yna--2020-06-23--Nine in 10 Koreans worried about discrimination due to coronavirus: poll

Eight out of 10 respondents , or 82 percent , said discrimination in South Korea is serious .
Of them @ @ @ @ @ is somewhat serious , while the other 19.9 percent described it as very serious .

SEOUL, June 23 (Yonhap) -- Nine in 10 South Koreans fear they could be discriminated against following the coronavirus outbreak, a poll said Tuesday, indicating the pandemic may have heightened public sensitivity to discrimination.
In the poll of 1,000 adults nationwide by the National Human Rights Commission, 91.1 percent said they agree to the view that they could be a target of social discrimination or become a minority group in the aftermath of COVID-19.
Of them, 19.8 percent said they are very concerned about coronavirus-related discrimination, while another 53.2 percent said they are somewhat worried. Only 8.9 percent said they are not concerned at all.
Nearly 7 in 10 respondents, or 69.3 percent, said they are aware of social groups that have become a target of hate or discrimination as a result of the spread of the coronavirus.
Asked to name multiple groups subject to COVID-19-related discrimination and hate, 59.2 percent cited religious people, followed by people from specific regions (36.7 percent) and foreigners and immigrants (36.5 percent), the survey showed.
Other social groups discriminated against due to the coronavirus outbreak included people with underlying diseases (32.3 percent), poor people (8.5 percent), elderly people (8.1 percent) and disabled people (4.9 percent).
Eight out of 10 respondents, or 82 percent, said discrimination in South Korea is serious. Of them, 62.1 percent said it is somewhat serious, while the other 19.9 percent described it as very serious.
Seventeen percent said discrimination is not very serious, while only 1 percent said it is not serious at all.
In the poll, 27.2 percent said they have experienced discrimination in the past year. Asked to pick multiple reasons for discrimination, 48.9 percent of respondents cited gender discrimination, followed by age discrimination (43.4 percent), economic status (23.9 percent), educational background (21.3 percent), physical condition (18 percent) and region of birth (16.9 percent).
Forty percent of the respondents also said discrimination in South Korea has gotten worse than in the past, mainly because of economic inequality, the poll said.
Asked to propose countermeasures against discrimination, 88.5 percent called for legislating an anti-discrimination law.
The poll, conducted online from April 22-27 by Realmeter at the request of the human rights watchdog, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.
nyway@yna.co.kr
(END)


Yonhap News Summary

`` I know that no word can ever wash away the things I did , and I deeply regret my @ @ @ @ @ at the start of a press conference at a Seoul hotel .
It was his @ @ @ @ @ from the United States on June 5 .
He spent the next 14 days in @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .

The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday.
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(3rd LD) New virus infections bounce back on imported cases, community spread still at large
SEOUL -- South Korea's new virus cases bounced back Tuesday due mainly to a surge in imported cases, with most traced to sailors on a Russia-flagged ship docked in the southeastern city of Busan. The spread of the virus in the Seoul metropolitan area and outside the capital continued.
The country added 46 cases, including 16 local infections, raising the total caseload to 12,484, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
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S. Korea calls on UNESCO to mull canceling Japanese industrial sites' World Heritage designation
SEOUL -- South Korea has called on the U.N. cultural agency to consider removing Japanese industrial revolution sites from the World Heritage list, the foreign ministry said Tuesday, in a bid to pressure Japan to keep its pledge to honor wartime forced labor victims.
On Monday, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha sent a letter to UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay to make the request, as Japan failed to deliver on its promise to ensure that a newly opened information center on 23 Meiji-era sites offer explanations on the forced labor issue.
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(LEAD) After choppy session, Seoul stocks end higher on eased Sino-American trade woes
SEOUL -- South Korean shares traded higher Tuesday on eased concerns related to the U.S.-China trade dispute. The Korean won rose against the U.S. dollar.
After a choppy session, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 4.51 points, or 0.21 percent, to close at 2,131.24. Trading volume was high at about 906 million shares worth some 13.3 trillion won (US$11 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 586 to 262.
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Ex-MLB player Kang Jung-ho apologizes over DUI cases, begs for chance to play in KBO
SEOUL -- Contrite over his past drunk driving arrests, former major leaguer Kang Jung-ho apologized for his actions Tuesday in his bid for a return to the South Korean league.
"I know that no word can ever wash away the things I did, and I deeply regret my wrongdoing," Kang said at the start of a press conference at a Seoul hotel. It was his first public appearance since returning from the United States on June 5. He spent the next 14 days in government-mandated quarantine amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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Samsung heir makes another on-site visit amid uncertainties
SEOUL -- Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong on Tuesday made his third on-site visit in less than 10 days to check the company's future strategy amid global uncertainties.
Lee, the de facto leader of the top conglomerate Samsung Group, discussed the tech giant's business strategy with senior executives at its home appliance business division in Suwon, just south of Seoul.
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(LEAD) Moon says revision of labor laws crucial for ILO conventions
SEOUL -- President Moon Jae-in emphasized the significance Tuesday of revising South Korea's major labor-related laws to allow the jobless and dismissed workers to join unions and improve the overall rights of employees here, as the government is pushing for the ratification of some key conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO).
He was speaking during a weekly Cabinet meeting held at Cheong Wa Dae, according to presidential deputy spokesman Yoon Jae-kwan.
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Exhibition kicks off in honor of foreign Korean War veterans
SEOUL -- An exhibition of photos and paintings opened Tuesday in gratitude for foreign soldiers who fought in the 1950-53 Korean War as part of events to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the conflict, the veterans affairs ministry said.
An opening ceremony took place at Incheon International Airport, the main gateway of South Korea, which will be followed by openings at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul and the United Nations Peace Memorial Hall in the southeastern city of Busan through November, according to the ministry.
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Shincheonji to donate blood plasma of 4,000 members recovered from COVID-19
SEOUL -- Shincheonji, a minor religious sect, said Tuesday that it will donate blood plasma of thousands of its congregants who have recovered from the novel coronavirus to support the development of a vaccine or drug to treat the virus.
"The government has helped us a lot, having our followers treated," a Shincheonji official said. "Now we think it is time to do something. So we've decided to donate blood plasma of our recovered members."
(END)


yna--2020-06-23--S. Korea to bank on ICT to better deal with COVID-19 outbreaks

The move comes as the country has reported a rebound in new infection cases in recent weeks amid growing concerns @ @ @ @ @ to bring the pandemic under control .

SEOUL, June 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will fully utilize its information and communication technology (ICT) capabilities to better deal with the new coronavirus, the science ministry said Tuesday.
The move comes as the country has reported a rebound in new infection cases in recent weeks amid growing concerns that it will take time to bring the pandemic under control.
South Korea added 46 new COVID-19 patients Tuesday, bringing the total to 12,484, with the death toll hitting 281. Recently, cluster infections, along with increased imported cases, have made it hard for the country to flatten the virus curve.
According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, the latest plan aims to further enhance the country's contact tracing and illness prevention capabilities.
The country's robust ICT infrastructure will help better collect information from smartphones, credit cards and electronic visitor registration logs, without causing privacy issues. This will provide timely assistance to health authorities engaged in epidemiological investigations, the ministry said.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-23--Member nations reaffirm signing of RCEP this year

If signed , the RCEP deal will create one of the world 's largest economic blocs , as the 16 @ @ @ @ @ 45 percent of the global population and over 30 percent of the world 's gross @ @ @

SEOUL, June 23 (Yonhap) -- Trade ministers from 15 nations on Tuesday reaffirmed that a mega Asia-Pacific trade pact will be signed later this year, but India again skipped the negotiations, according to Seoul's trade ministry.
ASEAN members and their dialogue partners -- South Korea, China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand -- effectively reached an agreement on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) last November, with the goal of signing the pact within this year.
However, India did not join last November's agreement, citing concerns over the influx of more price-competitive Chinese products into its market.
While reaffirming their commitment to sign the RCEP deal this year, the ministers also noted the importance of the deal in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Seoul's trade ministry said in a statement.
South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee said the RCEP pact would help participating nations deal with a revamp of global supply chains once the pandemic wanes.
If signed, the RCEP deal will create one of the world's largest economic blocs, as the 16 countries together account for about 45 percent of the global population and over 30 percent of the world's gross domestic product.
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--(LEAD) S. Korea grapples with sustained rise in local infections, imported cases

The KCDC has said the Seoul metropolitan area is already in the second wave of the new coronavirus outbreak , @ @ @ @ @ brace for a protracted virus fight .
The first wave of the virus outbreak gripped @ @ @ @ @ March .

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details throughout; ADDS photo)
SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases spiked again Wednesday as cluster infections in the greater Seoul area and outside the capital continued to increase. A sustained rise in imported cases also put health officials on high alert.
The country added 51 cases, including 31 local infections, raising the total caseload to 12,535, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
The tally marked a rise from 46 new cases reported Tuesday and 17 additional cases Monday, the lowest in almost a month.
Of the locally transmitted cases, 19 cases were reported in the densely populated Seoul and nearby metropolitan areas. Eight cases were reported in Daejeon, about 160 kilometers south of Seoul.
South Korea, meanwhile, reported 20 additional imported cases, raising the total of such cases to 1,491.
Cluster infections on a Russia-flagged cargo ship docked in the southeastern city of Busan, the country's second-largest city, have emerged as a new source of concern for health authorities.
A Russia-flagged ship where at least 16 cases of the new coronavirus were reported is docked at a port in South Korea's southeastern city of Busan on June 23, 2020, in this provided photo. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
At least 16 sailors aboard the Ice Stream tested positive for COVID-19. Another sailor on a Russia-flagged vessel that docked near the ship was also infected with the virus.
Group infections tied to the Russian ship laid bare a loophole in quarantine procedures at ports.
Port and quarantine officials permitted the Ice Stream to disembark at a Busan port and unload cargo, but the ship had submitted falsified electronic documents over its quarantine situation.
The operator of the ship did not inform South Korea that three of its sailors showed symptoms of high fever. Russia also did not notify the South that the captain who got off the ship a week earlier tested positive for the virus.
Health officials are conducting virus tests on 176 port workers, repairmen and sailors from another Russian ship who came into contact with the infected crewmembers.
Starting Wednesday, South Korean officials will board ships arriving at Busan ports from Russia to better carry out quarantine checks, according to health authorities.
Except for vessels coming from risk-prone countries like China, Iran and Italy, South Korea has proceeded with quarantine inspections on foreign ships with electronically registered documents.
Russia has reported the third most confirmed cases after the United States and Brazil.
"As for ships that do not report suspected virus cases in advance, the government plans to restrict their port entry and impose fines," Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip said in a briefing.
Imported cases, once the main source of virus cases here, fell to a single-digit figure early this month after the country strengthened quarantine measures on all international arrivals in April.
But such cases have bounced back to double-digit numbers since mid-June.
This photo, taken on June 23, 2020, shows a thermal camera set up at the entrance of a cram school in western Seoul, as health authorities have designated large-sized private education institutions and buffet restaurants as facilities vulnerable to infections of the new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
Still, community spread is the main challenge for health authorities, as sporadic cluster infections have continued to swell since the country relaxed strict social distancing on May 6 on the back of the flattened virus curve.
The KCDC has said the Seoul metropolitan area is already in the second wave of the new coronavirus outbreak, warning that the country should brace for a protracted virus fight. The first wave of the virus outbreak gripped the country between February and March.
Amid a continued rise in cluster infections, health authorities warned that they could consider expanding tougher infection preventive measures -- currently in place only in the Seoul metropolitan area -- across the country.
The Seoul metropolitan area accounted for most of the newly added cases this month.
South Korea has been gripped by multiple and sporadic cluster infections, with most traced to door-to-door retailers, churches and day care centers for senior citizens.
The country, meanwhile, reported no additional deaths, bringing the total death toll to 281. The fatality rate was 2.24 percent.
The total number of people released from quarantine after full recoveries stood at 10,930, up 22 from the previous day.
The country has carried out 1,208,597 tests since Jan. 3.
Citizens wait to receive new coronavirus tests at a screening center in Anyang, south of Seoul, in this photo provided by the city of Anyang on June 24, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--Samsung releases new curved gaming monitor Odyssey G9

`` Following our recent announcement of the Odyssey G7 curved gaming monitor , the G9 now joins the portfolio as @ @ @ @ @ ( QHD ) gaming monitor with 1000R curvature , '' Ha Hyesung , senior vice @ @ @ @ @ at Samsung , said .
`` This further solidifies Samsung 's leadership in the global @ @ @ @ @ innovation happening at an unprecedented rate . ''

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. on Wednesday released its new curved gaming monitor to beef up its presence in the gaming equipment market.
The South Korean tech giant announced the global launch of the Odyssey G9, which was first unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, earlier this year.
"Following our recent announcement of the Odyssey G7 curved gaming monitor, the G9 now joins the portfolio as the first dual quad high-definition (QHD) gaming monitor with 1000R curvature," Ha Hyesung, senior vice president of visual display business at Samsung, said. "This further solidifies Samsung's leadership in the global gaming monitor market, with innovation happening at an unprecedented rate."
This photo provided by Samsung Electronics Co. on June 24, 2020, shows the company's curved gaming monitor, the Odyssey G9. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The 49-inch G9 features a rapid 1 millisecond response time with 240 Hz refresh rate QLED picture quality for gaming in dual QHD, Samsung said, adding that it is also the first monitor certified to support High Dynamic Range (HDR) 10+, which enables it to deliver better picture quality.
In South Korea, the Odyssey G9 is priced at 1.9 million won (US$1,570), with sales starting from Thursday.
For gaming monitors with a 100 Hz refresh rate or above, Samsung was the top domestic player in terms of sales value, according to market tracker IDC, with a 34.9 percent market share.
Last month, Samsung signed a partnership with an esports organization, T1 Entertainment & Sports, to promote its curved gaming monitors.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--Seoul stocks extend gains late Wednesday morning

The local currency was trading at 1,204.7 won against the U.S. dollar , up 4.1 won from the previous session @ @ @

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks extended gains late Wednesday morning on gains in major tech and bio shares.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 31.97 points, or 1.5 percent, to 2,163.21 as of 11:20 a.m.
The index initially opened higher after major indexes in the United States closed higher on recovery hopes, led by a jump in tech shares.
In Seoul, most large-cap stocks were trading higher.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics jumped 3.5 percent, and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix gained 2.85 percent.
Bio stocks were bullish. Samsung BioLogics, a biopharmaceutical affiliate of Samsung Group, was up 1.75 percent, and another bio firm, Celltrion, gained 0.94 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,204.7 won against the U.S. dollar, up 4.1 won from the previous session's close.
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--Hankook Tire asks U.S. to stop probe into tire imports

In a letter sent to the Commerce Department earlier this month , Hankook Tire said U.S. vehicle tire producers as @ @ @ @ @ materially injured due to imported tire products and are not threatened with material injury by @ @ @ @ @

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- Hankook Tire & Technology Co. said Wednesday it has asked the U.S. Commerce Department not to investigate tire imports on possible dumping charges as they didn't have an impact on U.S. tiremakers.
In a letter sent to the Commerce Department earlier this month, Hankook Tire said U.S. vehicle tire producers as a whole have not been materially injured due to imported tire products and are not threatened with material injury by reason of subject imports.
On Tuesday (local time), the Commerce Department began a probe into vehicle tire imports from South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam to determine whether the products are being sold at lower than market prices.
The investigation comes after United Steelworkers (USW) representing workers at U.S. tire plants filed a petition against tire imports in May.
The USW said U.S. tire companies face a reduced market share, falling profits and job cuts despite increased demand for passenger vehicle and light truck (PVLT) tires.
In 2019, the U.S. imported about 85.3 million tires worth US$4 billion from the four countries, including $1.2 billion worth of tires from South Korea. The quantity of tire imports is up 20 percent from 2017, the department said in a statement.
The department said the alleged dumping margins range from 43 percent to 195 percent for South Korea, 21-116 percent for Taiwan, 106-217.5 percent for Thailand and 5-22 percent for Vietnam.
Hankook Tire, the world's sixth-largest tiremaker by sales, earns over 80 percent of its total revenue from abroad.
It has eight plants -- two in South Korea, one in Hungary, one in the United States, three in China and one in Indonesia -- whose combined capacity reaches 102 million tires.
Its first-quarter net profit fell 34 percent to 81.28 billion won from 123.23 billion won a year earlier as the new coronavirus outbreak affected vehicle sales.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--S. Korean trade minister announces bid to become next WTO chief

Yoo has often been referred to as the `` devil 's advocate '' and as a counterpoint to her predecessor @ @ @ @ @ said that while Kim takes a more aggressive approach during negotiations , Yoo tends to @ @ @ @

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee on Wednesday announced her bid for the top job of the World Trade Organization (WTO), saying she would make her utmost efforts to reshape the final arbiter in trade disputes if she is elected.
Yoo's bid comes as the WTO is mired in its biggest crisis since it was created in 1995 over growing uncertainties in global rules on trade between nations and fragile collaboration among member nations.
"I will vow to restore the WTO system that faces the biggest crisis since it was launched," Yoo told reporters.
Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee speaks during a videoconference with her Singaporean counterpart, Chan Chun Sing, on June 22, 2020, in this photo provided by the ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Since early this month, the WTO has started its procedure to pick a new head, as Brazil's Roberto Azevedo is set to step down in August, about a year before his term ends.
As Yoo made her bid, she became the third South Korean to run for the top post of the Geneva-based trade body.
Two South Koreans made unsuccessful bids in 1994 and 2012, respectively.
So far, the WTO has received four candidates -- from Egypt, Mexico, Nigeria and Moldova -- according to the ministry.
Yoo, a veteran negotiator in trade talks, was appointed as South Korea's trade minister in February last year.
Yoo has often been referred to as the "devil's advocate" and as a counterpoint to her predecessor, Kim Hyung-chong. Sources said that while Kim takes a more aggressive approach during negotiations, Yoo tends to be more circumspect.
Yoo is fluent in English and served as the presidential office's spokesperson for foreign correspondents.
She was the first woman to become a first-rank staff in the 70-year history of the trade ministry in 2018.
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--Scientists discover protein that induces benign obesity

`` By comparing many overweight subjects , researchers found that only Angiopoietin-2 is active in the subcutaneous fat of MHO @ @ @ @ @ said .
It said these findings were backed up by experiments on laboratory mice that @ @ @ @ @ increase in visceral fat as well as rise in insulin problems .

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- Scientists have discovered a protein that induces so-called benign obesity in people, opening new horizons for the treatment of diabetes and metabolic syndrome, a state-run research institute said Wednesday.
Benign or metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) refers to a physical condition where a person is overweight but does not suffer from insulin resistance and is not overly at risk of getting cardiovascular-related illnesses, the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) said.
MHO people also tend to store their blood fat in harmless subcutaneous fat that lies just under the skin, rather than in visceral fat that surrounds internal organs and is known to cause health problems.
Past research has not been able to discover the process of why fat is stored in different places in the body.
This image provided by the Institute for Basic Science shows the uptake process of fat in the bodies of people with benign obesity (L) and regular obesity. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
IBS said this lack of understanding has been clarified by a team led by biomedical experts Bae Ho-sung and Koh Gou-young, who have identified the Angiopoietin-2 protein as the inducer of fat uptake in the body.
"By comparing many overweight subjects, researchers found that only Angiopoietin-2 is active in the subcutaneous fat of MHO people," the IBS said. It said these findings were backed up by experiments on laboratory mice that showed inactivated Angiopoietin-2 causing an increase in visceral fat as well as rise in insulin problems.
The research institute said the latest findings revealed that the metabolic function of blood vessels affects the transfer of blood fat to storage. It claimed that this knowledge can lead to scientists coming up with new ways to find treatment for diabetes and metabolic syndrome down the road.
The research, meanwhile, has been published in the June edition of Nature Communication under the title "Angiopoietin-2-integrin α5β1 signaling enhances vascular fatty acid transport and prevents ectopic lipid-induced insulin resistance."
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(MORE)


yna--2020-06-24--Gov't to allow sending of face masks to overseas Koreans regardless of nationality

Starting Friday , they will be able to send the masks to family members with non-South Korean citizenship , including @ @ @ @ @ , as well as to parents and children of those who immigrated to Korea after @ @ @ @ @ the ministry said .

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- The government will allow South Koreans to send face masks to overseas family members regardless of whether they have Korean citizenship or not as domestic supplies have stabilized, the foreign ministry said Wednesday.
Currently, South Koreans are allowed to send up to 12 surgical masks per person every month, and the recipients must be South Korean citizens.
Starting Friday, they will be able to send the masks to family members with non-South Korean citizenship, including adoptees of South Korean origin, as well as to parents and children of those who immigrated to Korea after marrying a South Korean, the ministry said.
The number of masks a person can send will be unchanged.
The decision was made in consideration of stabilizing mask supplies in the local market and growing demand from people wishing to send more masks to their family members in other countries where mask supplies are not sufficient, it said.
Senders are required to show related documents and their ID card to prove their relationship with recipients when they visit the post office to put them in the mail.
In late March, the government began to allow individuals to send locally made face masks to their families overseas in an exception to a ban on outbound shipments of masks on concerns over tight supply amid the spread of COVID-19.
Customs data shows that more than 5.02 million face masks were sent to family members abroad between March 24 and June 19.
This photo shows citizens buying masks at a pharmacy in the central Jongno district of Seoul on March 6, 2020. (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--The Korea Interbank Offered Rates (KORIBOR)

SEOUL , June 24 ( 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--2020-06-24--S. Korea's financial market stable but to face more problems: BOK

`` While economic activities will gradually resume from the second half of the year , the financial market will continue @ @ @ @ @ but there is a possibility that the negative impact from the COVID-19 pandemic on the @ @ @ @ @ the surface , '' the central bank said in a biennial report on financial stability @ @ @ @ @ .

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's financial market will continue to be stabilized, but the economic fallout from the new coronavirus pandemic may increasingly become more serious and real down the road, the Bank of Korea (BOK) said Wednesday.
"While economic activities will gradually resume from the second half of the year, the financial market will continue to be more stabilized, but there is a possibility that the negative impact from the COVID-19 pandemic on the financial system may come to the surface," the central bank said in a biennial report on financial stability submitted to the National Assembly.
The BOK noted the conditions may also worsen should the pandemic become more serious with a second wave.
Currently, the BOK said the country's financial system is in a better position than it was two months earlier, shortly after the new coronavirus outbreak here peaked at around 900 new cases per day in late February and early March.
The country's financial stability index shot up to 22.3 in April, breaching the lower boundary for a crisis warning, but it has since come down to 18.
As of end-March, outstanding debt of South Korean households reached 1,611.3 trillion won (US$1.33 trillion), up 4.6 percent from a year earlier that marked a slight acceleration from the previous quarter.
The local households' ability to pay back their debt worsened due to a reduction in income, apparently caused by the new coronavirus outbreak.
As of the end of March, the households' debt to disposable income ratio came to 163.1 percent, up 4.5 percent from the same period last year, according to the BOK.
"Uncertainties in the financial market have generally eased on active market stabilization efforts by the government and the Bank of Korea, but financial instability may again present itself, depending on the course of the COVID-19 pandemic," it said.
"Should the country's employment conditions worsen to the level of a financial crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, its debt delinquency rate is expected to sharply increase as the debt repayment capacity of income-earning households will shrink," it added.
People attend a presentation session at a Seoul office of the labor ministry to learn how to apply for unemployment benefits on April 13, 2020. The government said the country's unemployment benefit payment reached a record high of nearly 900 billion won in March due to a sharp increase in the unemployment rate amid the new coronavirus pandemic. (Yonhap)
Businesses too may face serious problems should conditions worsen.
Under a baseline scenario where the pandemic will not cause any more serious problems at home or abroad, local firms' operating profit-to-sales ratio is expected to drop to 2.2 percent this year from 4.8 percent in 2019.
Under a severe case scenario, their profit ratio will further dip to 1.6 percent, which in turn may lead to an increased liquidity shortage.
"Considering that firms' liquidity shortage may be a temporary event caused by the shock from the COVID-19 pandemic, instead of a fundamental problem, there may be a need to preemptively prevent the possibility of mass insolvencies with timely financial support," the BOK said.
The government has already provided more than 200 trillion won to local businesses and households to help them cope with the crisis, and it is pushing for a third supplementary budget worth 35.3 trillion won, the largest of its kind in the country's history.
Without additional support from the government, the local economy is expected to shrink 0.2 percent from a year earlier in 2020, the BOK said earlier.
Under a worst case scenario, however, the South Korean economy may contract by as much as 1.8 percent on-year, it has said, noting the worst case would involve a second spike in the new coronavirus pandemic.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--Samsung Electronics names AI guru as head of R&D hub

Samsung said it expects Seung , who previously worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ( MIT ) and Bell @ @ @ @ @ AI capability in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution by utilizing his experience , @ @ @ @ @

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. said Wednesday it has named a renowned artificial intelligence (AI) expert as chief of its research and development (R&D) hub.
The South Korean tech giant said Sebastian Seung, professor at Princeton University's Neuroscience Institute and Department of Computer Science, will lead Samsung Research, the R&D hub of Samsung's set business.
Seung, 54, will be responsible for managing Samsung's 15 R&D centers and seven AI centers in 13 countries to secure future technologies, according to the company.
Samsung said it expects Seung, who previously worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Bell Labs, to boost its AI capability in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution by utilizing his experience, research ability and network.
This photo taken by Samsung Electronics Co. in September 2018 shows Sebastian Seung at an artificial intelligence forum in Seoul. Samsung Electronics said Seung will be the head of its R&D hub, Samsung Research. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Since 2018, the Korean-American has been helping Samsung's research and business plans in the AI sector as chief research scientist at Samsung Research, contributing to the establishment of global AI centers and the recruitment of talented scientists.
Samsung, the world's largest memory chip and smartphone maker, said reinforcing its AI capability will also enhance its competitiveness in the non-memory semiconductor sector.
In April last year, Samsung announced a vision to become the world's No. 1 logic chip maker by 2030 by investing 133 trillion won (US$110 billion) and bolstering its competitiveness in the system LSI and foundry businesses.
Seung's appointment comes after Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, the de facto leader of South Korea's top conglomerate, vowed to bring in talented individuals who can make Samsung better during his press conference last month.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--(LEAD) N. Korea seen removing loudspeakers from border areas: sources

Last week , the North blew up the inter-Korean liaison office in its border town of Kaesong in a dramatic @ @ @ @ @ South .
The North then warned of a series of military actions , such as @ @ @ @ @ troops to Kaesong and the Mount Kumgang tourist area on the east coast and opening @ @ @ @ @ leaflets .

(ATTN: ADDS more details in paras 2-7, photo)
By Oh Seok-min
SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- North Korea was seen removing about 10 propaganda loudspeakers reinstalled recently along the border with South Korea, military sources said Wednesday, after leader Kim Jong-un ordered the suspension of military action plans against the South.
The North recently set up around 20 loudspeakers in border areas after threatening to take military action against what it called "the enemy" in anger over Seoul's failure to stop defectors from sending anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets across the border.
"Around 10 newly installed loudspeakers near Cheorwon were being taken down from earlier today," a military source said.
The move came after the communist country decided to suspend military action against South Korea during a Central Military Commission meeting presided over by leader Kim, according to the North's Korean Central News Agency.
"We are closely monitoring North Korean military moves while maintaining a firm readiness posture," an official of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, noting that the suspension decision was made during the "preliminary" meeting.
Last week, the North blew up the inter-Korean liaison office in its border town of Kaesong in a dramatic expression of anger at the South. The North then warned of a series of military actions, such as the forward deployment of its troops to Kaesong and the Mount Kumgang tourist area on the east coast and opening border areas for scattering anti-South leaflets.
In 2018, South and North Korea dismantled around 40 loudspeakers each from their border regions, as they agreed to halt all hostile acts against each other and eliminate their means, including broadcasting through loudspeakers and the distribution of leaflets, in accordance with the April 27 Panmunjom Declaration signed by President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim.
A propaganda loudspeaker is seen near a North Korean guard post inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), in this photo taken from the South Korean border city of Paju, 30 kilometers north of Seoul, on June 23, 2020. Pyongyang began to reinstall the loudspeakers on June 21, citing anti-Pyongyang leaflets recently sent into the North by defectors. The Koreas had removed their loudspeakers from the DMZ in adherence with the Panmunjom Declaration on April 27, 2018. (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--S. Korea grapples with sustained rise in local infections, imported cases

The KCDC said the Seoul metropolitan area is already in the second wave of the new coronavirus outbreak , warning @ @ @ @ @ for a protracted virus fight .
The first wave of the virus outbreak gripped the @ @ @ @ @ .

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases spiked again Wednesday as cluster infections in the greater Seoul area and outside the capital continued to increase. A sustained rise in imported cases also put health officials on high alert.
The country added 51 cases, including 31 local infections, raising the total caseload to 12,535, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
The tally marked a rise from 46 new cases reported Tuesday and 17 additional cases Monday, the lowest in almost a month.
Of the locally transmitted cases, 19 cases were reported in the densely populated Seoul and nearby metropolitan areas. Eight cases were reported in Daejeon, about 160 kilometers south of Seoul.
Community spread is the main challenge for health authorities, as sporadic cluster infections have continued to swell since the country relaxed strict social distancing on May 6 on the back of the flattened virus curve.
The KCDC said the Seoul metropolitan area is already in the second wave of the new coronavirus outbreak, warning that the country should brace for a protracted virus fight. The first wave of the virus outbreak gripped the country between February and March.
A Russia-flagged ship where at least 16 cases of the new coronavirus were reported is docked at a port in South Korea's southeastern city of Busan on June 23, 2020, in this provided photo. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
South Korea reported 20 additional imported cases, raising the total of such cases to 1,491.
Imported cases have emerged as a new source of concern for health authorities, with most tied to sailors on a Russia-flagged cargo ship that docked in the southeastern city of Busan, the country's second-largest city.
At least 16 sailors aboard the Ice Stream tested positive for COVID-19. Another sailor on a Russia-flagged vessel that docked near the ship was also infected with the virus.
Cluster infections on the Russian cargo ship laid bare a loophole in quarantine procedures at ports.
Port and quarantine officials permitted the Ice Stream to disembark at a Busan port and unload cargo, but the ship had submitted falsified electronic documents over its quarantine situation.
The operator of the ship did not inform South Korea that three of its sailors showed symptoms of high fever. Russia also did not notify the South that the captain who got off the ship a week earlier tested positive for the virus.
Health officials are conducting virus tests on 176 port workers, repairmen and sailors from another Russian ship who came into contact with the infected crewmembers.
This photo, taken on June 23, 2020, shows a thermal camera set up at the entrance of a cram school in western Seoul, as health authorities have designated large-sized private education institutions and buffet restaurants as facilities vulnerable to infections of the new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
Amid a continued rise in cluster infections, health authorities warned that they could consider expanding tougher infection preventive measures -- currently in place only in the Seoul metropolitan area -- across the country.
The Seoul metropolitan area accounted for most of the newly added cases this month.
South Korea has been gripped by multiple and sporadic cluster infections, with most traced to door-to-door retailers, churches and day care centers for senior citizens.
The country, meanwhile, reported no additional deaths, bringing the total death toll to 281. The fatality rate was 2.24 percent.
The total number of people released from quarantine after full recoveries stood at 10,930, up 22 from the previous day.
The country has carried out 1,208,597 tests since Jan. 3.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--(URGENT) 22 more people released after full recoveries from coronavirus, total cured patients at 10,

(URGENT) 22 more people released after full recoveries from coronavirus, total cured patients at 10,930: KCDC


yna--2020-06-24--(URGENT) S. Korea reports no additional coronavirus deaths, total death toll at 281: KCDC


yna--2020-06-24--N. Korea seen removing loudspeakers from border areas: sources

The North recently set up around 20 loudspeakers in border areas in anger over anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets flown from the @ @ @ @ @ had been removed under a 2018 summit agreement with South Korea , according to the @ @

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- North Korea was seen removing about 10 propaganda loudspeakers reinstalled recently along the border with South Korea, military sources said Wednesday, after leader Kim Jong-un ordered the suspension of military action plans against the South.
The North recently set up around 20 loudspeakers in border areas in anger over anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets flown from the South. About 40 units had been removed under a 2018 summit agreement with South Korea, according to the sources.
"Around 10 newly installed loudspeakers were being taken down," a military source said.
The move came after the communist country decided to suspend military action against South Korea during a Central Military Commission meeting presided over by leader Kim, according to the North's Korean Central News Agency.
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 51 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 12,535 : KCDC


yna--2020-06-24--S. Korean football's 2 worst clubs to clash on weekend

FC Seoul have fallen to 11th place on six points from two wins and six losses .
In their last @ @ @ @ @ have been outscored 13-1 .
Incheon are in last place as the league 's only @ @ @ @ @ and six losses .
They 've scored a league-low three goals so far and have @ @ @ @ @

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- There will be something for everyone in the K League 1 this coming weekend.
If you appreciate some quality, high-end football, you can check out the showdown between the two best teams this season, the top-ranked Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors against No. 2 Ulsan Hyundai FC at 6 p.m. Sunday.
But if you're the type who enjoys train wrecks, tune in at 7 p.m. Saturday, as the two worst teams in the league will square off in the nation's capital.
FC Seoul, losers of five straight, will host Incheon United, which have dropped six in a row, at Seoul World Cup Stadium. Their losing streaks are the two longest so far this season.
Go Yo-han of FC Seoul (L) tries to shake off Kim In-sung of Ulsan Hyundai FC during their K League 1 match at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul on June 20, 2020. (Yonhap)
Perhaps both streaks will end Saturday with a draw, or one club will emerge victorious, while the other will be left searching for answers yet again.
FC Seoul have fallen to 11th place on six points from two wins and six losses. In their last five losses, FC Seoul have been outscored 13-1. Incheon are in last place as the league's only winless club with two draws and six losses. They've scored a league-low three goals so far and have suffered four-straight one-goal losses.
For the season, FC Seoul have given up a league-worst 18 goals. The five-game slide began when their defensive stalwart Osmar was sidelined with an injury.
And to bolster their backline, FC Seoul on Tuesday acquired former national team defender Yun Young-sun on a loan deal that runs through the end of this season.
Kim Jin-ya of FC Seoul (rear) jumps over Kim Tae-hwan of Ulsan Hyundai FC during their K League 1 match at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul on June 20, 2020. (Yonhap)
A member of the 2018 FIFA World Cup squad, Yun has 235 K League matches to his credit. While playing for Seongnam FC in 2018, Yun was named to the season-end K League 2 Best XI.
FC Seoul said the 31-year-old center back is a strong man-to-man defender who can stabilize the entire defense corps. Yun will make his FC Seoul debut against Incheon.
The injury situation is even worse for Incheon United, which have lost forward Lanre Kehinde for the rest of the season with a torn knee ligament and will not have forward Stefan Mugosa against FC Seoul due to an ankle injury.
Mugosa led Incheon with 14 goals last year, but it took him seven matches to get on the board this year. He injured his ankle after landing awkwardly following an aerial battle for a loose ball last weekend against Busan IPark.
In this file photo from June 5, 2020, members of Incheon United react to their 2-1 loss to Gangwon FC in their K League 1 match at Incheon Football Stadium in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul. (Yonhap)
Incheon have stumbled out of the gate in recent seasons, only to recover in the latter portion of the schedule and barely avoid getting relegated to the K League 2.
This year teams will play 27 matches instead of the usual 38, with the schedule cut short by the coronavirus pandemic, and Incheon will soon run out of time to dig themselves out of the hole.
The worst team in the K League 1 at the season's end will be automatically relegated to the second division, and the second-to-worst team will fall to a promotion-relegation playoff against a playoff winner from the K League 2.
In this file photo from June 5, 2020, Kim Ho-nam of Incheon United (L) celebrates his goal against Gangwon FC with his teammates during their K League 1 match at Incheon Football Stadium in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--Kia unveils exterior design of new Carnival minivan

At the rear , the side character line trails into the back and merges with the rear lamp graphics .
@ @ @ @ @ of a fastback look , ending at the trunk lid , the statement said .

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- Kia Motors Corp., South Korea's second-biggest carmaker, on Wednesday unveiled the exterior design of its all-new Carnival minivan ahead of its domestic launch in the third quarter.
The fourth-generation Carnival comes with a dynamic radiator grille and a bold side character line that runs the length of the car, the company said in a statement.
The new Carnival is wider and longer, and it looks like a sport utility vehicle due to the "grand volume" design concept, it said.
At the rear, the side character line trails into the back and merges with the rear lamp graphics. The roof has a bit of a fastback look, ending at the trunk lid, the statement said.
The Carnival is one of Kia's bestselling models, and over 2 million Carnival units have been sold in global markets since its debut in 1998.
This file photo, provided by Kia, shows the new Carnival minivan. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--(LEAD) KLPGA practice round canceled after recent visitor tests positive for coronavirus

The tour learned Tuesday afternoon that an amateur who played at the course last Friday tested positive for COVID-19 , @ @ @ @ @ by health authorities that a course caddie had been in close contact with the amateur @ @

(ATTN: UPDATES with latest info in paras 4, 6)
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- An official practice round for a South Korean women's golf tournament has been canceled after the event organizers learned that a recent visitor to the competition venue tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
The Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour announced on Wednesday that the practice round for the BC Card Hankyung Ladies Cup at the Fortune Hills Country Club in Pocheon, some 45 kilometers north of Seoul, will not take place later in the day as scheduled.
This image provided by the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association on May 27, 2020, shows the organization's new logo. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The tour learned Tuesday afternoon that an amateur who played at the course last Friday tested positive for COVID-19, and it has been informed by health authorities that a course caddie had been in close contact with the amateur player.
The tournament organizers said later Wednesday that the caddie has tested negative, and the tournament will begin on schedule Thursday.
The tour said the entire course was sanitized Tuesday, and more disinfection work will be done Wednesday.
Though the practice round will not be rescheduled Wednesday, the event organizers are considering allowing players and their caddies to walk the course for one final look before Thursday's opening round.
After opening its season in Vietnam in December, the KLPGA Tour went on a five-month hiatus due to the coronavirus outbreak. The season resumed with the first major of the season, KLPGA Championship, on May 14.
The tour has since hosted four more tournaments, including last week's Korea Women's Open Golf Championship, the season's second major. All tournaments have been played without fans.
In this file photo provided by the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) on June 23, 2019, Cho Jeong-min of South Korea poses with the champion's trophy after winning the KLPGA Tour's BC Card Hankyung Ladies Cup at the Fortune Hills Country Club in Pocheon, some 45 kilometers north of Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--Monsoon season arrives in S. Korea

Monsoon season arrives in S. Korea

The overnight temperature in Seoul reached a low of 25.6 C on Tuesday night , leading to a possible `` @ @ @ @ @ the nighttime low stays above 25 C between 6 p.m. and 9 a.m. the following @ @

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- Rain and cloudy weather were expected for most of South Korea on Wednesday as the early summer monsoon season began here.
Heavy rain was forecast for parts of the southern coastal area, northern Gangwon Province and the southern resort island of Jeju, with precipitation expected to exceed 120 millimeters in these areas, according to the weather agency.
The precipitation in the central region, northern Gyeongsang Province and areas near Mount Jiri was expected at 30 to 80 mm, it said.
The country's heat spell was forecast to take a breather thanks to the monsoon.
Daytime highs were expected to cool down to 21 to 27 C across the country after peaking above 35 C earlier this week.
The overnight temperature in Seoul reached a low of 25.6 C on Tuesday night, leading to a possible "tropical night," when the nighttime low stays above 25 C between 6 p.m. and 9 a.m. the following day.
This, however, did not occur, as the mercury fell to 24.6 C as of 8 a.m. due to the monsoon season.
Seoul's first tropical night of the year came on July 19 last year.
This file photo from June 11, 2020, shows a person with an umbrella in the southeastern port city of Busan. (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--IMF forecasts S. Korea's economy to shrink 2.1 pct

The downward revision came as global ratings agencies said they expect South Korea to suffer the first annual contraction of @ @ @ @ @ when the Asian financial crisis hit the nation .

SEJONG, June 24 (Yonhap) -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Wednesday that South Korea's economy will shrink 2.1 percent this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The IMF's latest forecast represented a sharp decline from its previous predictions of 1.2 percent contraction in April and 2.2 percent growth in January.
The downward revision came as global ratings agencies said they expect South Korea to suffer the first annual contraction of its economy since 1998, when the Asian financial crisis hit the nation.
The IMF outlook also painted a bleaker picture of the global economy as the coronavirus pandemic has showed no signs of weakening.
The global economy is expected to shrink 4.9 percent this year, compared with a contraction of 3 percent in its April prediction, according to the IMF.
The rapidly spreading coronavirus pandemic is expected to cause a global recession this year as it has shut down factories and cities around the world.
The U.S. economy is expected to shrink 8 percent this year, while the Chinese economy is forecast to grow 1 percent this year, the IMF said.
Global trade is likely to fall 11.9 percent this year, the IMF said.
Earlier this month, South Korea proposed its third extra budget plan worth 35.3 trillion won (US$29 billion) to help key industries cushion the economic blow from the coronavirus pandemic and protect jobs.
The biggest-ever extra budget will raise the total of the nation's stimulus packages to 270 trillion won as the government has stepped up fiscal and monetary responses to the pandemic.
South Korea has pledged to maintain an aggressive fiscal policy to fight the pandemic, which will push up the debt-to-GDP ratio to 43.5 percent this year, compared with some 40 percent before the virus.
South Korea's export-reliant economy is expected to suffer a bigger hit from the pandemic as the novel coronavirus disrupted global businesses and ravaged consumer demand.
Exports dropped for the third consecutive month in May due to the growing economic fallout from the pandemic. Outbound shipments dipped 23.7 percent to hit $34.8 billion last month, compared with $45.7 billion posted a year earlier.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--(LEAD) Incheon Airport Co.'s hiring plan provokes public outcry over fairness

`` Is it equality to take a spot away from those who work so hard ? ''
the petition read @ @ @ @ @ is for all these jobseekers who are building up their credentials and studying hard only @ @ @ @ @ ( the company ) ? ''

(ATTN: UPDATES in 11th para)
By Woo Jae-yeon
SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- A decision by Incheon International Airport Co. to give full employment status to temporary workers has stirred up a furious debate about a level playing field and angered some for what they called reverse discrimination.
Earlier this week, the public company, one of the country's most coveted among jobseekers, announced a plan to directly employ some 1,900 security agents whose contracts were about to expire.
The move was in line with the public company's aggressive efforts since May 2017 to give job security and other welfare benefits on par with those of its full-time workers to some 10,000 temporary employees.
Employees of Incheon International Airport Co. gather together to complain about a new hiring plan at the airport in Incheon, South Korea, on June 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
The company's employment policy has attracted public attention after President Moon Jae-in visited there on May 12, 2017, only three days after taking office. At that time, the liberal president promised to create only "good jobs" and eradicate temporary positions in the public sector.
"Everyone will have equal opportunities, the process will be fair and the result will be righteous," the president said in his inaugural speech, sending out a message that moved many people who remembered the Korean saying "Efforts do not betray" by heart.
As one of his core election pledges, the plan was meant to ensure fairness and equal treatment for all workers regardless of their employment status.
However, the move seemed to deeply frustrate the country's young people who, believing in fair rules, fiercely compete with each other to secure a spot at a cushy and well-paying public company like Incheon International Airport.
According to a survey by the online job portal site Incruit released on Monday, the company topped the list of companies that university students want to enter the most for the third consecutive year.
Employees strongly protest against a new hiring plan at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on June 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
On the presidential Cheong Wa Dae website, a frustrated petitioner called it "reverse discrimination" and an "unfortunate" development for the country's young people.
"Is it equality to take a spot away from those who work so hard?" the petition read. "How sad it is for all these jobseekers who are building up their credentials and studying hard only for the purpose of entering (the company)?"
As of 9 p.m. Wednesday, more than 205,170 people had signed the petition posted the previous day. Any petition that garners support from more than 200,000 people within a month mandates an official response from Cheong Wa Dae.
According to the statement released by the company Tuesday, among 9,785 workers subject to the status change, 2,143 people from the departments closely related to life and safety, including 1,902 security agents, will be hired directly, while the rest will be hired at its subsidiaries.
Directly hiring the security agents was necessary to protect the core national infrastructure, it said, clarifying that some of them should go through a screening process again. It also said it would proceed with all its hiring process in a fair and transparent manner.
Despite the company's explanation, the prospect of landing a much-envied job -- effortlessly to some -- does not seem to sit well.
Lawmaker Ha Tae-keung of the opposition United Future Party lambasted the company's decision on his Facebook page Tuesday.
He called it an act of "kicking a ladder of opportunity" for "hundreds of thousands of young people" who "study at this hour with bleary eyes."
"Fairness is a belief that young people who work hard get rewarded more than those who work less," he wrote, urging to drop the "no strings attached" hiring plan "before it is too late."
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--(3rd LD) S. Korea grapples with sustained rise in local infections, imported cases

The operator of the ship did not inform South Korea that three of its sailors showed symptoms of high fever @ @ @ @ @ notify the South that the captain who got off the ship a week earlier tested @ @ @ @ @

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 24-26)
SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases spiked again Wednesday as cluster infections in the greater Seoul area and outside the capital continued to increase. A sustained rise in imported cases also put health officials on high alert.
The country added 51 cases, including 31 local infections, raising the total caseload to 12,535, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
The tally marked a rise from 46 new cases reported Tuesday and 17 additional cases Monday, the lowest in almost a month.
Of the locally transmitted cases, 19 cases were reported in the densely populated Seoul and nearby metropolitan areas. Eight cases were reported in Daejeon, about 160 kilometers south of Seoul.
A Russia-flagged ship where at least 16 cases of the new coronavirus were reported is docked at a port in South Korea's southeastern city of Busan on June 23, 2020, in this provided photo. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
South Korea, meanwhile, reported 20 additional imported cases. One case came from an arrival from China, where the virus emerged late last year, according to health authorities.
Cluster infections on a Russia-flagged cargo ship docked in the southeastern city of Busan, the country's second-largest city, have emerged as a new source of concern for health authorities.
At least 16 sailors aboard the Ice Stream tested positive for COVID-19. Another sailor on a Russia-flagged vessel that docked near the ship was also infected with the virus.
Group infections tied to the Russian ship laid bare a loophole in quarantine procedures at ports.
Port and quarantine officials permitted the Ice Stream to disembark at a Busan port and unload cargo, but the ship had submitted falsified electronic documents over its quarantine situation.
The operator of the ship did not inform South Korea that three of its sailors showed symptoms of high fever. Russia also did not notify the South that the captain who got off the ship a week earlier tested positive for the virus.
Health officials are conducting virus tests on 175 port workers, repairmen and sailors from another Russian ship who came into contact with the infected crewmembers. No additional related cases have been reported, the KCDC said.
Starting Wednesday, South Korean officials will board ships arriving at Busan ports from Russia to better carry out quarantine checks, according to health authorities.
Except for vessels coming from risk-prone countries like China, Iran and Italy, South Korea has proceeded with quarantine inspections on foreign ships with electronically registered documents.
Russia has reported the third most confirmed cases after the United States and Brazil.
"As for ships that do not report suspected virus cases in advance, the government plans to restrict their port entry and impose fines," Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip said in a briefing.
Imported cases, once the main source of virus cases here, fell to a single-digit figure early this month after the country strengthened quarantine measures on all international arrivals in April.
But such cases have bounced back to double-digit numbers since mid-June.
"As the risk of COVID-19 is rising globally, there is a need to strengthen quarantine procedures at harbors over (ships coming from) high-risk countries after regularly assessing infection risks country by country," KCDC Director Jeong Eun-kyeong said in a briefing.
This photo, taken on June 24, 2020, shows make-shift test sites set up at Kyungpook National University to enable students who show symptoms of COVID-19 to take final exams. (Yonhap)
Still, community spread is the main challenge for health authorities, as sporadic cluster infections have continued to swell since the country relaxed strict social distancing on May 6 on the back of the flattened virus curve.
South Korea has been gripped by multiple and sporadic cluster infections in the greater Seoul area and outside the capital.
Cases tied to a door-to-door sales establishment in southern Seoul reached 205 as of noon, up three cases from the previous day. Infections linked to a door-to-door retailer in Daejeon came to 58, up one case over the past 24 hours.
Those traced to a day care center for seniors in northeastern Seoul rose by two to 47.
The country reported five new cases tied to a meeting of car enthusiasts held near the Han River last week.
Coupang, an e-commerce operator, shut down its distribution center in Icheon, south of Seoul, on Wednesday shortly after a 50-something contract worker was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19.
Last month Coupang closed two warehouses in the nearby cities of Bucheon and Goyang, after workers there tested positive.
The Bucheon facility, where more than 150 people were infected, remains closed, while the Goyang center has resumed operation as no new infection has been reported since the first case last month.
The KCDC has said the Seoul metropolitan area is already in the second wave of the new coronavirus outbreak, warning that the country should brace for a protracted virus fight. The first wave of the virus outbreak gripped the country between February and March.
Amid a continued rise in cluster infections, health authorities warned that they could consider expanding tougher infection preventive measures -- currently in place only in the Seoul metropolitan area -- across the country.
South Korea, meanwhile, reported no additional deaths, bringing the total death toll to 281. The fatality rate was 2.24 percent.
The total number of people released from quarantine after full recoveries stood at 10,930, up 22 from the previous day.
The country has carried out 1,208,597 tests since Jan. 3.
Citizens wait to receive new coronavirus tests at a screening center in Anyang, south of Seoul, in this photo provided by the city of Anyang on June 24, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--(2nd LD) Remains of 147 S. Korean soldiers return home after 70 years

`` The Republic of Korea and the United States will continue their mutual cooperation to pursue the fulfillment of a @ @ @ @ @ remember the sacrifices of the fallen warriors and to bring every last one home , @ @ @ @ @ remarks , adding that the remains of six American soldiers killed in the Korean War @ @ @ @ @ this week 's ceremony in South Korea .

(ATTN: RECASTS dateline, lead with latest info; UPDATES paras 4, 8-9; CHANGES photo; TRIMS)
By Lee Haye-ah and Oh Seok-min
SEOUL/WASHINGTON, June 24 (Yonhap) -- The remains of 147 South Korean service members killed in North Korea in the 1950-53 Korean War returned home from Hawaii on Wednesday.
The remains had been among those brought to the U.S. after joint excavation work in North Korea from 1990-1994, and following the first summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore in June 2018.
Through two joint forensic reviews, South Korea and the United States identified 147 sets as those of South Koreans.
After a solemn ceremony held in Hawaii earlier in the day, the remains were repatriated to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War on Thursday. The heros will be welcomed home in an official ceremony by President Moon Jae-in.
The remains of 147 South Korean soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War are laid on seats inside an aerial tanker to return home at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii on June 23, 2020. The remains had been among those brought to the U.S. after joint excavation work in North Korea from 1990-1994 and following the first summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore in June 2018. The Defense Media Agency provided this photo. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"We pay tribute to our Korean War veterans and their families, along with the families of service members missing in action and the fallen, who marched into battle to protect and defend the region," Adm. Phil Davidson, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said in keynote remarks during the ceremony held at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
"We honor them today as the embodiment of the ideals of our nations, those of our allies who fought as brothers in arms to deter aggression, defend sovereignty and protect individual human rights," he said.
Of the 147 sets, one was placed before the attendees in a box draped with a U.S. flag. During the ceremony, the box was rewrapped first with the flag of the United Nations Command, which is responsible for the repatriation of Korean War remains under the Armistice Agreement of July 27, 1953, and then with the South Korean flag.
The box was later carried to the South Korean Air Force's KC-330 aircraft along with the other 146 sets, and arrived at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, southeast of the capital.
Six Air Force fighters were mobilized to provide air cover when the aircraft entered Korea's air defense identification zone, in honor of the fallen soldiers, according to Seoul's defense ministry.
On behalf of the South Korean government and people, Vice Defense Minister Park Jae-min said he is grateful for the opportunity to repatriate the remains.
"The Republic of Korea and the United States will continue their mutual cooperation to pursue the fulfillment of a nation's sacred duty to remember the sacrifices of the fallen warriors and to bring every last one home," he said in his remarks, adding that the remains of six American soldiers killed in the Korean War will be returned home during this week's ceremony in South Korea.
Tuesday's repatriation marked the fourth of its kind, bringing the total number of returned sets of remains to 239.
The defense ministry said it will work to identify the remains individually. Seven sets have already been identified and will be returned to the families.
The Korean War broke out on June 25, 1950, when North Korean troops, backed by the Soviet Union, invaded the South.
Around 140,000 South Korean troops were killed in action, and some 450,000 others were injured during the war. The number of fallen South Korean troops whose remains have yet to be recovered stands at around 123,000.
Around 1.95 million people from 22 countries, including the U.S., Britain, Canada and Turkey, also took part in the three-year war, including six countries that extended medical support. Of them, 37,902 were killed and 103,460 wounded, according to government data.
This screenshot of the U.S. Department of Defense's livestream of a repatriation ceremony in Hawaii on June 23, 2020, shows a box of remains of a South Korean soldier killed in the 1950-53 Korean War being rewrapped with the flag of the United Nations Command. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--Actor Woo Do-hwan to start military service next month

`` Due to safety and health reasons , the location and time for Woo 's entrance to the military camp @ @ @ @ @ official media or farewell events , '' his agency , KeyEast , said in a @ @

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korean star actor Woo Do-hwan will join the military on July 6, his agency said Wednesday.
Woo, 27, debuted in 2011 and rose to stardom after starring in the hit television series "The King: Eternal Monarch" this year and the film "The Divine Fury" in 2019.
"Due to safety and health reasons, the location and time for Woo's entrance to the military camp will be kept closed without official media or farewell events," his agency, KeyEast, said in a statement.
Woo posted a handwritten letter on Instagram to thank his fans before taking leave.
"Thank you for standing by and supporting me in my entire 20s. My 20s couldn't have been happier," he wrote.
South Korean actor Woo Do-hwan attends a press conference for the film "The Divine Fury" in Seoul on July 22, 2019. (Yonhap)
jwc@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--(3rd LD) S. Korean trade minister announces bid to become next WTO chief

Asked about criticism by the U.S. about the WTO , Yoo replied , `` The U.S. stance is that a @ @ @ @ @ ( the WTO ) should become the director-general of the WTO . ''

(ATTN: ADDS more info in 3rd para; RECASTS 13rd para)
SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee on Wednesday announced her bid for the top job of the World Trade Organization (WTO), saying she would make her utmost efforts to reshape the final arbiter in trade disputes if she is elected.
Yoo's bid comes as the WTO is mired in its biggest crisis since it was created in 1995 over growing uncertainties in global rules on trade between nations and fragile collaboration among member nations.
She registered her candidacy with the WTO Secretariat in Geneva on Wednesday, according to the South Korean diplomatic mission in Geneva.
"I will vow to restore the WTO system that faces the biggest crisis since it was launched," Yoo told reporters.
Yoo said South Korea could help reduce friction between trading nations at a time when the global economy is hit by a trade dispute between the United States and China.
Asked about criticism by the U.S. about the WTO, Yoo replied, "The U.S. stance is that a well-qualified person who can reform (the WTO) should become the director-general of the WTO."
Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee announces her bid for the top job of the WTO on June 24, 2020. (Yonhap)
Since early this month, the WTO has started the process to pick a new head, as Brazil's Roberto Azevedo is set to step down in August, about a year before his term ends.
The foreign ministry said it would "actively" support Yoo's bid.
"When a South Korean becomes a candidate for an international organization, the foreign ministry carries out various activities to support the bid, depending on the strategic importance of the position," a ministry official said on condition of anonymity.
"When it comes to the WTO director-general post, our diplomatic missions in WTO member states and Geneva will actively support her campaign," the official added.
As Yoo made her bid, she became the third South Korean to run for the top post of the Geneva-based trade body.
Two South Koreans made unsuccessful bids in 1994 and 2012, respectively.
So far, the WTO has received five candidates -- from South Korea, Egypt, Mexico, Nigeria and Moldova -- according to the ministry.
Yoo, a veteran negotiator in trade talks, was appointed as South Korea's trade minister in February last year.
Yoo has often been referred to as the "devil's advocate" and as a counterpoint to her predecessor, Kim Hyung-chong. Sources said that while Kim takes a more aggressive approach during negotiations, Yoo tends to be more circumspect.
Yoo is fluent in English and served as the presidential office's spokesperson for foreign correspondents.
She was the first woman to become a first-rank staff in the 70-year history of the trade ministry in 2018.
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--(2nd LD) S. Korean trade minister announces bid to become next WTO chief

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 7-9)
SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee on Wednesday announced her bid for the top job of the World Trade Organization (WTO), saying she would make her utmost efforts to reshape the final arbiter in trade disputes if she is elected.
Yoo's bid comes as the WTO is mired in its biggest crisis since it was created in 1995 over growing uncertainties in global rules on trade between nations and fragile collaboration among member nations.
"I will vow to restore the WTO system that faces the biggest crisis since it was launched," Yoo told reporters.
Yoo said South Korea could help reduce friction between trading nations at a time when the global economy is hit by a trade dispute between the United States and China.
Asked about criticism by the U.S. about the WTO, Yoo replied, "The U.S. stance is that a well-qualified person who can reform (the WTO) should become the director-general of the WTO."
Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee announces her bid for the top job of the WTO on June 24, 2020. (Yonhap)
Since early this month, the WTO has started the process to pick a new head, as Brazil's Roberto Azevedo is set to step down in August, about a year before his term ends.
The foreign ministry said it would "actively" support Yoo's bid.
"When a South Korean becomes a candidate for an international organization, the foreign ministry carries out various activities to support the bid, depending on the strategic importance of the position," a ministry official said on condition of anonymity.
"When it comes to the WTO director-general post, our diplomatic missions in WTO member states and Geneva will actively support her campaign," the official added.
As Yoo made her bid, she became the third South Korean to run for the top post of the Geneva-based trade body.
Two South Koreans made unsuccessful bids in 1994 and 2012, respectively.
So far, the WTO has received four candidates -- from Egypt, Mexico, Nigeria and Moldova -- according to the ministry.
Yoo, a veteran negotiator in trade talks, was appointed as South Korea's trade minister in February last year.
Yoo has often been referred to as the "devil's advocate" and as a counterpoint to her predecessor, Kim Hyung-chong. Sources said that while Kim takes a more aggressive approach during negotiations, Yoo tends to be more circumspect.
Yoo is fluent in English and served as the presidential office's spokesperson for foreign correspondents.
She was the first woman to become a first-rank staff in the 70-year history of the trade ministry in 2018.
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--Korean Air pilot tests positive for coronavirus

Three fellow cockpit crew members who worked with the pilot were tested for the coronavirus .
Two of them tested @ @ @ @ @ person is waiting for the test result , she said .

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- A pilot of Korean Air Lines Co. has been diagnosed with the new coronavirus, the company said Wednesday, adding to the woes of the national flag carrier.
The pilot tested positive Tuesday for COVID-19 after showing symptoms of the virus during his vacation that began on June 18, a Korean Air spokeswoman said by phone.
Three fellow cockpit crew members who worked with the pilot were tested for the coronavirus. Two of them tested negative, and the third person is waiting for the test result, she said.
This photo, taken on May 26, 2020, shows Korean Air planes at Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)
Two cabin crew members tested positive for the respiratory illness after serving on the Incheon-Los Angeles route in February and March, respectively.
Korean Air has suspended more than 90 percent of its flights on international routes since March, as more than 180 countries strengthened entry restrictions on incoming passengers due to virus fears.
In March, the airline offered a voluntary unpaid leave program to its employees for up to three months as the coronavirus outbreak sharply drove down air travel demand and began to affect its earnings.
In April, Korean Air had 70 percent of its 20,000-strong workforce take paid leave for six months, and it is in the process of selling non-core assets to secure cash.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--S. Korean defense minister denies Bolton's claim on defense cost-sharing deal

In his controversial memoir , `` The Room Where It Happened , '' Bolton recalled that Trump threatened to pull @ @ @ @ @ if Seoul did not pay US $ 5 billion under a defense cost-sharing deal , @ @ @ @ @ previous Special Measures Agreement ( SMA ) deal .
In the previous SMA , which @ @ @ @ @ last year , Seoul agreed to pay about $ 870 million .

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's defense chief rejected Wednesday former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton's claim that President Donald Trump threatened to pull out U.S. Forces Korea if Seoul refused to dramatically increase its financial contribution to the costs of stationing the troops.
In his controversial memoir, "The Room Where It Happened," Bolton recalled that Trump threatened to pull American troops from South Korea if Seoul did not pay US$5 billion under a defense cost-sharing deal, a staggering increase from their previous Special Measures Agreement (SMA) deal. In the previous SMA, which expired at the end of last year, Seoul agreed to pay about $870 million.
"There was no such discussion at all during the negotiations on defense cost sharing," Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo said when asked during a plenary session of the parliamentary committee on legislation and judiciary to verify Bolton's claim.
Commenting on North Korea's decision on Wednesday to suspend "military action plans" against South Korea, the minister said, "North Korea said it will put off military actions toward the South, but I think they should entirely be withdrawn."
He added it is the government's consistent position that two inter-Korean agreements signed between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un -- the Panmunjom Declaration and a military agreement -- should be obeyed by the countries without fail.
Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo speaks during a parliamentary session on June 24, 2020. (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--S. Korea, China hold video talks on fisheries cooperation

The meeting was the 14th of its kind to be held between the two neighbors since they launched a working-level @ @ @ @ @ a channel to strengthen cooperation in areas including illegal fishing , maritime accidents and preservation @ @ @

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- Officials of South Korea and China held video talks Wednesday to discuss joint efforts to prevent illegal fishing by Chinese boats and to better protect the marine environment, the foreign ministry said.
The meeting was the 14th of its kind to be held between the two neighbors since they launched a working-level consultation group in 2012 as a channel to strengthen cooperation in areas including illegal fishing, maritime accidents and preservation of fisheries.
In Wednesday's talks, South Korea called on China to render greater cooperation for joint patrol efforts in the Yellow Sea so as to stamp out illegal fishing by Chinese boats.
China said that it has increased patrols to improve the environment for fishing operations, noting that cases of illegal fishing by Chinese fishermen have declined in recent years.
The two sides also agreed to work closely together to root out illegal fishing in waters near the Northern Limit Line (NLL), the de facto maritime border with North Korea, and to preserve marine resources and the ecosystem.
Government officials of South Korea and China hold video talks on fisheries cooperation in this photo provided by Seoul's foreign ministry on June 24, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--FM says COVID-19 recovery should be aligned with push to tackle climate change

`` We must ensure that short-term recovery measures are aligned with our longer-term ambition to tackle climate change .
That @ @ @ @ @ start we need to make sure that we are on a sure path to fully @ @ @ @ @ achieving the SDGs , '' she added .

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Wednesday that efforts to recover from the economic fallout of the new coronavirus should be aligned with the "long-term ambition to tackle climate change."
Kang made the remarks as South Korea is pushing for the Green New Deal, an environmentally friendly initiative aimed at paving the way for sustainable economic recovery from the COVID-19 public health crisis.
"The basic premise (of the Green New Deal) is clear: We cannot return to the old habits and we must build back the economy better and greener," Kang said during the Green Round Table forum, a Seoul-led initiative to advance the climate change agenda.
"We must ensure that short-term recovery measures are aligned with our longer-term ambition to tackle climate change. That is, from the very start we need to make sure that we are on a sure path to fully implementing the Paris Agreement and achieving the SDGs," she added.
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha speaks during the Green Round Table, a South Korea-led initiative to advance the climate change agenda, in Seoul on June 24, 2020. (Yonhap)
Adopted in December 2015, the Paris agreement aims to keep global temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial times, so as to stave off the disastrous impacts of climate change.
SDGs refer to the Sustainable Development Goals aimed at ending poverty, fighting inequality and injustice and tackling climate change by 2030.
The minister cast the COVID-19 pandemic as a "painful reminder" of the vulnerabilities of human beings to the novel virus and called for countries to pay more attention to the climate change issue.
"COVID-19 should be taken as nature's warning that it cannot guarantee the future of humanity if we don't reverse course and start caring for its climate much more vigorously and urgently," Kang said.
"If we do not achieve the transition towards decarbonization through green recovery measures, nature may no longer care for us," she added.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--(Yonhap Interview) Ballerina Park Sun-mi knows how to enjoy nervousness on stage

She recalled the time when she was up to compete in the final round of the Moscow competition held at @ @ @ @ @ years ago .
When she stood on the stage , the light turned on and @ @ @ @ @ .
It was so beautiful that her stress and tension were removed at once , @ @ @

By Kim Boram
SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- For South Korean dancers, like Park Sun-mi who has led her career only in her home country since she was nine years old, joining a world-renowned ballet company is a dream too hard to realize.
Her outstanding competition results, however, have given her a chance to take a shortcut to go abroad. She won the first prize in the junior duet section at the Moscow International Ballet Competition in 2017 and finished third at the 2018 Youth American Grand Prix.
She has been highlighted by South Korean media as an up-and-coming dancer.
Last year, she entered the American Ballet Theater (ABT) Studio Company, the New York-based organization's secondary training troupe for young potential dancers before they become a member of the top-tier company.
Ballerina Park Sun-mi, in a photo provided by the dancer (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"In the ABT Studio, I was given a lot of opportunities to participate in various projects," she said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday. "But I need to practice quickly."
The urgent mission was similar to those she used to complete in high school and university in South Korea.
"It is difficult to perform a piece after a short workout" she said. "But it gave me plenty of onstage experiences and let me learn sets of choreography quickly."
Despite a number of performances as a young ballerina, the prolific dancer still feels nervous before taking the first step on the stage.
"Even before a small performance, I become jittery and tense every time," she said. "I try to space out and solely focus on dancing."
She recalled the time when she was up to compete in the final round of the Moscow competition held at the historic Bolshoi Theater three years ago. When she stood on the stage, the light turned on and she saw the whole theater. It was so beautiful that her stress and tension were removed at once, she said.
"It was the first time that I felt happy to dance and be a ballet dancer," she said. "I want to embrace this feeling in mind and keep dancing happily and joyfully in the future."
The ballerina Park Sun-mi dances, in a photo provided by Park. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)


Yonhap News Summary

It was unclear what all these moves mean , including whether it means Pyongyang has decided to put its anger @ @ @ @ @ so , why it decided to do so after weeks of bellicose threats and rhetoric @ @ @ @ @ dramatic blowing up of a joint liaison office building .

The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday.
-----------------
(2nd LD) N.K. suspends military action plans, halts threats against S. Korea
SEOUL -- North Korea suspended "military action plans" against South Korea, removed propaganda loudspeakers reinstalled along the border just three days earlier and deleted anti-Seoul articles en masse from media outlets, a surprise about-face after weeks of harsh rhetoric and threats.
It was unclear what all these moves mean, including whether it means Pyongyang has decided to put its anger behind it, and if so, why it decided to do so after weeks of bellicose threats and rhetoric, including last week's dramatic blowing up of a joint liaison office building.
-----------------
(2nd LD) Busan gripped with virus fear following mass infections of Russian sailors
SEOUL/BUSAN -- Fears of the coronavirus epidemic are rapidly spreading among citizens in Busan after it has been reported that at least 17 Russian sailors found to be infected with the virus after arriving in the southern port city on Sunday came into contact with over 200 Korean dock workers.
Some critics said Wednesday that contacts between infected Russians and Korean port workers could have been prevented if Busan's port authorities had conducted a thorough quarantine inspection for the cargo ship arriving from Russia, where confirmed COVID-19 cases have exceeded 590,000.
-----------------
(2nd LD) S. Korea grapples with sustained rise in local infections, imported cases
SEOUL -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases spiked again Wednesday as cluster infections in the greater Seoul area and outside the capital continued to increase. A sustained rise in imported cases also put health officials on high alert.
The country added 51 cases, including 31 local infections, raising the total caseload to 12,535, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
-----------------
(2nd LD) N. Korea seen removing loudspeakers from border areas: officials
SEOUL -- North Korea was seen removing multiple propaganda loudspeakers reinstalled recently along the border with South Korea, officials said Wednesday, after leader Kim Jong-un ordered the suspension of military action plans against the South.
The North recently set up around 20 to 30 loudspeakers in border areas after threatening to take military action against what it called "the enemy" in anger over Seoul's failure to stop defectors from sending anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets across the border.
-----------------
(2nd LD) KLPGA practice round canceled after recent visitor tests positive for coronavirus
SEOUL -- An official practice round for a South Korean women's golf tournament was canceled on Wednesday after the event organizers learned that a recent visitor to the competition venue tested positive for the novel coronavirus, though the actual tournament will begin as scheduled on Thursday.
The Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour announced on Wednesday that the practice round for the BC Card Hankyung Ladies Cup at the Fortune Hills Country Club in Pocheon, some 45 kilometers north of Seoul, will not take place later in the day as scheduled.
-----------------
(LEAD) S. Korean trade minister announces bid to become next WTO chief
SEOUL -- South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee on Wednesday announced her bid for the top job of the World Trade Organization (WTO), saying she would make her utmost efforts to reshape the final arbiter in trade disputes if she is elected.
Yoo's bid comes as the WTO is mired in its biggest crisis since it was created in 1995 over growing uncertainties in global rules on trade between nations and fragile collaboration among member nations.
-----------------
Chinese spy plane enters S. Korea's air defense zone
SEOUL -- A Chinese military plane entered South Korea's air defense identification zone (KADIZ) earlier this week, prompting Seoul to scramble a fighter jet in response, military sources said Wednesday.
The Chinese plane, presumed to be a Y-9 aircraft, entered the zone Monday morning in the area south of South Korea's southern island of Jeju and south of the easternmost islets of Dokdo before moving into the Japanese air defense identification zone, according to the sources.
-----------------
BTS producer Bang Si-hyuk hopes 'I-Land' yields next-gen K-pop superstars
SEOUL -- Bang Si-hyuk, the creative force behind K-pop giant BTS, said Wednesday he's excited to unearth and develop fresh new K-pop talent in the upcoming idol survival show "I-Land."
"In the past decade, what people want to see in K-pop artists has changed a lot, while the industry has seen drastic improvements in terms of standards," Bang, head of Big Hit Entertainment, said at press conference for "I-Land" held at the program's production set in Paju, northwest of Seoul. The press conference was streamed to the press on a closed YouTube channel.
jwc@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--'Comfort women' support group holds firm on weekly rally despite recent woes

The weekly rally has since taken place at the same spot for the past 28 years , with only a @ @ @ @ @ when the Great Hanshin earthquake hit Japan in 1995 .
At that time , protestors @ @ @ @ @ of earthquake victims .
In December 2011 , the statue was erected at the spot @ @ @ @ @ .

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean civic group working for the rights of wartime sex slaves held its weekly protest a few meters away from its usual site on a rainy Wednesday, refusing to give in to external pressure and vowing to continue its historic rally.
The protest marked the first of its kind since its launch in 1992 that did not take place at its usual site -- in front of the bronze Statue of Peace located just across the site of the former Japanese Embassy in downtown Seoul.
"We stand here as ever today, a really sad day when anti-historic and anti-humanity acts are deeply harming the dignity and honor of the victims," said Lee Na-young, president of the rally organizer, the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan (Korean Council).
"We have long endured the turbulent history. But now we aren't able to come near the statue and are just watching the deep valley of sadness," Lee said in the pouring rain.
A weekly Wednesday protest and an opposing one take place at the same time around the Statue of Peace in front of the former Japanese Embassy in Seoul on June 24, 2020. (Yonhap)
Earlier this week, it became known that the opposing, conservative civic group Freedom Solidarity had reserved the protest spot in a symbolic move to challenge it, the culmination of months of mounting tension and turmoil.
Under the relevant law, protestors have to report a rally in advance, along with a specific protest site. If a group reserves a venue, others cannot hold a rally at the exact same place.
The weekly protest started in January 1992 in front of the Embassy of Japan in Seoul to coincide with a visit by then Japanese Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa. Protestors demanded a formal apology from Japan for drafting Korean women against their will to work in military brothels during World War II.
Participants in the first protest declared at that time that they would hold a protest every Wednesday until the Japanese government acknowledged forced sexual servitude and apologized to the victims.
The weekly rally has since taken place at the same spot for the past 28 years, with only a handful of exceptions, including when the Great Hanshin earthquake hit Japan in 1995. At that time, protestors skipped the rally in honor of earthquake victims. In December 2011, the statue was erected at the spot to commemorate the 1000th rally.
The protest site has become so symbolic that no other protestors have sought to hold rallies there, though some groups did hold their own protests near the site to sabotage the Wednesday rally.
Students stage a sit-in protest around a statue symbolizing "comfort women" in Seoul on June 24, 2020, amid rainfall, to protect the statue from members of a conservative civic organization that calls for the statue's removal. Comfort women refer to Asian victims of the Japanese army's sexual slavery during World War II. (Yonhap)
The Korean Council has recently come under fire after a slew of allegations suggested that the group misused funds meant for aging victims, euphemistically called "comfort women."
In April, Lee Yong-soo, one of the few surviving victims, publicly blamed lawmaker Yoon Mee-hyang, the former head of the council, and the group for mistreating her and other victims. Now only 17 victims, mostly in their 80s and 90s, are still alive.
"We will stand firm here even though we are pushed aside, suppressed and hurt," Lee said, because that is how "we can run the legacy of the late victims who sacrificed their lives to find the truth."
Most activists who attended the rally voiced in unison that the grassroots movement of 28 years to set wartime history right and honor the victims should not be dismissed, even though there might have been some "unintentional" errors while running the group.
The Gyeonggi Solidarity for the Statue of Peace expressed sadness and outrage at not being able to hold the rally at its symbolic spot.
"While the group should take responsibility for any wrongdoing, the history of the 30-year-old movement to solve the issue of the comfort women should not be denied or denigrated," it said.
The opposing Freedom of Solidarity held the protest in front of the statue, with about 100 supporters, demanding the council disband and the statue be removed.
Some 400 policemen were deployed to prevent any physical clashes between the two groups from occurring, but no collision was reported. About 20 university students tied themselves to the statue with a rope to protect it from sabotage efforts.
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-06-24--Actor Park Bo-gum to join Navy in August: officials

Last month , the 26 year-old celebrity applied for a naval military band and honor guard unit .
After going @ @ @ @ @ interview , he was deemed qualified to be a member specializing in piano , according @ @ @ @

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- Actor Park Bo-gum is expected to join the Navy's military band in August to fulfill his mandatory military service, officials said Wednesday.
Last month, the 26 year-old celebrity applied for a naval military band and honor guard unit. After going through a performance test and interview, he was deemed qualified to be a member specializing in piano, according to the officials.
Park will begin his service on Aug. 31 at the Navy Education and Training Command in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, for basic military training before transferring to the Navy headquarters in the central city of Gyeryong, they added.
The official announcement will be made by the Military Manpower Administration on Thursday.
All able-bodied South Korean men are required to serve about two years in the military.
Park graduated from Myongji University in Seoul majoring in musical performance and film.
He debuted in the 2011 film "Blind" and rose to stardom after appearing in the cable channel tvN soap opera "Reply 1988."
South Korean actor Park Bo-gum, who starred in the drama "Encounter," poses for a photo prior to an interview with Yonhap News Agency in Seoul on Jan. 28, 2019. (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)