing homes and churches, and through private gatherings, continued to pop up.
Cases traced to a detention center in eastern Seoul reached 215 as of noon, up 188 from the previous day.
Infections at a nursing home in southern Seoul rose 23 to 54, while those tied to a church in western Seoul came to 203, up 11 from a day earlier. Cases related to a ski resort in the eastern county of Pyeongchang increased by three to 20.
The country, meanwhile, added 25 imported cases, increasing the total to 5,082. Six cases came from the United States, followed by three each from Indonesia, Poland, Russia and Mexico.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 34,722, up 388 from the previous day.
The country has carried out 3,683,094 coronavirus tests since Jan. 3. The country reported the first case on Jan. 20.
The pandemic, which started in China late last year, has killed nearly 1.7 million people worldwide and infected more than 76 million as of Sunday, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University.
Health workers move about in protective gear at a detention center in eastern Seoul on Dec. 20, 2020, where at least 185 new coronavirus cases have been reported. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-20--(3rd LD) Ahn Cheol-soo declares bid for Seoul mayoral by-election

He added he 's open to `` fair competition '' with members of the main opposition People Power Party ( @ @ @ @ @ mayorship as well .
He also hinted at the possibility that he wo n't run @ @ @ @ @ , saying his top priority , for now , is to have the opposition forces @ @ @ @ @ regain presidential power .

(ATTN: ADDS ruling party's response in 10th para)
SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Yonhap) -- Ahn Cheol-soo, head of the minor opposition People's Party, announced Sunday he will run in next year's Seoul mayoral by-election in order to pave the way for a presidential power transition.
He made clear that he wants to become a "unified candidate" for the opposition bloc.
It will be his third bid for the Seoul mayorship following his previous ones in 2011 and 2018. He also finished in third in the 2017 presidential race.
Ahn accused the liberal Moon Jae-in administration of killing democracy and stressed the significance of the election slated for April 7 next year.
"I thought I should throw myself into the race to prevent the situation of a (presidential) power change becoming impossible with a defeat in the Seoul mayor election," he said during a press conference at the National Assembly.
Ahn Cheol-soo, head of the minor opposition People's Party, announces a plan to run in the Seoul mayoral by-election during a press conference at the National Assembly on Dec. 20, 2020. (Yonhap)
If the opposition bloc were to win the race, it would mean coming closer to victory in the presidential poll in March 2022, according to Ahn. He said he would "lay a bridge" for that.
Ahn, a former medical doctor and software entrepreneur, is a harsh critic of the Moon government, under which he claims South Korea's democracy has been declared dead.
"The Moon Jae-in administration is becoming an enemy of democracy and a dictatorship," he said.
He added he's open to "fair competition" with members of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) seeking the Seoul mayorship as well. He also hinted at the possibility that he won't run in the 2022 presidential election, saying his top priority, for now, is to have the opposition forces win the mayoral race and regain presidential power.
But the ruling Democratic Party claimed that Ahn's move is a political attempt to run in the presidential election.
It remains uncertain whether the PPP will accept his call for a single candidate to take on the ruling party in the election.
The Seoul mayor seat has been left vacant since the July death of Park Won-soon. He was found dead on a mountain in Seoul in an apparent suicide after he was accused of sexually assaulting his female assistant.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-20--(4th LD) Daily infections hit fresh high, gov't faces uphill battle

(ATTN: CHANGES headline and lead; ADDS 1st photo and details throughout)
SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's daily coronavirus cases hit a record high Sunday, exceeding the 1,000 mark for the fifth straight day and posing the biggest challenge to the country's battle against the virus so far amid the rising death toll.
The country added 1,097 more COVID-19 cases, including 1,072 local infections, raising the total caseload to 49,665, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
Amid no signs of a slowdown in the spread of the virus, Health Minister Park Neunghoo called on each citizen to "be more patient in sticking to the government's guidelines and participate in the nationwide social distancing campaign in order (for the government) not to adopt the highest Level 3 social distancing guidelines" during a briefing.
Health Minister Park Neunghoo gives a briefing on the government's measures to stem the spread of COVID-19 at the Government Complex Seoul building in central Seoul on Dec. 20, 2020. (Yonhap)
Park warned against raising the distancing scheme to the "very serious" Level 3 in the greater Seoul area from the current Level 2.5, as it may have a grave impact particularly on the manufacturing and services industries.
"There should be enough discussions about the reality under the Level 3 guidelines, if adopted. The government is not considering imposing lockdowns, like restricting region-to-region movements, for now," said the minister.
Even if the toughest Level 3 curbs are adopted, the government will explore ways to allow people to maintain their daily lives, including purchases of necessities and meetings of fewer than five people, he said.
An uptick in virus cases came even as the country conducted fewer tests over the weekend. A total of 36,847 virus tests were carried out Saturday, about 20,000 fewer than those on business days.
Health authorities said this week will be a critical juncture for the country to see whether the spread of the virus will accelerate.
The recent virus tally has already met criteria for the adoption of the Level 3 scheme, the highest in the five-tier scheme.
Level 3 can be adopted when locally transmitted cases hover between 800 and 1,000 for a week or the daily tally doubles from the previous day.
If the toughest curbs are imposed, more than 2 million shops and facilities will be ordered to shut down.
Health workers conduct coronavirus tests on citizens at a temporary testing center set up in front of Seoul Station in central Seoul on Dec. 20, 2020. (Yonhap)
The country has been applying Level 2.5 social distancing rules in the greater Seoul area, home to half of its 51.6 million population, and Level 2 rules in the rest of the country.
A relentless spike in virus cases spawned concerns about a shortage of hospital beds and a rise in fatalities. Health authorities issued a rare order to private hospitals Friday to secure more intensive-care beds for COVID-19 patients.
The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients reached 278, up three from the previous day. In the greater Seoul area, the number of intensive-care sickbeds that were immediately available came to just three as of Saturday. The capital reported no remaining such beds.
The country reported 15 additional deaths, raising the death toll to 674. The fatality rate was 1.36 percent. The daily number of deaths hit a record high of 22 on Thursday.
Health authorities earlier said they are seeking to secure an additional 10,000 sickbeds, including 300 intensive-care beds for seriously ill patients.
This photo, taken Dec. 20, 2020, shows a sign put up at a shop in Seoul's nightlife district of Itaewon that says it will temporarily suspend operations due to the new coronavirus outbreak. (Yonhap)
The third wave of the pandemic is raging across the nation. Of the newly identified local infections, more than 70 percent cases were reported in the capital and its surrounding areas.
Of the local infections, 470 cases were reported in Seoul and 244 cases in Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital. Incheon, west of Seoul, reported 62 more cases.
Other municipalities reported new infections, with the country's largest port city of Busan adding 33 cases and South Gyeongsang Province reporting 49 new cases.
Chains of cluster infections at facilities including nursing homes and churches, and through private gatherings, continued to pop up.
Cases traced to a detention center in eastern Seoul reached 215 as of noon, up 188 from the previous day.
Infections at a nursing home in southern Seoul rose 23 to 54, while those tied to a church in western Seoul came to 203, up 11 from a day earlier. Cases related to a ski resort in the eastern county of Pyeongchang increased by three to 20.
The country, meanwhile, added 25 imported cases, increasing the total to 5,082. Six cases came from the United States, followed by three each from Indonesia, Poland, Russia and Mexico.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 34,722, up 388 from the previous day.
The country has carried out 3,683,094 coronavirus tests since Jan. 3. The country reported the first case on Jan. 20.
The pandemic, which started in China late last year, has killed nearly 1.7 million people worldwide and infected more than 76 million as of Sunday, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University.
Health workers move about in protective gear at a detention center in eastern Seoul on Dec. 20, 2020, where at least 185 new coronavirus cases have been reported. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-20--(3rd LD) New infection cases hit fresh high, virus response faces biggest peril

The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients reached 278 , up three from the previous day .
In @ @ @ @ @ the number of intensive-care sickbeds that were immediately available came to just three as of @ @ @ @ @ no remaining such beds .

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details in paras 5,6,10,15,20; CHANGES photo)
SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases spiked by more than 1,000 for the fifth straight day to hit a fresh record high Sunday, putting the country's virus battle in the most trouble so far amid rising death tolls.
The country added 1,097 more COVID-19 cases, including 1,072 local infections, raising the total caseload to 49,665, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
The tally marked a rise from 1,053 cases Saturday and 1,062 Friday. The previous record high was reported at 1,078 on Wednesday.
An uptick in virus cases came even as the country conducted fewer tests over the weekend. A total of 36,847 virus tests were carried out Saturday, about 20,000 fewer than those on business days.
Health workers conduct coronavirus tests on citizens at a temporary testing center set up in front of Seoul Station in central Seoul on Dec. 20, 2020. (Yonhap)
Health authorities said this week will be a critical juncture for the country to see whether the spread of the virus will accelerate.
"We face a grave situation, with daily virus infections topping 1,000 since Wednesday," Health Minister Park Neunghoo said at a press briefing.
A relentless spike in virus cases spawned concerns about a shortage of hospital beds and a rise in fatalities. Health authorities issued a rare order to private hospitals Friday to secure more intensive-care beds for COVID-19 patients.
The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients reached 278, up three from the previous day. In the greater Seoul area, the number of intensive-care sickbeds that were immediately available came to just three as of Saturday. The capital reported no remaining such beds.
The country reported 15 additional deaths, raising the death toll to 674. The fatality rate was 1.36 percent. The daily number of deaths hit a record high of 22 on Thursday.
Health authorities earlier said they are seeking to secure an additional 10,000 sickbeds, including 300 intensive-care beds for seriously ill patients.
The country is mulling whether to raise its social distancing guidelines to Level 3, the highest in its five-tier scheme, as the recent virus tally has already met criteria for the level.
Level 3 can be adopted when locally transmitted cases hover between 800 and 1,000 for a week or the daily tally doubles from the previous day.
But health authorities said they are aiming to contain the current wave of the pandemic without raising virus curbs to Level 3 on concerns over impacts on the economy.
If the toughest curbs are imposed, more than 2 million shops and facilities will be ordered to be shut down.
"The government is not considering imposing lockdowns, like restricting region-to-region movements," Park said. "Even if the toughest curbs are adopted, we will explore ways to allow people to maintain their daily lives, including purchases of necessities."
South Korea has been applying Level 2.5 social distancing rules in the greater Seoul area, home to half of its 51.6 million population, and Level 2 rules in the rest of the country.
This photo, taken Dec. 20, 2020, shows a sign put up at a shop in Seoul's nightlife district of Itaewon that says it will temporarily suspend operations due to the new coronavirus outbreak. (Yonhap)
The third wave of the pandemic is raging across the nation. Of the newly identified local infections, more than 70 percent cases were reported in the capital and its surrounding areas.
Of the local infections, 470 cases were reported in Seoul and 244 cases in Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital. Incheon, west of Seoul, reported 62 more cases.
Other municipalities reported new infections, with the country's largest port city of Busan adding 33 cases and South Gyeongsang Province reporting 49 new cases.
Chains of cluster infections at facilities including nursing homes and churches, and through private gatherings, continued to pop up.
Cases traced to a detention center in eastern Seoul reached 215 as of noon, up 188 from the previous day.
Infections at a nursing home in southern Seoul rose 23 to 54, while those tied to a church in western Seoul came to 203, up 11 from a day earlier. Cases related to a ski resort in the eastern county of Pyeongchang increased by three to 20.
The country, meanwhile, added 25 imported cases, increasing the total to 5,082. Six cases came from the United States, followed by three each from Indonesia, Poland, Russia and Mexico.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 34,722, up 388 from the previous day.
The country has carried out 3,683,094 coronavirus tests since Jan. 3. The country reported the first case on Jan. 20.
Health workers move about in protective gear at a detention center in eastern Seoul on Dec. 20, 2020, where at least 185 new coronavirus cases have been reported. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-20--(LEAD) S. Korea to begin COVID-19 vaccination in Q1 2021, PM says

He requested private hospitals ' cooperation in that regard and instructed related authorities to map out ways for enough support @ @ @ @ @ in the campaign .
There have been continued reports of coronavirus patients in the nation @ @ @ @ @ admitted to hospitals .

(ATTN: UPDATES remarks on sickbed shortage in last 3 paras; ADDS photo)
SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will be able to start the coronavirus vaccination of its people in the first quarter of next year on a limited basis, according to Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun.
"Inoculation will begin as early as in February or March at the latest," he said in an interview with KBS, a Seoul-based broadcaster.
But the vaccine produced by AstraZeneca would only be available in the first half of 2021 under a current contract, not shots made by such other foreign drugmakers as Pfizer, Moderna and Janssen, he added.
His remarks came amid growing concerns that South Korea is lagging behind other nations in the procurement of coronavirus vaccines.
The government earlier announced it has secured early access to the vaccines developed by the four pharmaceutical companies.
The vaccines are slated to arrive in South Korea in stages, not en masse, starting in the first quarter, he pointed out.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun speaks during an interagency meeting on the COVID-19 response at the government office complex in Seoul on Dec. 20, 2020. (Yonhap)
Despite the contracts, there's "no promise" on the specific dates of when they will be shipped here, he said.
South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is expected to permit the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine first early next year, he added.
Chung said the government launched a task force on coronavirus vaccine procurement in July, when the number of daily infections stood at around 100.
"Thus, there's an aspect that the government did not think (at that time) about enhancing the level of dependence on vaccines," he said.
New virus cases have soared to more than 1,000 a day recently.
Chung then called on the government to make "wartime-like" efforts to secure hospital beds for COVID-19 patients in critical condition.
"In the case of sickbeds for critically ill patients, directly related to mortality rates, (the government) should make every effort to secure as many as possible as if it were wartime," he said during a daily interagency meeting on the virus response.
He requested private hospitals' cooperation in that regard and instructed related authorities to map out ways for enough support for them to take part in the campaign. There have been continued reports of coronavirus patients in the nation dying while waiting to be admitted to hospitals.
Government officials hold a daily meeting on the COVID-19 response at the government office complex in Seoul on Dec. 20, 2020. (Yonhap)
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-20--(2nd LD) N.K. premier calls for building Mt. Kumgang tourist area 'our own way,' Seoul hopes for con

(2nd LD) N.K. premier calls for building Mt. Kumgang tourist area 'our own way,' Seoul hopes for consultations

(ATTN: MODIFIES headline; UPDATES with Seoul ministry's response in 2nd para, paras 7-8)
By Koh Byung-joon
SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's Premier Kim Tok-hun visited the Mount Kumgang region on the country's eastern coast and called for building a modern and all-inclusive international tourist area "our own way," state media reported Sunday.
In response, the South Korean government expressed hope that the two sides will have consultations on the Mount Kumgang issue at an "appropriate time" in consideration of the COVID-19 situation.
Kim's visit, which came despite a nationwide fight against the coronavirus pandemic, suggests that the North could seek to develop the mountain resort in earnest under a new five-year economic development plan expected to be unveiled at a Workers' Party congress set for next month.
Premier Kim "called for pushing ahead with the development project of turning Mt. Kumgang area into modern and all-inclusive international tourist and cultural area under yearly and phased plans," the Korean Central News Agency said.
"He stressed the need to build the tourist area our own way in which national character and modernity are combined while in good harmony with the natural scenery of the diamond mountain so as to turn the famous mountain of the nation into the one well-known for serving the people and a cultural resort envied by the whole world," the KCNA said.
Kim also discussed "technical matters" stemming from reflecting the ruling party's views and satisfying the people's cultural needs in the "master plan" of development of the area, it said.
North Korean Premier Kim Tok-hun (C) speaks during his visit to the Mount Kumgang region, in this photo disclosed by the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling Workers' Party, on Dec. 20, 2020. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
In a statement issued hours after the KCNA report, Seoul's Ministry of Unification, which handles inter-Korean affairs, pointed out that, "The South and the North share a consensus with each other on the need to resolve the pending issue regarding the Mount Kumgang region and develop it as an international tourist spot."
Thus, it added, South Korea hopes for a "meeting and consultations at an appropriate time in consideration of situations, including the coronavirus."
Launched in 1998, the Mount Kumgang tour program was regarded as a major inter-Korean cooperative project until it was suspended in 2008 after a female tourist was shot to death by a North Korean guard.
In September 2018, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim agreed to resume the Mount Kumgang tour program as soon as conditions are met. In his New Year last year, leader Kim said that he is ready to resume the joint project without preconditions.
North Korea, however, has pushed to turn the region into an international tourist area since leader Kim ordered the removal of all the "unpleasant-looking" South Korean-built facilities there in October 2019, saying the North should not rely on Seoul for its development.
South Korean had sought face-to-face meetings with the North to resolve relevant issues but the North had insisted on discussions in writing. In late January, the North notified the South that it would suspend the removal of the facilities in late January amid fears for the new coronavirus.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-20--(2nd LD) New infection cases hit fresh high, virus response faces biggest peril

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details in paras 6, 16-18; CHANGES photos)
SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases spiked by more than 1,000 for the fifth straight day to hit a fresh record high Sunday, putting the country's virus battle in the most trouble so far amid rising death tolls.
The country added 1,097 more COVID-19 cases, including 1,072 local infections, raising the total caseload to 49,665, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
The tally marked a rise from 1,053 cases Saturday and 1,062 Friday. The previous record high was reported at 1,078 on Wednesday.
An uptick in virus cases came even as the country conducted fewer tests over the weekend. A total of 36,847 virus tests were carried out Saturday, about 20,000 fewer than those on business days.
This photo, taken Dec. 20, 2020, shows a sign put up at a shop in Seoul's nightlife district of Itaewon that says it will temporarily suspend operations due to the new coronavirus outbreak. (Yonhap)
A relentless spike in virus cases spawned concerns about a shortage of hospital beds and a rise in fatalities. Health authorities issued a rare order to private hospitals Friday to secure more intensive-care beds for COVID-19 patients.
The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients reached 278, up three from the previous day. In the greater Seoul area, the number of intensive-care sickbeds that were immediately available came to just three as of Saturday. The capital reported no remaining such beds.
The country reported 15 additional deaths, raising the death toll to 674. The fatality rate was 1.36 percent. The daily number of deaths hit a record high of 22 on Thursday.
The country is mulling whether to raise its social distancing guidelines to Level 3, the highest in its five-tier scheme, as the recent virus tally has already met criteria for the level.
Level 3 can be adopted when locally transmitted cases hover between 800 and 1,000 for a week or the daily tally doubles from the previous day.
But health authorities said they are aiming to contain the current wave of the pandemic without raising virus curbs to Level 3 on concerns over impacts on the economy.
If the toughest curbs are imposed, more than 2 million shops and facilities will be ordered to be shut down.
South Korea has been applying Level 2.5 social distancing rules in the greater Seoul area, home to half of its 51.6 million population, and Level 2 rules in the rest of the country.
Citizens line up to get coronavirus tests at a temporary testing center set up at the public plaza in front of City Hall in central Seoul on Dec. 19, 2020. (Yonhap)
The third wave of the pandemic is raging across the nation. Of the newly identified local infections, more than 70 percent cases were reported in the capital and its surrounding areas.
Of the local infections, 470 cases were reported in Seoul and 244 cases in Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital. Incheon, west of Seoul, reported 62 more cases.
Other municipalities reported new infections, with the country's largest port city of Busan adding 33 cases and South Gyeongsang Province reporting 49 new cases.
Chains of cluster infections at facilities that include nursing homes and churches, and through private gatherings, continued to pop up.
Cases traced to a detention center in eastern Seoul reached 215 as of noon, up 188 from the previous day.
Infections at a nursing home in southern Seoul rose 23 to 54, while those tied to a church in western Seoul came to 203, up 11 from a day earlier. Cases related to a ski resort in the eastern county of Pyeongchang increased by three to 20.
The country, meanwhile, added 25 imported cases, increasing the total to 5,082. Six cases came from the United States, followed by three each from Indonesia, Poland, Russia and Mexico.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 34,722, up 388 from the previous day.
The country has carried out 3,683,094 coronavirus tests since Jan. 3. The country reported the first case on Jan. 20.
Health workers move about in protective gear at a detention center in eastern Seoul on Dec. 20, 2020, where at least 185 new coronavirus cases have been reported. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-20--Today in Korean history

Today in Korean history

2010 -- South Korea lights up a giant Christmas tree on top of a border hill near North Korea amid @ @ @ @ @ denounced the move as psychological warfare against the North , might attempt to strike it @ @

Dec. 21
1905 -- Ito Hirobumi, the mastermind behind Japan's takeover of Korea, is named his country's first ruler of the Korean Peninsula.
1968 -- The Seoul-Incheon Highway is opened.
1979 -- Choi Kyu-hah is sworn in as South Korea's 10th president.
2001 -- Pitcher Park Chan-ho signs a five-year contract with the Texas Rangers of U.S. Major League Baseball.
2010 -- South Korea lights up a giant Christmas tree on top of a border hill near North Korea amid concerns that Pyongyang, which denounced the move as psychological warfare against the North, might attempt to strike it down.
2017 -- A North Korean soldier flees to South Korea through the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, followed by gunfire from both sides.
jwc@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-20--(2nd LD) Ahn Cheol-soo declares bid for Seoul mayoral by-election

(ATTN: CORRECTS election date in 3rd para; UPDATES with more remarks, other details; CHANGES photo)
SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Yonhap) -- Ahn Cheol-soo, head of the minor opposition People's Party, announced Sunday he will run in next year's Seoul mayoral by-election in order to pave the way for a presidential power transition.
He made clear that he wants to become a "unified candidate" for the opposition bloc.
It will be his third bid for the Seoul mayorship following his previous ones in 2011 and 2018. He also finished in third in the 2017 presidential race.
Ahn accused the liberal Moon Jae-in administration of killing democracy and stressed the significance of the election slated for April 7 next year.
"I thought I should throw myself into the race to prevent the situation of a (presidential) power change becoming impossible with a defeat in the Seoul mayor election," he said during a press conference at the National Assembly.
Ahn Cheol-soo, head of the minor opposition People's Party, announces a plan to run in the Seoul mayoral by-election during a press conference at the National Assembly on Dec. 20, 2020. (Yonhap)
If the opposition bloc were to win the race, it would mean coming closer to victory in the presidential poll in March 2022, according to Ahn. He said he would "lay a bridge" for that.
Ahn, a former medical doctor and software entrepreneur, is a harsh critic of the Moon government, under which he claims South Korea's democracy has been declared dead.
"The Moon Jae-in administration is becoming an enemy of democracy and a dictatorship," he said.
He added he's open to "fair competition" with members of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) seeking the Seoul mayorship as well. He also hinted at the possibility that he won't run in the 2022 presidential election, saying his top priority, for now, is to have the opposition forces win the mayoral race and regain presidential power.
It remains uncertain whether the PPP will accept his call for a single candidate to take on the ruling Democratic Party in the election.
The Seoul mayor seat has been left vacant since the July death of Park Won-soon. He was found dead on a mountain in Seoul in an apparent suicide after he was accused of sexually assaulting his female assistant.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-21--S. Korean, Australian defense chiefs vow to boost cooperation

Noting that the two countries have maintained cooperation despite the new coronavirus situation , Suh and Reynolds expected to have @ @ @ @ @ high-level meetings next year , according to the ministry .

SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Yonhap) -- The defense chiefs of South Korea and Australia held telephone talks Monday and discussed ways to boost exchanges and cooperation in defense and related industry fields, Seoul's defense ministry said.
During the dialogue with Australian Defense Minister Linda Reynolds, South Korea's Defense Minister Suh Wook expressed gratitude to Australian veterans who fought in the 1950-53 Korean War.
He also voiced hope for the further development of the bilateral ties, as next year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relationship.
Noting that the two countries have maintained cooperation despite the new coronavirus situation, Suh and Reynolds expected to have diverse chances of face-to-face, high-level meetings next year, according to the ministry.
In 2021, South Korea will host a U.N. ministerial conference on peacekeeping operations. The event is slated for April, though it could be postponed until the year-end amid the pandemic, officials said.
Seoul and Canberra also plan to hold the fifth round of foreign and defense ministers' talks next year.
"The Australian minister said that her country is positively reviewing attending the U.N. Peacekeeping Ministerial, and will contribute proactively to the successful meeting," the ministry said in a statement.
Suh also asked for Reynolds' consistent attention to and support for ongoing defense projects involving the two sides.
One such pending issue is Australia's planned purchase of new infantry fighting vehicles, where Redback by South Korea's Hanwha Defense Co. is one of the two candidates.
Defense Minister Suh Wook holds phone talks with U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on Oct. 8, 2020, in this photo provided by his office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
This July 1, 2020, EPA photo shows Australian Defence Minister Linda Reynolds speaking during the launch of the 2020 Defence Strategic Update at the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra. (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-21--(LEAD) Presidential secretary for peace planning tapped as new chief nuclear envoy

The new envoy entered the foreign service in 1987 and has working-level experience in the six-party talks in 2006 .
@ @ @ @ @ a deep understanding about related countries as he has worked in the U.S. and China @

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout; CHANGES photo)
By Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea replaced its chief nuclear envoy Monday, naming a seasoned diplomat and presidential aide to take on the job, as the country prepares to work with the incoming U.S. administration of Joe Biden to move the stalled nuclear talks with North Korea forward.
Noh Kyu-duk, a career diplomat serving as presidential secretary for peace planning, was named to replace Lee Do-hoon as the special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, the foreign ministry announced in a press release.
Noh's appointment comes ahead of the launch of the Biden administration and is seen as part of Seoul's freshening up of its team for North Korea talks for cooperation with Washington to continue its peace drive and bring Pyongyang back to dialogue.
The new envoy entered the foreign service in 1987 and has working-level experience in the six-party talks in 2006. He is known to have a deep understanding about related countries as he has worked in the U.S. and China.
He has also served as director-general for the ministry's Korean Peninsula Peace Regime Bureau, which handles issues related to inter-Korean cooperation.
Before holding the current post at Cheong Wa Dae's National Security Office, he had served as the ministry's spokesperson and the presidential secretary for security strategy.
"The conditions surrounding the situation on the Korean Peninsula are fluid in many ways. I feel a great deal of responsibility for taking this job at this juncture," he said in a briefing meeting with reporters following the announcement.
"I will strive to establish close communication with the representatives of related countries as soon as possible, including those from the incoming Biden administration, so as to make meaningful progress in the peace process by the Moon Jae-in government," Noh said.
The outgoing negotiator, Lee, was appointed to the post in September 2017 and has become the longest-serving top nuclear envoy.
Lee has worked with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun in the denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang. The nuclear talks have remained at an impasse since the Hanoi summit of U.S. President Donald Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong-un broke down without a deal.
Noh Kyu-duk, then spokesperson of Seoul's foreign ministry, speaks during a press briefing on Aug. 30, 2018. (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


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yna--2020-12-21--Doosan Heavy wins 620 bln-won Guam plant deal

Doosan Heavy has signed an engineering , procurement and construction ( EPC ) contract with a South Korean consortium led @ @ @ @ @ Power Corp. ( KEPCO ) to build a combined cycle power plant in Dededo , @ @ @ @ @ the company said in a statement .

SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Yonhap) -- Doosan Heavy Industries Co., a major South Korean plant builder, said Monday it has won a 620 billion-won (US$560 million) plant order in Guam.
Doosan Heavy has signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with a South Korean consortium led by state-run utility Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) to build a combined cycle power plant in Dededo, Guam, by 2024, the company said in a statement.
The Guam Power Authority placed the 200-megawatt power plant order to the KEPCO consortium, and the consortium signed the EPC deal with Doosan Heavy, it said.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-21--Korea Shipbuilding wins 582 bln won in orders from Europe

The container carriers and LPG ships will be delivered from the second half of 2022 , while the PC vessel @ @ @ @ @ first half of 2022 , it said .

SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Yonhap) -- Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co., the world's leading shipbuilding group, said Monday it has received a combined 582 billion won (US$529 million) in orders to build several ships.
Korea Shipbuilding has signed several deals with unidentified shippers in Europe to build seven ships -- four container carriers, two liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers and a product carrier (PC) -- the company said in a statement.
The container carriers and LPG ships will be delivered from the second half of 2022, while the PC vessel will be delivered in the first half of 2022, it said.
In its report released in September, Clarksons Research Services forecast global demand for container ships to jump by 72 percent to 187 ships next year from an estimated 109 ships this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Korea Shipbuilding is the holding company that has Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries Co. and Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co. under its wing.
So far this year, the three shipyards have bagged $8 billion worth of orders, or 107 ships, achieving 73 percent of this year's order target of $11 billion.
This file photo shows a container ship built by Hyundai Heavy Industries. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-21--Moon's approval rating rebounds from record low: Realmeter

An analyst at Realmeter assessed that the latest rebound may have been driven by Moon 's strengthened message in key @ @ @ @ @ parliamentary passage of a law facilitating the launch of a high-profile corruption investigation body , @ @ @ @ @ resurgence of COVID-19 and on the the political feud between Choo and Yoon .

SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in's approval rating has rebounded this week from a record low registered a week earlier, amid progress on his prosecution reform plan and other key issues, an opinion poll showed Monday.
In the Realmeter survey conducted on 2,514 voters nationwide for five days through last Friday, the support rating for Moon stood at 39.5 percent, up 2.8 percentage points from a week earlier.
Last week, Moon saw his approval rating dive to a record low of 36.7 percent, as the public remained weary from an ongoing power struggle between Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl.
The latest poll result marks the third consecutive week Moon's approval rating has stayed below 40 percent.
Meanwhile, 57.7 percent of the respondents gave a negative assessment of Moon's presidency in the latest poll, down 0.5 percentage point from a week earlier.
President Moon Jae-in speaks via videoconference during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Dec. 15, 2020. (Yonhap)
An analyst at Realmeter assessed that the latest rebound may have been driven by Moon's strengthened message in key issues, such as the parliamentary passage of a law facilitating the launch of a high-profile corruption investigation body, the state response against the resurgence of COVID-19 and on the the political feud between Choo and Yoon.
Last week, Moon hailed the parliamentary passage of the bill on the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials as "highly significant," marking progress on his campaign pledge to reform so-called power institutions, especially the state prosecution service.
He also approved the justice ministry's decision to suspend the top prosecutor on multiple charges of ethical and legal misdeeds, in a move that could bring the monthslong Choo-Yoon rift to an end.
The poll, meanwhile, put the approval rating for the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) at 31.6 percent, while the corresponding number for the ruling Democratic Party (DP) came in at 30.6 percent. It marked the third consecutive week the PPP led the ruling party in the weekly poll.
Approval ratings for the minor opposition People's Party and the liberal Open Democratic Party were 7.2 and 3.4 percent, respectively.
The survey has a confidence level of 95 percent with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.0 percentage points.
This composite image shows Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae (L) and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl. (Yonhap)
nyway@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-21--(2nd LD) New virus cases under 1,000 on fewer tests, daily death toll hits new high

SEOUL , Dec. 21 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korea 's daily new coronavirus cases fell below 1,000 for the @ @ @ @ @ Monday , mainly due to less testing over the weekend , as health authorities are @ @ @ @ @ restrictions over the Christmas and New Year 's Day holiday period .
The daily virus @ @ @ @ @ record high amid rising patients .

(ATTN: ADDS official's remarks in paras 5-7; RECASTS lead para)
SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases fell below 1,000 for the first time in six days Monday, mainly due to less testing over the weekend, as health authorities are set to announce new virus restrictions over the Christmas and New Year's Day holiday period. The daily virus death toll also hit a record high amid rising patients.
The country added 926 more COVID-19 cases, including 892 local infections, raising the total caseload to 50,591, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
The tally marked a decline from 1,097 cases Sunday, 1,053 Saturday and 1,062 Friday.
In another grim milestone, the nation's total caseload exceeded 50,000. It took only 11 days for the total infections to surpass the 50,000 mark. South Korea's total caseload surpassed 40,000 on Dec. 10.
Sohn Young-rae, a senior health official, told reporters that health authorities will announce a new set of virus restrictions Tuesday over the Christmas and New Year's Day holiday period, instead of raising virus curbs to the toughest level.
New restrictions may be applied for winter sports facilities, New Year's Day sunrise venues and nursing homes, Sohn said.
If the government decides to raise virus curbs to the toughest level, the government will inform the public two or three days before the toughest restrictions are applied, Sohn said.
To help find unconfirmed infections with no symptoms, authorities have expanded anonymous testing in the greater Seoul area since Dec. 14. A total of 479 infections have been confirmed through such testing so far, the KDCA said.
With one-day virus case totals running at all-time highs last week, health authorities were considering whether to raise the country's social distancing guidelines to Level 3, the highest in its five-tier scheme.
However, authorities said they are aiming to contain the current wave of the pandemic without raising virus curbs to Level 3 on concerns over impacts on the economy.
A health worker performs a COVID-19 test on a person in Seoul on Dec. 20, 2020. (Yonhap)
Level 3 can be adopted when locally transmitted cases hover between 800 and 1,000 for a week or the daily tally doubles from the previous day.
If the toughest curbs are imposed, more than 2 million shops and facilities will be ordered to be shut down.
South Korea has been applying Level 2.5 social distancing rules in the greater Seoul area, home to half of its 51.6 million population, and Level 2 rules in the rest of the country.
Chains of cluster infections at facilities that include nursing homes and churches, and through private gatherings, continued to pop up.
A relentless spike in virus cases spawned concerns about a shortage of hospital beds and a rise in fatalities. Health authorities issued a rare order to private hospitals Friday to secure more intensive care beds for COVID-19 patients.
Drivers wait to receive coronavirus tests in a drive-thru clinic in the eastern coastal city of Donghae on Dec. 20, 2020, as the city government decided to conduct the tests on all citizens amid a spike in virus infections. (Yonhap)
Of the newly identified local infections, 327 cases were reported in Seoul and 237 cases in Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital. Incheon, west of Seoul, reported 85 more cases.
Other municipalities reported new infections, with the country's largest port city of Busan adding 19 cases and South Gyeongsang Province reporting 15 new cases.
South Korea reported 24 additional deaths, raising the death toll to 698. The fatality rate was 1.38 percent.
The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients reached 274, compared with 278 from the previous day.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 35,155, up 433 from the previous day.
The country, meanwhile, added 34 imported cases, increasing the total to 5,116. Twelve cases came from the United States, followed by nine from Russia and four from Germany.
The country has carried out 3,713,861 coronavirus tests since Jan. 3. The country reported the first case on Jan. 20.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-21--(LEAD) Capital area may ban gatherings of 5 or more people to stem COVID-19 spread

In Seoul , the number of new daily coronavirus cases rose by an all-time high of 473 on Sunday , @ @ @ @ @ 423 set only three days ago .
Throughout this month , the number of daily @ @ @ @ @ fluctuated between 213 and 473 .

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with moves by Gyeonggi and Incheon gov'ts and more details; CHANGES headline)
SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Yonhap) -- Gatherings of five or more people may be banned in the greater Seoul area, possibly beginning later this week, in a new hard-line measure to combat the spread of the coronavirus, officials said Monday.
The local governments of Seoul and neighboring Gyeonggi Province and Incheon are discussing the implementation of the strident assembly restriction measure in time for the upcoming peak season for year-end gatherings and events, the officials said.
The new administrative order for the restrictions on freedom of assembly may take effect on Wednesday, Christmas Eve or earlier, they noted.
People stand in line to take coronavirus tests at a temporary screening center in front of Seoul City Hall in downtown Seoul on Dec. 20, 2020. (Yonhap)
If the new administrative order is issued in the capital area, only meetings of four or fewer people are allowed regardless of whether they are held indoors or outdoors.
The ban on gatherings of five or more people, if implemented, would be stronger than under the highest Level 3 social distancing scheme, in which gatherings of 10 or more people are prohibited.
The greater Seoul area is currently under Level 2.5, the second highest in the nation's five-tier social distancing alert system. Level 2.5 bans gatherings with 50 or more people.
The unprecedented assembly restriction measure has been discussed as year-end gatherings, events and travel are expected to increase nationwide amid the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.
South Korea reported more than 1,000 daily confirmed cases for five consecutive days over the past week, though the number fell below 1,000 Monday apparently due to fewer tests over the weekend. The capital area accounts for about 70 percent of the national daily caseload.
In Seoul, the number of new daily coronavirus cases rose by an all-time high of 473 on Sunday, breaking the previous record of 423 set only three days ago. Throughout this month, the number of daily cases in the capital has fluctuated between 213 and 473.
Last week, Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung said in a social media post that he was discussing the strident assembly restriction measure with other local governments in the capital area.
Gyeonggi officials said the new assembly restriction measure, if enforced, will likely remain in force until early January.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-21--Seoul stocks extend losses on profit-taking

Stocks got off to a weak start as foreigners and institutions are set to lock in gains as the country @ @ @ @ @ concerns of stronger social distancing measures .

SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks extended losses late Monday morning on increased valuation pressure, after the benchmark index closed at an all-time high the previous session despite surging new coronavirus cases.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 13.67 points, or 0.49 percent, to 2,758.51 as of 11:20 a.m.
Stocks got off to a weak start as foreigners and institutions are set to lock in gains as the country's soaring COVID-19 cases increased concerns of stronger social distancing measures.
Chip and auto heavyweights led the KOSPI's retreat, while pharmaceuticals advanced.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics dropped 1.1 percent, and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix shed 2.95 percent.
Hyundai Motor, the country's largest carmaker, lost 1.59 percent.
Leading chemical firm LG Chem added 0.49 percent, while rechargeable battery maker Samsung SDI retreated 0.53 percent.
Pharmaceutical giant Samsung Biologics moved up 0.87 percent, and Celltrion jumped 2.81 percent.
Internet portal giant Naver declined 0.71 percent, but its rival Kakao climbed 1.36 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,101.0 won against the U.S. dollar, down 1.3 won from the previous session's close.
jwc@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-21--S. Korea's video game market ranked 5th largest globally last year: report

Mobile games were the most popular form of gaming in the country last year , taking up 49.7 percent of @ @ @ @ @ won , followed by PC games at 30.9 percent , or 4.8 trillion won , @ @ @ @ @ percent , or 694.6 billion won .

SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's video game market was the fifth largest in the world in 2019, falling one position from the previous year, a report showed Monday.
The country's video game market reached sales of 15.6 trillion won (US$14.2 billion) last year, up 9 percent from the previous year, according to an annual report by the Korea Creative Content Agency.
This file photo, provided by SK Telecom Co. on Sept. 16, 2020, shows the carrier's cloud gaming service in partnership with Microsoft Corp. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The country ranked behind the United States, China, Japan and the United Kingdom in the global video market worth a total $186.5 billion last year.
South Korea ranked above the United Kingdom as the fourth-largest video game market in 2018 in the agency's previous report.
The latest report added that South Korea's market will experience fast growth this year, likely surpassing 17 trillion won in sales.
Mobile games were the most popular form of gaming in the country last year, taking up 49.7 percent of total sales at 7.7 trillion won, followed by PC games at 30.9 percent, or 4.8 trillion won, and console games at 4.5 percent, or 694.6 billion won.
The country's mobile and console game markets grew 16.3 percent and 31.4 percent, respectively, from the previous year, while the PC gaming market fell 4.3 percent over the same period.
The report added that the country's video game exports reached $6.6 billion last year, while imports stood at $298.1 million, leading to a trade surplus of $6.4 billion, or around 16 percent of the country's total trade surplus last year of $38.9 billion.
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-21--The Korea Interbank Offered Rates (KORIBOR)

SEOUL , Dec. 21 ( Yonhap ) -- The Korea Interbank Offered Rates ( KORIBOR ) as posted by Yonhap @ @ @ @ @ and information arm of Yonhap News Agency , at 11:00 a.m .

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


yna--2020-12-21--Military hospital near Seoul begins receiving COVID-19 patients

Two other military hospitals in the southeastern city of Daegu and the central city of Daejeon also opened to civilians @ @ @ @ @ the military 's efforts to help the government 's handling of the pandemic .

SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Yonhap) -- A military hospital in Goyang, northwest of Seoul, began receiving coronavirus patients on Monday, the defense ministry said, amid a shortage of hospital beds due to a spike in the number of new infections.
The hospital can provide up to 80 beds for COVID-19 patients, according to the ministry.
Two other military hospitals in the southeastern city of Daegu and the central city of Daejeon also opened to civilians last week as part of the military's efforts to help the government's handling of the pandemic.
On Monday, South Korea added 925 new virus cases, raising the total caseload to 50,591. The daily virus death toll hit a record high of 24.
Among the military population, 483 infections have been reported so far, with no additional cases reported on the day.
In this photo taken on Dec. 14, 2020, and provided by the defense ministry, service members move hospital beds at a military hospital in the central city of Daejeon to receive civilian COVID-19 patients. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-21--N.K. completes building musical instrument factory ordered by late former leader

`` The construction of a comprehensive production base of national musical instruments that can produce dozens of different string , @ @ @ @ @ local facilities has laid the groundwork for advancing our national musical instruments , '' the @ @ @

SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has completed the construction of a factory manufacturing indigenous musical instruments as instructed by its late former leader Kim Jong-il nine years ago, state media reported Monday.
The factory specializing in producing traditional instruments, including zither-like string instruments "ongnyugeum" and "gayageum," recently began operations in Pyongyang, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
"The construction of a comprehensive production base of national musical instruments that can produce dozens of different string, wood and percussion instruments with local facilities has laid the groundwork for advancing our national musical instruments," the KCNA said.
The factory appears to have adopted an automated production line based on "computer-numerical control (CNC) facilities."
The construction of the factory was ordered by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's late father and leader Kim Jong-il in August 2011 before his death later that year, according to the KCNA.
This image captured from the website of the Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the North Korean Workers' Party, on Dec. 21, 2020, shows the completed factory of traditional musical instruments in Pyongyang. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-21--Youn Yuh-jung named best supporting actress by LA film critics for 'Minari'

Meanwhile , `` Minari '' has emerged as a potential candidate for best picture at next year 's Academy Awards @ @ @ @ @ April , since winning the jury and audience awards at this year 's Sundance Film @ @

SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korean actress Youn Yuh-jung has been named best supporting actress by Los Angeles film critics for her performance in the drama film "Minari."
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) announced Monday that Youn won the award in the best supporting actress category, beating Amanda Seyfried of "Mank."
Directed by Korean American Lee Isaac Chung, "Minari" depicts first-generation immigrants from Korea in pursuit of their own American dream from the point of view of a seven-year-old boy named David (Alan Kim) and his parents, Jacob (Steven Yeun) and Monica (Han Yeri).
Youn took the role of the eccentric grandmother who changes the life of the family after arriving in the United States from Korea.
The latest LAFCA award is Youn's third best supporting actress title this year, following ones from the Sunset Circle Awards and the Boston Society of Film Critics.
She is also nominated in the same category at the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Florida Film Critics Circle.
Meanwhile, "Minari" has emerged as a potential candidate for best picture at next year's Academy Awards, to be held in April, since winning the jury and audience awards at this year's Sundance Film Festival.
The film has also received multiple nominations at the Florida film critics awards, including best picture, best ensemble, best director and best original screenplay.
This image provided by Pancinema shows Youn Yuh-jung in "Minari." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-21--S. Korea ups disinfection operations at wild bird habitats on avian influenza

`` Due to the influx of migratory birds into the country , contaminants can get into local farms at anytime @ @ @ @ @ Agriculture , Food and Rural Affairs said in a statement .

By Kang Yoon-seung
SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea said Monday that it has expanded disinfection operations at major wild bird habitats and poultry farms to cope with the rising number of highly pathogenic bird flu cases.
"Due to the influx of migratory birds into the country, contaminants can get into local farms at anytime," the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said in a statement.
"As we are facing a grave situation, there will be zero tolerance of any violation of the quarantine guidelines," it added.
Officials carry out disinfection operations at a farm in Hwaseong, south of Seoul, on Dec. 17, 2020. (Yonhap)
Local authorities are using 958 units of vehicles and drones to carry out disinfection operations in surrounding areas of poultry farms.
The agricultural ministry also advised farms to apply disinfectants around their farms and clean floors on a daily basis. They are also requested the changing of shoes when moving among sheds.
The country has so far reported 18 highly pathogenic bird flu cases from poultry farms, including at a private park, since late November. No suspected cases were under investigation as of early Monday.
The virus has especially spread at a faster pace in South Jeolla Province, which accounted for six infections. Four were from North Jeolla Province.
The spread of the virus has led authorities to cull 6.1 million poultry so far, including 4 million chickens and 1.2 million quails.
Under local law, poultry within a 3-kilometer radius of farms infected with highly pathogenic cases must be destroyed.
The country reported this year's first highly pathogenic avian influenza case from wild birds in late October. A total of 30 cases was confirmed from wild bird habitats across the country.
The ministry, meanwhile, said the latest cases of bird flu have had only a limited impact on the local market for poultry and eggs.
"The price of eggs has recently increased around 7.3 percent compared to the yearly average," the ministry said, pointing out that retailers also have sufficient volumes of poultry products in stock.
Quarantine officials are at work to cull chickens at a chicken farm in Gumi, 261 kilometers south of Seoul, on Dec. 16, 2020. (Yonhap)
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)