yna--2020-10-23--Retail investors incur big losses from foreign derivative investments in H1

The amount is almost double their 2019 loss of some 416 billion won .
Comparable losses were 782 billion won @ @ @ @ @ won in 2017 and 347 billion won in 2016 , showed the data provided to @ @ @ @ @ an annual parliamentary inspection of the financial watchdog .

SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korean retail investors' losses from investments in overseas financial derivatives nearly doubled in the first half of the year from a year earlier, data showed Friday.
Local individual investors suffered a combined loss of 880 billion won (US$775 million) from their exposure to exchange-traded futures, options and other derivatives in the January-June period, according to the data from the Financial Supervisory Service.
The amount is almost double their 2019 loss of some 416 billion won. Comparable losses were 782 billion won in 2018, 224 billion won in 2017 and 347 billion won in 2016, showed the data provided to a ruling party lawmaker for an annual parliamentary inspection of the financial watchdog.
The lawmaker, Rep. Kim Byung-wook of the Democratic Party, said South Korean retail investors could incur big losses from ill-advised investments in overseas exchange-traded derivatives that are easily available to them.
The data also showed South Korean institutional investors also suffered a combined loss of 3.86 trillion won from investments in overseas derivatives in the first half, a sharp turnaround from a 2.41 trillion-won profit.
(END)


yna--2020-10-23--New virus cases spike to over 150 as cluster infections pile up

Under Level 1 measures , citizens are permitted to normalize most of their daily routines , with some infection prevention @ @ @ @ @ risk-prone facilities , including clubs and bars , are allowed to operate after monthslong suspension @ @ @ @ @ entry logs and follow sanitary measures .

SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases bounced back to an over one-month high Friday as sporadic cluster infections at senior care hospitals and other risk-prone facilities continued to increase.
The country added 155 more COVID-19 cases, including 138 domestic infections, raising the total caseload to 25,698, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
New virus cases stayed above 100 for the second straight day and marked the highest since Sept. 11 when the number of daily virus infections hit 176.
The number of daily local infections also was the largest since Sept. 17 when the figure reached 145.
The uptick in daily new virus cases was largely attributable to continued cluster infections at hospitals and facilities for the elderly, deemed vulnerable to COVID-19.
A patient infected with COVID-19 is moved to an ambulance at a hospital in Gunpo, south of Seoul, for treatment on Oct. 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
The country's new virus infections have been on a downward trend after a flare-up in the number of daily COVID-19 cases for over a month that began in mid-August.
Compared with mid-August and early September when the tally rose by triple digits, the country has largely managed to slow the spread of the virus on the back of tougher social distancing measures.
Last week, the country relaxed its social distancing scheme to the lowest level in its three-tier system, after applying Level 2 measures across the nation since late August.
Under Level 1 measures, citizens are permitted to normalize most of their daily routines, with some infection prevention steps in place. Even risk-prone facilities, including clubs and bars, are allowed to operate after monthslong suspension as long as they keep entry logs and follow sanitary measures.
But continued rises in sporadic cluster infections at facilities for senior citizens have become the biggest huddle in the country's virus fight.
Cases traced to a rehabilitation hospital in Gwangju, south of Seoul, reached 106 as of noon Thursday, up 20 from the previous day. A senior care hospital in the southeastern port city of Busan reported three more patients, raising the total to 84.
Of the newly identified local infections, 19 cases were reported in Seoul, 98 cases in Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital and four cases in Incheon, west of Seoul. The greater Seoul area is home to around half of the nation's 51.6 million population.
Other municipalities reported new infections, with the country's southeastern city of Daegu adding five cases and the southwestern city of Gwangju reporting four new cases.
The country, meanwhile, added 17 imported cases, bringing the total to 3,616. Six cases came from the United States, followed by two each from Bangladesh, Nepal, Kuwait and France.
South Korea reported two additional deaths, raising the death toll to 455. The fatality rate was 1.77 percent.
The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients came to 62 as of midnight, unchanged from the previous day.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 23,717, up 70 from the previous day.
The country has carried out 2,528,621 coronavirus tests since Jan. 3, including 13,296 tests from the previous day.
International arrivals show their passports to officials who wore protective gear at Incheon International Airport, South Korea's main gateway west of Seoul, on Oct. 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-23--N.K. leader sends floral basket to cemetery in China in honor of fallen soldiers

Kim sent floral baskets to the cemetery of `` the martyrs fallen in resisting America and aiding Korea '' in @ @ @ @ @ and to a monument in Dandong City in Liaoning Province , according to the Korean @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent floral baskets to China to pay tribute to fallen soldiers from the 1950-53 Korean War, state media said Friday, in an apparent effort to highlight his strong and friendly relations with the ally.
This came a day after Kim visited the cemetery of fallen Chinese soldiers in the North's South Pyongan Province and paid his respects to mark the anniversary of their participation in the conflict.
Kim sent floral baskets to the cemetery of "the martyrs fallen in resisting America and aiding Korea" in the Chinese city of Shenyang and to a monument in Dandong City in Liaoning Province, according to the Korean Central News Agency.
Ceremonies for laying floral baskets took place on Oct. 22, it added.
"Written on the ribbons of the floral baskets were letters 'Martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteers Will Be Immortal,'" it said.
The North Korean ambassador to China, staff members of the diplomatic missions and other officials working in China attended the ceremony.
China fought alongside the North against South Korean, U.S. and United Nations troops during the Korean War that ended in an armistice on July 27, 1953. They mark the 70th anniversary of China's entry into the war Sunday.
Pyongyang has been seeking to maintain closer ties with its traditional ally amid an impasse in nuclear negotiations with Washington.
Earlier this week, Kim pledged to further boost friendly relations with China in a reply message to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who sent a congratulatory letter to Kim to mark the 75th founding anniversary of the North's ruling Workers' Party.
North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un places a wreath at a cemetery for Chinese soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War in Hoechang, South Pyongan Province, central North Korea, to mark the 70th anniversary of China's entry into the conflict, in which China fought alongside the North, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency on Oct. 22, 2020. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-23--All KBO postseason slots locked up with 1 week left in regular season

The Dinos , who have been in first place since May 13 , the ninth day of the season , @ @ @ @ @ clinching their first regular season title and a direct ticket to the Korean Series .
@ @ @ @ @ Hanwha Eagles 11-6 on Friday and will have another crack against the Twins on Saturday @ @ @ @ @ games left .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- With one week left in the regular season, all five postseason slots have been locked up in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).
An 8-4 loss by the sixth-place Kia Tigers against the LG Twins on Friday ensured that fifth-place Doosan Bears, despite losing to the Kiwoom Heroes 6-2 the same evening, would advance to the playoffs regardless of their results over the rest of the season.
LG Twins players celebrate their 8-4 victory over the Kia Tigers in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul, on Oct. 23, 2020. (Yonhap)
The Bears will have a shot at defending their Korean Series title and winning their fourth championship in six seasons. Also advancing to the postseason are: the NC Dinos, the LG Twins, the KT Wiz and the Kiwoom Heroes. The postseason begins on Nov. 1.
The Dinos, who have been in first place since May 13, the ninth day of the season, are one win away from clinching their first regular season title and a direct ticket to the Korean Series. They lost to the last-place Hanwha Eagles 11-6 on Friday and will have another crack against the Twins on Saturday. The Dinos have six games left.
The Twins, in second place, have three games remaining and trail the Dinos by four games. The Wiz, playoff bound for the first time in their five-year history, are in third place, one game back of the Twins, and have five games to go.
The Heroes have just one game left and will have their finale next Friday against the Bears, who have four games remaining.
KT Wiz players celebrate a run during the top of the sixth inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on Oct. 22, 2020. (Yonhap)
The fourth seed and the fifth seed will play in the Wild Card round. The higher seed will enter with a built-in victory and will only need at least a tie in the first game to advance. The lower seed must win two straight games to reach the next round.
No. 3 team will await the Wild Card winner in the best-of-three first round. The winner will go on to face the No. 2-ranked club in the second round, which is best-of-five.
The regular season champions will await the winner of that second round in the Korean Series, a best-of-seven affair.
The start of the regular season was pushed back by more than a month to May 5 because of the coronavirus pandemic. It ensured that the postseason would begin in November for the first time in league history.
Because of cold weather this time of the year, all postseason games from the second round and onward will be played at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, the country's only domed ballpark, as the neutral venue. It is also the home of the Heroes.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-23--5th Ulju Mountain Film Festival kicks off 10-day run in Ulsan

The film festival , based in the mountainous county of Ulju in the southeastern city of Ulsan , began its @ @ @ @ @ streaming of 128 films from 43 countries on its website at midnight on Thursday .

ULSAN, South Korea, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- The Ulju Mountain Film Festival (UMFF) kicked off this year's celebrations on Friday, bringing together a selection of over 120 nature and adventure themed international movies and documentaries via online streaming and drive-in screenings.
The film festival, based in the mountainous county of Ulju in the southeastern city of Ulsan, began its 10-day run by commencing online streaming of 128 films from 43 countries on its website at midnight on Thursday.
UMFF also held an in-person drive-in screening of the American short documentary "United States of Joe's" at of the Yeongnam Alps Complex Welcoming Center as this year's opening event.
Cars are parked at the drive-in opening screening of the fifth Ulju Mountain Film Festival, a nature and adventure themed international film festival, at the Yeongnam Alps Complex Welcoming Center in Ulsan, 415 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Oct. 23, 2020. (Yonhap)
A car arrives at the drive-in opening screening of the fifth Ulju Mountain Film Festival, a nature and adventure themed international film festival, at the Yeongnam Alps Complex Welcoming Center in Ulsan, 415 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Oct. 23, 2020. (Yonhap)
Now in its fifth year, UMFF decided to hold this year's event primarily through streaming due to concerns over COVID-19. A total of 14 outdoor drive-in screenings will be held throughout the run.
Of the submitted films, 26 works from 18 countries were selected for the international competition section, which is divided into three topics -- Alpinism & Climbing, Adventure & Exploration and Nature & People.
Noteworthy works include "Full Moon" and "Riafn," which centers on human psychology and lyricism, and "The Last Mountain," "Home" and "The Steep Way Up," which present tales of ordinary people overcoming hardships.
The festival will close off this year's celebration with a screening of 2019 French feature-length documentary "Horse Tamer," which depicts the lives of Mongolian nomads from a perspective of cultural anthropology.
A still image from "Hadwin's Judgment," a documentary about the Canadian logging industry, part of this year's selection of the Ulju Mountain Film Festival (UMFF), a nature and adventure themed international film festival in South Korea. Photo provided by UMFF. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
A still image from "Apurimac, The River's Call," a documentary on extreme kayaking, part of this year's selection of the Ulju Mountain Film Festival (UMFF), a nature and adventure themed international film festival in South Korea. Photo provided by UMFF. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-23--Lotte Giants' ace Dan Straily reaches 200 strikeouts in final start of KBO season

`` I was just a little too amped up , trying to strike people out , '' Straily said of @ @ @ @ @ I had to settle in hard and focus on trying to make pitches .
I @ @ @ @ @ at first .
Once I got of the jam , I knew that if I @ @ @ @ @ I would get the fourth strikeout ( to reach 200 for the season ) .
@

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- Lotte Giants' ace Dan Straily became the first Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) pitcher in eight years to reach 200 strikeouts in a season on Friday.
Straily struck out nine batters over six shutout innings in a 3-0 victory over the SK Wyverns at SK Happy Dream Park in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul. The former major league pitcher wrapped up his first KBO season with 205 strikeouts in 194 2/3 innings over 31 starts.
By improving to 15-4, Straily also became the first foreign pitcher in Giants' history to win at least 15 games in a season. He lowered his ERA from 2.58 to 2.50.
The last KBO pitcher to surpass the 200-strikeout mark was current Toronto Blue Jays starter Ryu Hyun-jin, who struck out 210 in 182 2/3 innings for the Hanwha Eagles in 2012.
This file photo from Oct. 18, 2020, shows Dan Straily of the Lotte Giants pitching against the NC Dinos in the bottom of the first inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)
He entered the game with 196 Ks for the year, and got his No. 200 against Choi Ji-hoon to start the top of the third inning.
Straily is only the second foreign pitcher in KBO history to reach 200 strikeouts, joining former Wyvners pitcher Fernando Hernandez, who had 215 Ks in 233 2/3 innings in 2001.
The Giants, who have six games remaining, were eliminated from postseason contention earlier this week. Instead of pushing their ace through another start in a meaningless game next week, the Giants have decided to shut down the 31-year-old.
The Giants contemplated doing so after Straily's previous start last Sunday. But Straily said Friday that, once he found out how rare 200-strikeout seasons are in the KBO -- there had been only 12 of them by nine pitchers before Straily -- he asked the club if he could have one more start.
"I gave it all I had tonight," Straily said in a postgame interview. "It's great to accomplish that. I've had a lot of things go my way this year and thrown a lot of good pitches."
Straily got into a bases-loaded jam in the second inning, after giving up two walks and a single. He cleaned up his own mess with a strikeout and a groundout to end that rally, and he kept the Wyverns off the board rest of the way.
This file photo from Oct. 7, 2020, shows Dan Straily of the Lotte Giants pitching against the KT Wiz in the top of the first inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Sajik Stadium in Busan, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)
"I was just a little too amped up, trying to strike people out," Straily said of the second-inning adventure. "I had to settle in hard and focus on trying to make pitches. I was just trying too hard at first. Once I got of the jam, I knew that if I could just make pitches, I would get the fourth strikeout (to reach 200 for the season)."
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-23--Japan's latest claims to Dokdo 'baseless': foreign ministry

In the charts produced in 1953 and 1954 , Dokdo , known as Takeshima in Japan , is written as @ @ @ @ @ located in the right side of the dot line that appeared to divide the two @ @ @ @ @ the left and Japan on the right , as a maritime boundary .

SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday refuted Japan's renewed claims to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo and warned of stern a response to the unsubstantiated claims.
"Dokdo is our inherent territory, historically, geographically and by international law," the ministry said in a statement. "We want to make it clear that whatever attempt Japan makes cannot have an influence over our firm territorial sovereignty."
Earlier in the day, the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) unveiled on its website aerial charts from the 1950s made by the United States Air Force in what it claimed to be evidence that South Korea was illegally occupying the islets.
The JIIA is a security think tank affiliated with Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and also collects and studies materials related to their history, territory and sovereignty.
This image from the website of the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) shows part of an aerial chart made by the U.S. Air Force in 1954. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (YONHAP)
This image from the website of the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) shows part of an aerial chart made by the U.S. Air Force in 1953. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (YONHAP)
In the charts produced in 1953 and 1954, Dokdo, known as Takeshima in Japan, is written as The Liancourt Rocks and is located in the right side of the dot line that appeared to divide the two countries, South Korean on the left and Japan on the right, as a maritime boundary.
In the website post, the institute claimed that the charts were the first two official documents in which the U.S. government recognized Dokdo as part of Japan's territory since the Treaty of San Francisco in 1951.
During a press conference in the day, the institute said it found the two charts from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and that they were evidence that the U.S. recognized the islets as Japan's territory.
But experts say the institute's such claims are farfetched as the dot line is too arbitrary and informal to be recognized as a sea border. Moreover, the charts show that Dokdo belongs to the South Korean air defense identification zone (KADIZ).
Japan has long made territorial claims to Dokdo, which has been one of the thorniest diplomatic issues between Seoul and Tokyo.
The ministry said Japan cannot make "unjust territorial claims" based on such materials presented by the JIIA. "The government will firmly respond to Japan's outrageous claims while keeping to inform the international community of our sovereignty over Dokdo and the baselessness of Japan's claims" it said.
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-23--(3rd LD) Gov't to continue free vaccine program, finds no connection with deaths

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency ( KDCA ) announced that it has so far analyzed the causes of @ @ @ @ @ who died after receiving vaccination shots but has found no connection between the shots and @ @ @

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with details of KDCA's latest findings)
SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- The government said Friday it will continue its state-led free flu vaccination program despite mounting concerns from deaths following administration of vaccines, stating that it hasn't identified a causal link between the deaths and the flu shots.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced that it has so far analyzed the causes of the deaths of 26 people who died after receiving vaccination shots but has found no connection between the shots and the deaths.
The agency said it will continue with the free vaccine program as planned. A KDCA expert committee on inoculation will gather on Saturday to further analyze its findings.
Concerns over seasonal flu shots grew further from the swelling number of deaths after vaccinations, with health experts remaining divided over whether to go ahead with a state-led free shot program amid a potential "twindemic" of the new coronavirus and the flu.
Since the first suspected death from a flu shot was reported last Friday, 36 have died as of 1 p.m. Friday, up nine from Thursday's tally at 4 p.m., according to KDCA.
Despite growing flu shot concerns, South Korea's health authorities have reaffirmed that the state-initiated seasonal flu shot program will continue, citing no direct link between flu shots and deaths.
"The reported tally just counts deaths after vaccinations, and it does not mean the deaths were caused by flu shots," KDCA said in a statement.
Some municipalities have recently ordered medical institutions in their region to temporarily halt flu vaccinations following recent death cases. However, KDCA said municipal officials should not make such decisions without consulting with health authorities.
This photo taken on Oct. 22, 2020, shows flu vaccines at a public health clinic in Jangseong, South Jeolla Province. (Yonhap)
The country has been pushing for a free state flu shot scheme to inoculate some 19 million people, including teenagers and senior citizens.
KDCA said a thorough investigation is under way to find the exact cause of the recent deaths, as well as epidemiological investigations, including autopsies, into nine cases.
The free vaccination program -- which was expanded this year in an effort to prevent the potential "twindemic" during the winter -- was joined by five major drugmakers, including GC Pharma and Ilyang Pharmaceutical Co.
Health experts agree that people should take flu shots before influenza season arrives here since more deaths can occur from serious complications triggered by the flu, such as pneumonia.
About 3,000 deaths related to flu complications are reported annually in South Korea.
Generally, flu season arrives between end-November and December. Considering that flu vaccines cause antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after vaccination, experts here recommend people get flu shots by mid-November.
However, experts are divided on whether people should take flu shots "immediately" at this moment when more suspected deaths are being reported nationwide in a relatively short period of time.
The Korean Medical Association (KMA) said the government should consider postponing the nationwide flu shot program for about a week, but the Korean Vaccine Society insisted that inoculations need to be continued since no causal links between vaccines and the recent deaths have been confirmed.
"We agree that flu vaccinations should continue," said Min Yang-ki, a KMA official. "We are not calling the government to completely halt the vaccination, but to temporarily suspend it for about one week to find out the exact cause."
A man gets a flu shot at a building of the Korea Association of Health Promotion in Seoul on Oct. 19, 2020. (Yonhap)
"It's not a logical approach to stop vaccinations just because there were deaths," said Kim Woo-joo, a professor of infectious medicine at Korea University Guro Hospital in Seoul.
"Those in high-risk groups, such as the elderly, have increasing possibility of death when flu symptoms aggravate, so they should get vaccinated. However, we should make a comfortable and safe environment for them to receive flu shots," he said.
The government earlier said it appears that the vaccine itself has no problem because many others who received the same vaccine that the deceased had been inoculated with showed no major abnormal responses.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-23--S. Korea to provide US$10 mln in aid for Rohingya refugees

In the session , Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho called for an increase in emergency aid for the Rohingya @ @ @ @ @ in measures to help Myanmar 's Rakhine region develop and strengthen social unity , the @ @ @

SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to provide US$10 million in humanitarian assistance to support Rohingya refugees who fled from Myanmar and hosting countries in the region, the foreign ministry said Friday.
Seoul made the pledge on Thursday during the virtual session of the Conference on Sustaining Support for the Rohingya Refugee Response, a multilateral channel set up to discuss humanitarian aid and other support measures for the ethnic minority.
In the session, Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho called for an increase in emergency aid for the Rohingya, and for more support in measures to help Myanmar's Rakhine region develop and strengthen social unity, the ministry said.
According to the U.N. Office of Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs, about 1 million Rohingya refugees fled to southeastern Bangladesh, Malaysia, India and other countries in the region since the 2017 crackdown by Myanmar's military.
Myanmar has claimed that the operations were to root out Rohingya militants.
Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho speaks during a virtual session of the Conference on Sustaining Support for the Rohingya Refugee Response on Oct. 22, 2020, in this photo provided by his office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-23--Probe underway over bribery allegations in 'emperor-like' military service case

In August , military police sent the case to the prosecution following an initial investigation after a petition on the @ @ @ @ @ the conscript enjoyed a variety of privileges , including having a noncommissioned officer do errands @ @ @ @ @ result of his father 's position as a vice chairman of a major financial firm @

SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- Military prosecutors are investigating bribery allegations in a case involving an enlisted airman accused of having received preferential treatment thanks to his father's influence, the Air Force chief said Friday.
In August, military police sent the case to the prosecution following an initial investigation after a petition on the presidential office website claimed that the conscript enjoyed a variety of privileges, including having a noncommissioned officer do errands for him, as a result of his father's position as a vice chairman of a major financial firm.
"The military prosecution is investigating the case, including parts related to bribery allegations," Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Lee Seong-yong said during a parliamentary audit session, without giving further details.
The case, dubbed in the media the "emperor-like" military service, sparked a public uproar and the father of the airman stepped down from his position shortly after the allegations surfaced.
When the police wrapped up their investigation and sent the case to the prosecution, they sought indictment over allegations the conscript went AWOL five times but said there was no evidence to prove that preferential treatment was given.
The military police also recommended the prosecution not indict other officers involved in the case over preferential treatment allegations, though saying disciplinary measures will be sought for their failure to properly supervise and monitor the enlistee's behavior.
"We will thoroughly look into the case and transparently reveal the details," Lee said, vowing to promptly carry out the investigation.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Lee Seong-yong speaks during a parliamentary audit session at the National Assembly in Seoul on Oct. 23, 2020. (Yonhap)
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-23--Red Cross chief calls for joint medical research with N.K.

SEOUL , Oct. 23 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korea needs to ditch its long-held approach of providing one-sided aid @ @ @ @ @ `` hurt its pride '' and instead seek such projects as joint medical research equally @ @ @ @ @ Koreas , the head of Seoul 's Red Cross said Friday .

SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korea needs to ditch its long-held approach of providing one-sided aid to North Korea that could "hurt its pride" and instead seek such projects as joint medical research equally involving experts from the two Koreas, the head of Seoul's Red Cross said Friday.
Red Cross Chairman Shin Hee-young made the remarks during his presentation at a peace forum in Seoul, calling for a shift to "a new paradigm of inter-Korean cooperation in the field of public health."
"North Korea does not accept medical assistance that has received sanctions exemptions from the United Nations because it believes that humanitarian assistance hurts their pride and is something to be ashamed of," he said.
"If (medical researchers from the two Korea) team up one-on-one and conduct joint research as a partner, it will be easier for the North to accept it," he added.
He stressed that joint research and development (R&D) between the two Koreas can lead to a more sustainable form of exchange.
The North has been pursuing science and technology in recent years and taken interest in registering its academic journals to improve the Science Citation Index (SCI).
Shin pointed out the two Koreas can work together in researching several areas, including parasites and developing new drugs.
The North is presumed to have developed many new medicines from natural resources, he said, pointing out that many native plants exist in the North's Kaema Plateau in South Hamgyong Province.
North Korea has claimed to be coronavirus-free, but it has been relatively swift in enforcing antivirus measures by closing its border earlier this year and toughening quarantining.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, however, recently rejected any offer of outside help, saying that accepting foreign aid could increase the risk of coronavirus infections.
New Red Cross Chairman Shin Hee-young delivers an inauguration speech on Aug. 21, 2020, in this photo provided by South Korea's Red Cross. (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-23--S. Korea, Russia to hold exhibition marking 30th anniv. of diplomatic ties

A ceremony will be held at parliament on Tuesday to mark the launch of the exhibition , where National Assembly @ @ @ @ @ Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho and Russian Ambassador to Seoul Andrey Kulik are expected to be @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- A special exhibition will be held in the National Assembly next week to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Russia, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday.
The off-line exhibition, slated for Monday to Tuesday, will display about 50 rare pictures capturing key historical milestones, such as the leaders' summits and the signing of bilateral agreements, since Seoul and Moscow established the diplomatic ties in 1990.
A ceremony will be held at parliament on Tuesday to mark the launch of the exhibition, where National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug, Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho and Russian Ambassador to Seoul Andrey Kulik are expected to be among the attendees.
After the two-day opening, the exhibition will continue to run virtually from Wednesday, on its website at http:// korussia30.com.
This image, provided by Seoul's foreign ministry on Oct. 23, 2020, shows a promotional poster for the exhibition marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Russia. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-23--'Minari' represents director Chung's love from grandma

`` It 's surprising ( that my film won at Sundance ) .
But I think it was less surprising @ @ @ @ @ that audiences in America can embrace Korean films , '' he said .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ people in general are connecting with Korean content in a strong way .
That 's @ @ @ @ @ things in the U.S . ''

By Kim Boram
SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- Korean-American director Lee Isaac Chung said Friday that his critically acclaimed film, "Minari," represents his lifelong efforts to stay truthful to his own experience and memory.
In an online press conference during the 25th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), he said he was inspired by Willa Cather's novel "My Antonia" when he was writing the script of "Minari" a few years ago.
"It's an American book about how the author grew up on a farm in Nebraska ... and it's a real workout of her memories into a story," said Chung, who participated in the conference from Los Angeles.
"Before that, she was in New York and trying to write books on New York and trying to tell stories that may not be fitting with her actual life," he said.
This image provided by the Busan International Film Festival shows a scene from "Minari." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
After reading the book, he reflected on himself, a Korean-American born in Arkansas, and felt that he had to look into his childhood memories and experiences instead of dealing with unwieldy concepts.
"I felt that I was also trying to do 'New York' film," he said. "I needed to try to be more personal and make a story that is more about my own life."
In his fourth feature, Chung depicts first-generation immigrants from Korea in pursuit of their own American dream from the point view of a 7-year-old boy named David (Alan Kim) and his parents, Jacob (Steven Yeun) and Monica (Han Yeri).
The family's struggle to settle in a tiny Arkansas farming community changes completely with the arrival of their grandmother, Soon-ja (Youn Yuh-hung), from Korea.
A screen shot provided by the secretariat of the Busan International Film Festival shows an online press conference on Oct. 23, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Here, the film's title, "Minari," the Korean word for Chinese celery, matters. When he was a kid, his grandmother planted minari on the family farm in Arkansas and the herb grew well even though other crops faltered.
"This is the only plant that really grew very well on our farms. So it was always growing," he recalled. "To me, that represents the love that I felt from my grandma."
But "Minari," the winner of jury and audience awards at this year's Sundance Film Festival, is not a complete autobiography of his life, but a fictional story that depicts the struggling life of an immigrant family in the United States in the 1980s.
"It's not completely accurate to my family. It's only inspired by it," said Chung. "Once we started to make the film, all of the actors also took the characters and created their own characters with them. There is lots of memory, but there's also creation and fiction."
The Korean-language film has won rave reviews in the U.S. and even been mentioned as a potential candidate for Best Picture at next year's Academy Awards, to be held in April, the director added.
He said it is partly because that Korean content has been getting more acceptable in the U.S. thanks to the Oscar-winning "Parasite."
"It's surprising (that my film won at Sundance). But I think it was less surprising after 'Parasite' to see that audiences in America can embrace Korean films," he said. "I thought it was interesting that people in general are connecting with Korean content in a strong way. That's happening with dramas and other things in the U.S."
Korean-American Director Lee Isaac Chung, in this photo provided by the Busan International Film Festival (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-23--Man sentenced to 2 years in prison for allegedly stalking Go player

`` The nature of the suspect 's crime is very bad to the extent that the victim hired a private @ @ @ @ @ anxiety that she was n't being properly protected under the country 's criminal justice system @ @ @ @ @ of the Seoul Northern District Court said in handing down the sentence .

SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- A Seoul court on Friday sentenced a man to two years in prison on charges of stalking a top female Go player.
The 48-year-old suspect is accused of stalking Cho Hye-yeon, 35, for a year until last April and leaving messages and profanity on the outer wall of her academy teaching Go, called "baduk" in Korean.
"The nature of the suspect's crime is very bad to the extent that the victim hired a private bodyguard due to trauma and anxiety that she wasn't being properly protected under the country's criminal justice system," judge Heo Gyeong-ho of the Seoul Northern District Court said in handing down the sentence.
"However, (the court) took into consideration the fact that (the accused) has a record of being treated for schizophrenia and that some of his offenses were accidental," he added.
This image, provided by Yonhap News TV, illustrates online stalking. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Prosecutors also indicted the man on other charges, including obstruction of business and blackmail. The court convicted him of most of the charges, citing the credibility of the victim's testimony and the same handwriting used to write on the wall.
The suspect pleaded guilty to charges of damaging property, by writing "I miss you" on the academy wall last October, but denied all other charges.
The man allegedly made a scene when he visited the academy and wrote words such as "I love you" and "dirty woman" on the wall.
On three consecutive days in April, he allegedly came to the academy and yelled that he and Cho were to be married.
The man also left threatening comments on online news articles on Cho's victory in a Go competition, according to the court.
The case drew public attention after Cho wrote a petition on Cheong Wa Dae's website in late April, complaining of her mental suffering and lax punishment for stalking.
Stalking is considered a misdemeanor in South Korea and is punished under the minor offenses act.
nyway@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-23--S. Korea to continue to administer remdesivir for COVID-19 patients amid efficacy controversy

By type of side effects , there were three cases of acute increase in liver enzymes , three of skin @ @ @ @ @ and two cases of premature contraction of the ventricles in the heart .
There was @ @ @ @ @ , the data showed .

SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korea said Friday it will continue to administer remdesivir to COVID-19 patients in the face of looming controversy over the efficacy of the antiviral drug.
The decision came as the World Health Organization (WHO) announced last week that its studies showed remdesivir had little or no effect on COVID-19 patients' mortality rates or on reducing the length of their hospital stays.
According to the WHO's "Solidarity" trial, four potential drug regimens, including remdesivir, showed disappointing results in helping with treatment of COVID-19. The other three drug regimens were hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir and interferon.
"We need to maintain the use of remdesivir to treat COVID-19, as its effectiveness is believed to have scientific evidence," the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said in a statement.
Since July, South Korea has administered remdesivir, an experimental drug developed by Gilead Sciences Inc. and conventionally used to treat Ebola, to more than 600 patients here.
The drug safety ministry said it has concluded that the report by the WHO needs further review and that it will continue the use of remdesivir for the time being.
The drug has drawn keen attention around the globe after the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) said its tests showed that the drug "accelerates recovery" of COVID-19 patients.
On Thursday (U.S. time), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved remdesivir for treating coronavirus patients, making it the first and only drug approved for the disease in the United States.
As of end-September, a total of 11 cases of possible remdesivir adverse effects has been reported here.
By type of side effects, there were three cases of acute increase in liver enzymes, three of skin rash, two of hives and two cases of premature contraction of the ventricles in the heart. There was one reported cases of vomiting, the data showed.
South Korea, meanwhile, added 155 more COVID-19 cases on Friday, including 138 domestic infections, raising the total caseload to 25,698, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-23--Koreans give country's response to coronavirus a score of nearly 70: poll

`` South Korean people seem to generally view their response to the coronavirus as successful , attributing the success to @ @ @ @ @ quarantine authorities and medical workers , '' KBS said in its analysis of the poll @ @ @ @ @ poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.1 percentage points with a @ @ @ @ @ , noting the pollees were randomly selected from across the country .

SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- South Koreans gave their country a score of nearly 70 out of a possible 100 points when it comes to the society-wide response to the coronavirus pandemic, a poll showed Friday.
According to the poll of 2,247 people nationwide conducted by public broadcaster KBS from Sept. 11-16, South Korean society's response and quarantine efforts against COVID-19 received a score of 67.
Scores given by the survey participants differed widely depending on their ages and professions.
Respondents in their 20s awarded an average score of 59, while students assessed the score at 56. By contrast, people in their 40s, white-collar workers and full-time housewives gave higher marks ranging from 69 to 71.
In the evaluations of individual population groups regarding their response to the epidemic, "I and our family" earned the highest score of 83, followed by 79 for medical workers and 72 each for the central government and schools.
In contrast, religious organizations were given a score of 29. The National Assembly and politicians were also given a below-average score of 45, while media and news organizations received a score of 56.
"South Korean people seem to generally view their response to the coronavirus as successful, attributing the success to themselves and their families, quarantine authorities and medical workers," KBS said in its analysis of the poll. The broadcaster said the poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.1 percentage points with a confidence level of 95 percent, noting the pollees were randomly selected from across the country.
Meanwhile, an overwhelming 96.9 percent of the survey participants said the global spread of the pandemic won't disappear for a long time.
Nevertheless, 57.6 percent said they have an optimistic view about the future of Korean society despite the coronavirus crisis. Over 70 percent of those in their 40s expressed optimism but more than half of those in their 20s said they are pessimistic about their future.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-23--S. Korea to resume seizure of illegal Chinese fishing boats

About 340 Chinese vessels entered South Korea 's western exclusive economic zone in groups per day in October , a @ @ @ @ @ boats in the same period of last year , the agency said .
The Korea @ @ @ @ @ total of 7,196 such boats this month .

SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Coast Guard is enhancing its crackdown on Chinese fishing boats illegally operating in its waters, including the resumption of seizure operations, officials said Friday.
About 340 Chinese vessels entered South Korea's western exclusive economic zone in groups per day in October, a sharp rise from about 100 boats in the same period of last year, the agency said. The Korea Coast Guard has expelled a total of 7,196 such boats this month.
The agency has decided to toughen its response, including the resumption of seizure operations, which it halted to avoid in-person contacts during the coronavirus pandemic.
Coast Guard officers will wear protective clothing and follow anti-infection guidelines in the process of arrest and investigation.
The agency also said it will operate jointly with the Navy to deal with boats that use steel bars and wire mesh to resist law enforcement.
The measures were discussed during a meeting the previous day among officials from the Coast Guard, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Navy.
This undated photo provided by the Korea Coast Guard shows Chinese fishing boats illegally operating in South Korean waters in the Yellow Sea. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
(END)


Yonhap News Summary

But in a season disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic , Kim admitted he was n't even in his best shape @ @ @ @ @ to post those numbers gave the left-hander confidence that he can be even better next @ @

The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Friday.
-----------------
Finance minister sees need to cut maximum legal lending rate
SEJONG -- Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said Friday there is a need to cut the maximum interest rate that private lenders can charge as part of efforts to ease financial burdens on low-income people.
In a parliamentary audit meeting, Hong said the government has reviewed a plan to cut the maximum legal lending rate.
-----------------
Cardinals' Kim Kwang-hyun sees room for improvement despite strong rookie campaign
SEOUL -- At first glance, South Korean pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun enjoyed a solid first season with the St. Louis Cardinals. Following 13 largely successful years with the SK Wyverns in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), Kim, who inked a two-year deal worth US$8 million last December, was a perfect 3-0 with an excellent 1.62 ERA in eight appearances, including seven starts.
But in a season disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, Kim admitted he wasn't even in his best shape. That he still managed to post those numbers gave the left-hander confidence that he can be even better next year.
-----------------
SK hynix to benefit from Intel deal in long term: analysts
SEOUL -- SK hynix Inc.'s acquisition of Intel Corp.'s NAND memory business will bring positive results to the company, analysts here said Friday, as it can beef up profitability and technological prowess in the sector.
South Korea's No. 2 chipmaker on Tuesday announced a 10.3 trillion-won (US$9 billion) deal to buy Intel's non-volatile memory unit that includes its solid state drive (SSD) business and a NAND flash chip plant in Dalian, China.
-----------------
(2nd LD) New virus cases spike to over 150 as cluster infections pile up
SEOUL -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases bounced back to an over one-month high Friday as sporadic cluster infections at senior care hospitals and other risk-prone facilities continued to increase.
The country added 155 more COVID-19 cases, including 138 domestic infections, raising the total caseload to 25,698, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
-----------------
Vice FM calls for expansion of S. Korea-Canada cooperation in post-COVID-19 era
SEOUL -- Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun called Friday for joint efforts with Canada to firm up bilateral cooperation in strengthening multilateralism, developing new technologies and promoting lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Choi laid out a vision to expand cooperation with Canada in the post-COVID 19 era, during his congratulatory speech at the 17th Korea-Canada Forum, an annual forum aimed at advancing policy dialogue for closer engagement between the two countries.
-----------------
S. Korea can deter N.K. threats based on combined defense posture: defense minister
SEOUL -- South Korea can deter and respond to threats from North Korea based on its combined defense posture with the United States, the defense chief said Friday, weeks after the North unveiled new weapons in a recent military parade.
Defense Minister Suh Wook made the remark during a parliamentary audit session, referring to North Korea's tension-raising moves such as the unveiling of a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) during a recent military parade.
-----------------
(2nd LD) Flu shot fears growing further as suspected deaths pile up
SEOUL -- Concerns over seasonal flu shots grew further on Friday as deaths after vaccinations swelled to over 30, with health experts split over whether to go ahead with a state-led free shot program amid a potential "twindemic" of the new coronavirus and the flu.
Although no connection has been confirmed between the recent fatalities and vaccines, public fears have been mounting in South Korea over flu shots.
-----------------
(2nd LD) S. Korea to keep seeking dialogue with N. Korea over slain official: minister
SEOUL -- Unification Minister Lee In-young said Friday that South Korea will keep seeking "dialogue" with North Korea to figure out exactly what happened to a South Korean official shot and killed by the North last month.
Lee made the remark during a parliamentary audit session in response to a lawmaker's question as to how the government will draw cooperation from the North on the deadly incident at a time when Pyongyang remains unresponsive to Seoul's calls for a joint probe.
(END)


yna--2020-10-23--(2nd LD) S. Korea to keep seeking dialogue with N. Korea over slain official: minister

`` Given COVID-19 and damage caused by flooding and typhoons , things could get tough when the spring comes around @ @ @ @ @ We ) are thinking about what we can do in terms of cooperation in the @ @ @ @

(ATTN: ADDS Lee's remark on aid to North Korea in paras 8-11)
SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- Unification Minister Lee In-young said Friday that South Korea will keep seeking "dialogue" with North Korea to figure out exactly what happened to a South Korean official shot and killed by the North last month.
Lee made the remark during a parliamentary audit session in response to a lawmaker's question as to how the government will draw cooperation from the North on the deadly incident at a time when Pyongyang remains unresponsive to Seoul's calls for a joint probe.
"We will have to find a method to smoothly resolve the issue through dialogue," Lee said.
The 47-year-old official was fatally shot by the North Korean military on Sept. 22 while adrift in North Korean waters. South Korea earlier claimed that North Korean soldiers shot him dead and burned his body.
North Korea swiftly apologized for the incident but denied setting his body ablaze, claiming that what their soldiers burned was his belongings and that his body went missing.
South Korea has called for a joint investigation with the North into the incident, but Pyongyang has not responded. Seoul is trying to search for the missing body.
"It is something that we will never give up -- to retrieve his body and bring it back to his family," Lee said.
Lee still emphasized that humanitarian assistance to North Korea should be pursued regardless of any political, military and security situations, expressing concerns that the global coronavirus pandemic, summertime typhoons and flooding might be aggravating food shortages in the impoverished nation.
"Given COVID-19 and damage caused by flooding and typhoons, things could get tough when the spring comes around, he said. (We) are thinking about what we can do in terms of cooperation in the humanitarian area."
Though South Korea has sought to provide assistance to the North through international agencies, the North has rejected outside help and called for "self-reliance" in overcoming challenges.
With regard to coordinating with the United States on North Korea policy, Lee stressed the importance of maintaining "close cooperation" with Washington and "responding swiftly" to its new policies regardless of who wins the upcoming U.S. presidential election.
He pointed out that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden may not necessarily return to former President Barack Obama's policy of "strategic patience" toward North Korea if he is elected as president.
"If Biden wins the election, there is a possibility the new administration will be a 'third Clinton term' instead of a 'third Obama term,'" he said.
Lee appears to be referring to former President Bill Clinton's policy of engaging North Korea as opposed to the Obama administration's approach of "strategic patience," which centered on waiting for Pyongyang to return to the negotiating table while keeping sanctions and pressure in place.
"We will stay prepared to respond to any situation no matter the results of the upcoming November elections," he added.
Unification Minister Lee In-young answers a lawmaker's questions during a parliamentary audit session of the National Assembly's foreign affairs and unification committee in Seoul on Oct. 23, 2020. (Yonhap)
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-23--(2nd LD) Flu shot fears growing further as suspected deaths pile up

The Korean Medical Association ( KMA ) said the government should consider postponing the nationwide flu shot program for about @ @ @ @ @ Korean Vaccine Society insisted that inoculations need to be continued since no causal links between @ @ @ @ @ have been confirmed .

(ATTN: ADDS more info in 7th para; UPDATES last para)
SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- Concerns over seasonal flu shots grew further on Friday as deaths after vaccinations swelled to over 30, with health experts split over whether to go ahead with a state-led free shot program amid a potential "twindemic" of the new coronavirus and the flu.
Although no connection has been confirmed between the recent fatalities and vaccines, public fears have been mounting in South Korea over flu shots.
Since the first suspected death from a flu shot was reported last Friday, 36 have died as of 1 p.m. Friday, up nine from Thursday's tally at 4 p.m., according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
The country's forensic agency said it has found no direct links between a 17-year-old boy's death, the first suspected death case after flu vaccination, and a flu shot.
Despite growing flu shot concerns, South Korea's health authorities have reaffirmed that the state-initiated seasonal flu shot program will continue, citing no direct link between flu shots and deaths.
"The reported tally just counts deaths after vaccinations, and it does not mean the deaths were caused by flu shots," KDCA said in a statement.
Some municipalities have recently ordered medical institutions in their region to temporarily halt flu vaccinations following recent death cases. However, KDCA said municipal officials should not make such decisions without consulting with health authorities.
This photo taken on Oct. 22, 2020, shows flu vaccines at a public health clinic in Jangseong, South Jeolla Province. (Yonhap)
The country has been pushing for a free state flu shot scheme to inoculate some 19 million people, including teenagers and senior citizens.
KDCA said a thorough investigation is under way to find the exact cause of the recent deaths, as well as epidemiological investigations, including autopsies, into nine cases.
The free vaccination program -- which was expanded this year in an effort to prevent the potential "twindemic" during the winter -- was joined by five major drugmakers, including GC Pharma and Ilyang Pharmaceutical Co.
Health experts agree that people should take flu shots before influenza season arrives here since more deaths can occur from serious complications triggered by the flu, such as pneumonia.
About 3,000 deaths related to flu complications are reported annually in South Korea.
Generally, flu season arrives between end-November and December. Considering that flu vaccines cause antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after vaccination, experts here recommend people get flu shots by mid-November.
However, experts are divided on whether people should take flu shots "immediately" at this moment when more suspected deaths are being reported nationwide in a relatively short period of time.
The Korean Medical Association (KMA) said the government should consider postponing the nationwide flu shot program for about a week, but the Korean Vaccine Society insisted that inoculations need to be continued since no causal links between vaccines and the recent deaths have been confirmed.
"We agree that flu vaccinations should continue," said Min Yang-ki, a KMA official. "We are not calling the government to completely halt the vaccination, but to temporarily suspend it for about one week to find out the exact cause."
A man gets a flu shot at a building of the Korea Association of Health Promotion in Seoul on Oct. 19, 2020. (Yonhap)
"It's not a logical approach to stop vaccinations just because there were deaths," said Kim Woo-joo, a professor of infectious medicine at Korea University Guro Hospital in Seoul.
"Those in high-risk groups, such as the elderly, have increasing possibility of death when flu symptoms aggravate, so they should get vaccinated. However, we should make a comfortable and safe environment for them to receive flu shots," he said.
The government earlier said it appears that the vaccine itself has no problem because many others who received the same vaccine that the deceased had been inoculated with showed no major abnormal responses.
But with concerns rising over the safety of flu vaccines, KDCA held a meeting on Friday afternoon to discuss the issue. Health officials are expected to announce the result of the meeting later in the day.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-23--Parliament seeks police probe into ex-Samsung official's use of press pass

The National Assembly made it clear that regardless of the results of the probe , Samsung is responsible for the @ @ @ @ @ to take thorough measures to prevent a reoccurrence of a similar case .

SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- The National Assembly said Friday it has formally requested police to investigate the entry by a former senior official of Samsung Electronics Co. into the parliamentary compound using a press pass.
The suspect, who was in charge of the company's government relations, is accused of obstructing official duties, misusing an official document and trespassing, according to the National Assembly Secretariat.
It also asked police to look into whether Samsung had instructed the suspect to do so or turned a blind eye deliberately.
The former Samsung executive was found to have used a press ID that was issued having registered as a reporter with an online news service provider to cover parliamentary affairs.
The suspect quit the Samsung job shortly after Rep. Ryu Ho-jeong of the minor opposition Justice Party recently raised the accusation.
Samsung soon offered an official apology but denied involvement in the case, saying it was not aware of the existence of the online news outlet.
The National Assembly made it clear that regardless of the results of the probe, Samsung is responsible for the incident. It urged Samsung to take thorough measures to prevent a reoccurrence of a similar case.
This photo shows an official at the National Assembly Secretariat announcing a statement on Oct. 8, 2020, on a former Samsung Electronics executive's alleged illegal entrance into the assembly. (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-23--(LEAD) Seoul stocks rebound on Q3 earnings hopes

SEOUL , Oct. 23 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korean stocks rebounded after a choppy session Friday , buoyed by @ @ @ @ @ in the third quarter amid the pandemic .
The Korean won closed unchanged to the @ @ @

(ATTN: ADDS bond yields at bottom, photo)
SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks rebounded after a choppy session Friday, buoyed by optimism for improved corporate earnings in the third quarter amid the pandemic. The Korean won closed unchanged to the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 5.76 points, or 0.24 percent, to close at 2,360.81.
Trading volume was moderate at 874 million shares worth 10.5 trillion won (US$9.3 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 436 to 408.
Foreigners bought a net 37 billion won, while retail investors sold a net 270 billion won. Institutions purchased a net 225 billion won.
Electronic signboards at the trading room of Hana Bank in Seoul show the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 2,360.81 on Oct. 23, 2020, up 5.76 points or 0.24 percent from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)
Stocks got off to a muted start amid lingering uncertainties over the ongoing talks for the new U.S. virus relief package.
But gains by auto and banking heavyweights led the KOSPI's hike, as investors pinned high hopes for a flurry of upbeat earnings reports scheduled for next week.
POSCO, LG Chem and banking large caps revealed estimate-beating earnings this week, fueling optimism for the third-quarter earnings to be released next week.
In Seoul, large caps closed mixed.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics added 0.17 percent to 60,200 won, and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix advanced 0.72 percent to 83,900 won.
Top pharmaceutical firm Samsung Biologics dipped 3.34 percent to 636,000 won, but Celltrion edged up 0.21 percent to 238,000 won.
Internet portal giant Naver lost 2.22 percent to 286,500 won, with its rival Kakao down 2.58 percent to 340,000 won.
Leading chemical maker LG Chem gained 1.72 percent to 650,000 won, while rechargeable battery maker Samsung SDI shed 1.16 percent to 424,500 won.
Hyundai Motor, the country's largest automaker, added 2.77 percent to 167,000 won, and top steelmaker POSCO spiked 4.76 percent to 220,000 won.
The local currency closed at 1,132.9 won per dollar, flat from the previous session's close.
Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, closed higher. The yield on three-year Treasurys lost 1.5 basis points to 0.910 percent, and the return on the benchmark five-year government bond fell 1.8 basis points to 1.191 percent.
jwc@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-23--S. Korean Bond Yields on Oct. 23, 2020

S. Korean Bond Yields on Oct. 23, 2020

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


yna--2020-10-24--Repairs under way for flood damage at Yongbyon reactor sites: 38 North

It is not clear whether it is being built to improve the reservoir or to divert the water to enable @ @ @ @ @ , 38 North said .

SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) -- Recent satellite imagery indicates North Korea has begun repairing flood damage to a reservoir overflow dam used to maintain a constant source of water for the cooling systems of its nuclear reactors in Yongbyon, according to 38 North, a U.S. website monitoring the North.
In a report posted Thursday (local time), 38 North said between Sept. 22 and Oct. 17, repair work began on the dam in the Kuryong River, which was breached by the flood waters of August.
Imagery from Sept. 22 showed a dramatic drop in the water level of the reservoir due to a breach at the east end of the overflow dam, 38 North said.
"Had the reactors been running, this would have prevented sufficient cooling water from being available via the pumps and cistern network," the report added.
There have been no signs this year that the 5 MWe reactor and the experimental light water reactor the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center have been brought online.
Imagery from Oct. 17 also showed a dike-like structure being created just west of the break.
It is not clear whether it is being built to improve the reservoir or to divert the water to enable repairs to the damaged section, 38 North said.
This satellite image, taken by Airbus Defence & Space on Oct. 17, 2020, and published by 38 North on Oct. 22, shows repair work at a reservoir overflow dam used to maintain a constant source of water for the cooling systems of North Korea's nuclear reactors in Yongbyon. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
(END)


yna--2020-10-24--(LEAD) New virus cases fall below 100 amid cluster infections

New virus cases exceeded 100 for the past two days .
Daily new cases came to 155 on Friday , @ @ @ @ @ 11 when the number hit 176 .
The uptick was due to continued cluster infections @ @ @ @ @ the elderly , who are vulnerable to COVID-19 .

(ATTN: ADDS 2nd photo and details throughout)
SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases returned to below 100 on Saturday after triple-digit infections were reported for the past two days, as sporadic cluster infections continued at senior care hospitals and other risk-prone facilities.
The country added 77 more COVID-19 cases, including 66 domestic infections, raising the total caseload to 25,775, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
New virus cases exceeded 100 for the past two days. Daily new cases came to 155 on Friday, marking the highest since Sept. 11 when the number hit 176. The uptick was due to continued cluster infections at hospitals and facilities for the elderly, who are vulnerable to COVID-19.
Officials of a hospital in the southwestern city of Gwangju notify visitors that it has partially closed its wards on Oct. 23, 2020, after at least two coronavirus cases were reported. (Yonhap)
The country's new virus infections have been on a downward trend after a flare-up in the number of daily COVID-19 cases from mid-August to mid-September.
Compared with mid-August and early September when the tally rose by triple digits, the country has largely managed to slow the spread of the virus on the back of tougher social distancing measures.
Last week, the country relaxed its social distancing scheme to the lowest level in its three-tier system, after applying Level 2 measures across the nation since late August.
South Korea operates a three-tier social distancing system. Under the second level, indoor gatherings of more than 50 people are banned. The government has not yet issued the highest alert, which bans gatherings of 10 or more people.
The Level 2 social distancing was in effect from late August through Oct. 11, while the Seoul metropolitan area was temporarily put under Level 2.5 during the period.
The country's daily virus cases had been in the triple digits for more than a month since Aug. 14, due largely to a church in northern Seoul and an anti-government rally.
Under Level 1 measures, citizens are permitted to normalize most of their daily routines, with some infection prevention steps in place. Even risk-prone facilities, including clubs and bars, are allowed to operate after monthslong suspension as long as they keep entry logs and follow sanitary measures.
But continued rises in sporadic cluster infections at facilities for senior citizens have become the biggest huddle in the country's virus fight.
Health authorities urged people to thoroughly keep sanitary measures under the Level 1 virus curbs as cluster infections continue to rise at vulnerable facilities.
Of the newly identified local infections, 22 cases were reported in Seoul, 32 cases in Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital and two cases in Incheon, west of Seoul. The greater Seoul area is home to around half of the nation's 51.6 million population.
Other municipalities reported new infections, with the country's southwestern city of Daejeon adding five cases and South Chungcheong Province reporting five new cases.
The KDCA has warned that a resurgence in virus cases can happen anytime with sporadic outbreaks. It remains on alert over the possibility that the coronavirus outbreak and a seasonal flu could be in full swing together in the winter.
The country, meanwhile, added 11 imported cases, bringing the total to 3,627. Four cases came from the United States, followed by three from the Philippines, and one each from India, Indonesia, Iraq and Ukraine.
South Korea reported two additional deaths, raising the death toll to 457. The fatality rate was 1.77 percent.
The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients came to 60 as of midnight, down from 62 the previous day.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 23,834, up 117 from the previous day.
The country has carried out 2,528,621 coronavirus tests since Jan. 3, including 12,058 tests from the previous day.
The pandemic, which started in China late last year, has killed more than 1.1 million people worldwide and infected more than 42 million as of Saturday, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University.
A customer holds up a Jeju Air Co.'s boarding ticket at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on Oct. 23, 2020, for a special one-hour flight that departs from Incheon and returns to the airport as the carrier strives to survive the coronavirus crisis. (Yonhap)
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-24--New virus cases fall below 100 amid cluster infections

SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases returned to below 100 on Saturday after triple-digit infections were reported for the past two days, as sporadic cluster infections continued at senior care hospitals and other risk-prone facilities.
The country added 77 more COVID-19 cases, including 66 domestic infections, raising the total caseload to 25,775, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
New virus cases exceeded 100 for the past two days. Daily new cases came to 155 on Friday, marking the highest since Sept. 11 when the number hit 176. The uptick was due to continued cluster infections at hospitals and facilities for the elderly, who are vulnerable to COVID-19.
Officials of a hospital in the southwestern city of Gwangju notify visitors that it has partially closed its wards on Oct. 23, 2020, after at least two coronavirus cases were reported. (Yonhap)
The country's new virus infections have been on a downward trend after a flare-up in the number of daily COVID-19 cases from mid-August to mid-September.
Compared with mid-August and early September when the tally rose by triple digits, the country has largely managed to slow the spread of the virus on the back of tougher social distancing measures.
Last week, the country relaxed its social distancing scheme to the lowest level in its three-tier system, after applying Level 2 measures across the nation since late August.
Under Level 1 measures, citizens are permitted to normalize most of their daily routines, with some infection prevention steps in place. Even risk-prone facilities, including clubs and bars, are allowed to operate after monthslong suspension as long as they keep entry logs and follow sanitary measures.
But continued rises in sporadic cluster infections at facilities for senior citizens have become the biggest huddle in the country's virus fight.
Health authorities urged people to thoroughly keep sanitary measures under the Level 1 virus curbs as cluster infections continue to rise at vulnerable facilities.
Of the newly identified local infections, 22 cases were reported in Seoul, 32 cases in Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital and two cases in Incheon, west of Seoul. The greater Seoul area is home to around half of the nation's 51.6 million population.
The country, meanwhile, added 11 imported cases, bringing the total to 3,627. Four cases came from the United States, followed by three from the Philippines, and one each from India, Indonesia, Iraq and Ukraine.
South Korea reported two additional deaths, raising the death toll to 457. The fatality rate was 1.77 percent.
The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients came to 60 as of midnight, down from 62 the previous day.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 23,834, up 117 from the previous day.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-24--Seoul shares likely to move in tight range next week amid virus resurgence

SEOUL , Oct. 24 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korean shares are likely to move in a tight range in @ @ @ @ @ hopes for the new coronavirus vaccine development and concerns over the virus ' resurgence are @ @ @ @ @ financial markets in two opposite directions .

By Chung Joo-won
SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korean shares are likely to move in a tight range in the coming week, as hopes for the new coronavirus vaccine development and concerns over the virus' resurgence are expected to pull the local financial markets in two opposite directions.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 2,360.81 points on Friday, up 0.82 percent from a week ago.
Electronic signboards at the trading room of Hana Bank in Seoul show the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 2,360.81 on Oct. 23, 2020, up 5.76 points or 0.24 percent from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)
In the coming weeks, local stocks are likely to receive an upward push from reports related to the new coronavirus vaccine developments and a new stimulus push in the United States, analysts said.
But such events may be offset by resurgence in the COVID-19 outbreaks in the United States and Europe, analysts said.
"The U.S.-Europe virus resurgence and the U.S. election are likely to keep the key stock index in a tight range," NH Investment & Securities analyst Kim Young-hwan said.
More companies are set to report their earnings for the third quarter, with general consensus pointing at quarterly improvement.
"In Korea, only about 20 companies have reported their third-quarter earnings as of yet," eBest Investment & Securities analyst Yeom Dong-chan said.
"Of them, about 55 percent reported estimate-beating earnings, which seems promising so far," he added.
jwc@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-24--Seoul Zoo sends 2 leopards to Germany, Denmark

One leopard will be sent to join a male of the same species at the Tierpark Hagenbeck zoo in Hamburg @ @ @ @ @ will join two males and two females at Ree Park Safari in Denmark .

SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) -- Seoul Zoo sent two North Chinese leopards to Europe this week to help save the endangered species.
The leopards were shipped to Germany on Wednesday to be quarantined before one is transferred to Denmark, according to Seoul Grand Park, which houses the zoo.
One leopard will be sent to join a male of the same species at the Tierpark Hagenbeck zoo in Hamburg, Germany. The other will join two males and two females at Ree Park Safari in Denmark.
This photo, provided by Seoul Grand Park, shows a North Chinese leopard at Seoul Zoo. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"We played a role in conserving a species by taking part in an international program to protect the North Chinese leopard," the zoo's chief, Eo Gyeong-yeon, said, noting that it is the first such case in South Korea.
There are only 49 North Chinese leopards in zoos around the world, making it the most endangered of all leopards, according to the park.
The transfer was made possible through the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria.
Seoul Zoo also has two Amur leopards, an endangered species that used to live on the Korean Peninsula.
The zoo plans to bring in more of those leopards as part of conservation efforts. There are only 291 such leopards in zoos worldwide.
This photo, provided by Seoul Grand Park, shows an Amur leopard. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-24--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 2 additional coronavirus deaths, death total now at 457: KDCA


yna--2020-10-24--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 77 more cases of new coronavirus. total now at 25,775: KDCA


Saturday's weather forecast

SEOUL , Oct. 24 ( Yonhap ) -- The following is the weather forecast for South Korea 's 12 major @ @ @ @ @ .


yna--2020-10-24--Park Re-hyun: Unsung pioneer of Korean modern art who juggled art, family life, language

`` I wake up around six in the morning , wash diapers , prepare breakfast and clean up .
Then @ @ @ @ @ up around the house , look after the chickens , take care of my babies @ @ @ @ @ it , it 's noon ...
So when am I supposed to find the time @ @ @ @ @ job ? ''
she wrote in a 1948 essay in her early years of marriage @

By Lee Minji
SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) -- Park Re-hyun (1920-1976) was once quoted calling herself a "triple interpreter."
The moniker was meant to explain how she was interpreting between Korean, English and oralism for her husband -- renowned deaf artist Kim Ki-chang -- during the couple's trip to the United States.
Like the different languages she was interpreting, Park's life until her untimely death was a constant attempt to bridge distant roles of her life -- artist, wife to an artist husband and mom of four -- as well as to blend diverse artistic styles and techniques.
The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) has put together an exhibition marking the centennial of the birth of the versatile artist, whose life and works have often been overshadowed by her husband, dubbed a "genius artist."
The exhibition titled "Park Re-hyun Retrospective: Triple Interpreter" showcases her works that experiment across painting, tapestry and print. Sketches and travel notes as well as essays where she contemplated the many roles in her life are also on display, offering viewers a glimpse of a working woman's life in a post-war era.
Park Re-hyun's work is on display at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), Deoksu Palace, in this photo provided by the MMCA. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
This undated photo, provided by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, shows artist Park Re-hyun at work. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)
Born in South Pyongan Province, now part of North Korea, when the Korean Peninsula was under Japan's colonial rule, Park moved to Japan to attend the Women's Academy of Fine Arts in Tokyo.
She soon showed talent, winning the Governor-General's Award at the Joseon Art Exhibition for her piece "Make-up," which depicts a young girl in a black kimono tying her hair in front of a red makeup table with a defiant expression.
In her works following the country's liberation from Japan in 1945, Park tried to rub off the Japanese influence and pursue a new style of Korean painting that captures the beauty of mundane scenes with modern aesthetics using ink-and-wash techniques.
"I look for motifs from the life that is close me, rather than from the distant or exotic ... We can never create art that is truly indigenous to Korea with works that do not communicate with the people," she once said.
Her 1956 work "Open Stalls," for instance, illustrates the vibrant energy of women at a local market through a geometrical composition and neutral and clear color palettes. The piece was critically acclaimed, winning Park the Presidential Award at the 1956 National Art Exhibition of Korea.
Park Re-hyun's "Make-up" is on display at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), Deoksu Palace, in this photo provided by the MMCA. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
But even for a highly educated, award-winning "modern woman," juggling her profession and family life was no easy job.
"I wake up around six in the morning, wash diapers, prepare breakfast and clean up. Then after breakfast, I tidy up around the house, look after the chickens, take care of my babies, and before I know it, it's noon ... So when am I supposed to find the time to paint as my primary job?" she wrote in a 1948 essay in her early years of marriage.
A later essay published in 1962 shows that even as a veteran artist, tending to her different, distinct roles continued to be a challenge.
"Of course, it's natural to expect painters to spend their time in the studio, but if I can get even five hours there, it's a very happy day," she wrote in the essay "Painting as My Fate."
This image, provided by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, shows Park Re-hyun's 1956 painting "Open Stalls." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The setbacks, however, could not stop Park from expanding and re-imagining her artistic world.
Instead of sticking to pigments typically used for Eastern painting, she was not afraid to experiment with crayon, watercolor paint and even turpentine -- a liquid obtained by distilling resin from pine trees and which left brownish marks on Park's paintings as they dried.
In addition to holding multiple joint exhibitions with her husband, she moved on to become an abstract painter using inspirations from traditional Korean ink wash and still life paintings.
Her trips abroad in the 1960s -- the first for her since her Tokyo days -- also became an ample source of inspiration.
She took in international art trends during trips to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan and held "couple exhibitions" with her husband in three U.S. cities.
The colorful artifacts and indigenous craftworks she encountered during trips to Europe, Africa and Latin America prompted her to bring in signature yellow curving bands in her abstract works.
Even in the final decade of her life cut short by cancer, Park continued to master new artistic techniques such as tapestry and copperplate prints and reinterpret them in her own style, using everyday objects.
"Work," one of her tapestry pieces, for instance, is a striking contrast of black and primary-colored yarns featuring sink strainers. Park is known to have passionately collected the sink strainers at hardware stores in New York.
This image, provided by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, shows Park Re-hyun's 1970-73 tapestry piece "Work." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"Thanks to the collectors who secretly held onto Park's works for decades and their active cooperation, the works once in hiding have made their way out into the world en masse," Youn Bummo, director of the MMCA, said.
"This exhibition will be an opportunity to reevaluate artist Park Re-hyun, a pioneer who left a prominent mark as a female artist in the male-centered Korean art scene."
The exhibition runs at the MMCA in the royal palace of Deoksu in central Seoul until Jan. 3, 2021. It will then be held at the MMCA Cheongju from Jan. 26 to May. 9.
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-24--Top headlines in major S. Korean newspapers

Korean-language dailies -- Gap between rich and poor widens amid rising home prices ( Kyunghyang Shinmun ) -- Elderly people @ @ @ @ @ the new coronavirus and the flu ( Kookmin Daily ) -- Gov't delays decision on @ @ @ @ @ shots due to deaths after vaccinations ( Donga llbo ) -- Gov't continues state-led free @ @ @ @ @ vaccinations ( Segye Times ) -- Monthly home rental fees soar amid gov't regulations to @ @ @ @ @ Chosun Ilbo ) -- Gov't to continue state-led free shot program despite deaths after vaccinations @ @ @ @ @ Gov't to continue state-led free shot program despite deaths after vaccinations ( Hankyoreh ) -- @ @ @ @ @ shot program despite deaths after vaccinations ( Hankook Ilbo ) -- Gov't to continue state-led @ @ @ @ @ after vaccinations ( Maeil Business Newspaper ) -- Multiple home owners sell some of their @ @ @ @ @ ( Korea Economic Daily ) ( END )

SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) -- The following are the top headlines in major South Korean newspapers on Oct. 24.
Korean-language dailies
-- Gap between rich and poor widens amid rising home prices (Kyunghyang Shinmun)
-- Elderly people vulnerable to 'twindemic' of the new coronavirus and the flu (Kookmin Daily)
-- Gov't delays decision on whether to suspend seasonal flu shots due to deaths after vaccinations (Donga llbo)
-- Gov't continues state-led free shot program despite deaths after vaccinations (Segye Times)
-- Monthly home rental fees soar amid gov't regulations to curb rising home prices (Chosun Ilbo)
-- Gov't to continue state-led free shot program despite deaths after vaccinations (JoongAng Ilbo)
-- Gov't to continue state-led free shot program despite deaths after vaccinations (Hankyoreh)
-- Gov't to continue state-led free shot program despite deaths after vaccinations (Hankook Ilbo)
-- Gov't to continue state-led free shot program despite deaths after vaccinations (Maeil Business Newspaper)
-- Multiple home owners sell some of their homes to buy small buildings (Korea Economic Daily)
(END)


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yna--2020-10-24--Offense, offense, more offense: how NC Dinos swung their way to KBO regular season crown

On the mound , left-hander Koo Chang-mo was spectacular in the early going before the Dinos deactivated him at the @ @ @ @ @ breather .
They first discovered left forearm inflammation , and during his rehab , the @ @ @ @ @ fracture in the same arm .
The 23-year-old , who was 9-0 with a 1.55 @ @ @ @ @ , pitched in relief Saturday for his first appearance since July 26 .
He threw @ @ @ @ @ striking out one and making 19 pitches .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) -- It only seemed to be a matter of time before the consensus best team in South Korean baseball this year could lay claim to the regular season title.
The NC Dinos turned that possibility into reality Saturday, thanks to a 3-3 tie against the LG Twins at home.
As anticlimactic as it may have been, the result at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, 400 kilometers south of Seoul, ensured that the Dinos, now 81-53-5 (wins-losses-ties), will not be caught with five games left to play.
They've reached that point by scoring more runs than anyone else. In crude terms, the objective of a baseball game is to score more than the other team. The Dinos elevated that to a new level in 2020.
Once the regular season wraps up on Oct. 30, the Dinos will head directly to the Korean Series, which starts on Nov. 17, and await the winner of the best-of-five second round.
Yang Eui-ji of the NC Dinos (R) bumps fists with his manager Lee Dong-wook after a 13-3 victory over the Kia Tigers in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul, on Oct. 20, 2020. (Yonhap)
The Dinos have been in first place every day since May 13, the ninth day of the season that began belatedly due to the coroanvirus outbreak. They were pushed by the Kiwoom Heroes and the LG Twins during the second half of the season, but they still held their ground and never ceded the top spot.
The offense has carried the day all season for the Dinos, whose pitching has been about average or even poor by some measures. In the midst of some early-season bullpen woes, it was the bats that kept the Dinos at the top.
They have scored 861 runs in 139 games to lead the KBO and also have a significant lead in home runs with 181, 25 ahead of the KT Wiz. The Dinos are also tops in team on-base percentage (.367) and slugging percentage (.464), and have hit into fewer double plays (103) than anyone.
Five qualified hitters are batting .300 or better this year, led by Park Min-woo .344. Park is headed toward his sixth consecutive .300 season and should finish with a .400 on-base percentage for the fourth time in five years.
First baseman Kang Jin-sung, though he doesn't have enough at-bats to qualify, has been a breakout star at age 27. He was batting .371 through June and is still batting .310, with career highs of 12 homers and 68 RBIs.
Third baseman Park Sok-min, who is sidelined with a hand injury, has quietly had his most productive season since 2016. At 35, Park leads the KBO with a .436 on-base percentage and has more walks (75) than strikeouts (62). At .306, Park is also batting over .300 for the first time in four years.
Outfielder/designated hitter Na Sung-bum has enjoyed an outstanding bounceback season after missing most of 2019 with a devastating knee injury. He leads the club with 32 homers and ranks second with 108 RBIs, while slashing (.330/.397/.604). Catcher Yang Eui-ji, the MVP runner-up in 2019, is enjoying another MVP-worthy season, thanks to a team-best 117 RBIs, along with a career-best 31 homers and a .326/.399/.593 line.
Drew Rucinski of the NC Dinos pitches against the Lotte Giants in the top of the first inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Oct. 16, 2020. (Yonhap)
Outfielder Aaron Altherr, their first-year foreign hitter, shook off a slow start and emerged as the league's most dangerous No. 8 hitter. Batting primarily in the bottom third of the order, Altherr has batted .272/.347/.524, plus 29 homers and 105 RBIs.
With Na, Yang and Altherr, the Dinos also joined the 2015 Dinos, the 2015 Samsung Lions and the 2016 Dinos as the only clubs to produce three hitters with 100 or more RBIs.
The Dinos had scored in every game of this season until getting shut out by the Twins on Oct. 9.
In this file photo from Oct. 13, 2020, Park Sok-min of the NC Dinos (R) slides safely into third base against the Kia Tigers during the bottom of the sixth inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)
On the mound, left-hander Koo Chang-mo was spectacular in the early going before the Dinos deactivated him at the end of July for a breather. They first discovered left forearm inflammation, and during his rehab, the club also identified a small fracture in the same arm. The 23-year-old, who was 9-0 with a 1.55 ERA before being shut down, pitched in relief Saturday for his first appearance since July 26. He threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out one and making 19 pitches.
In Koo's absence, second-year starter Drew Rucinski has been the steady force in the rotation with an 18-5 record and a 3.13 ERA. Mike Wright, the club's other foreign starting pitcher, had been solid through September but has had some trouble in October, going 0-4 in five starts with a 9.00 ERA.
A pair of 20-year-olds, Kim Young-kyu and Song Myung-gi, have stepped in nicely during Koo's absence and Wright's downward spiral.
In this file photo from Sept. 27, 2020, Aaron Altherr of the NC Dinos celebrates his solo home run against the Hanwha Eagles during the top of the second inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
Kim has made eight starts since the beginning of September and has gone 2-0 with a 3.26 ERA, with 34 strikeouts and eight walks in 38 2/3 innings. No team has scored more than three runs off the left-hander.
Song has won his last five decisions in a row, dating back to Sept. 25. The right-hander is a perfect 4-0 in four October starts with a 3.00 ERA, following six innings of one-run ball on Tuesday.
With that kind of offensive depth and Koo expected to be available for the postseason, the Dinos will be ready to handle whoever emerges from the early playoff rounds to reach the Korean Series.
The oft-shaky bullpen remains a concern, despite some rebound in the second half -- they had the second-worst bullpen ERA in the first half but have had the lowest ERA from their relievers in the second half. If their bats put up some runs early and their starters hold the fort, perhaps there won't be so much need to rely on the bullpen in the Korean Series.
Na Sung-bum of the NC Dinos (R) celebrates his game-winning hit with teammate Drew Rucinski after the bottom of the ninth inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game against the Lotte Giants at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Oct. 16, 2020. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-24--NC Dinos roar to 1st KBO regular season title

The season started on May 5 , about a month and a half behind schedule due to the coroanvirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ reached the top on May 13 .
They have n't come down since , though @ @ @ @ @ few occasions in the second half of the season when the Kiwoom Heroes and then @ @ @ @ @ at the top spot .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) -- For the first time in their franchise history, the NC Dinos are the regular season champions in South Korean baseball.
The Dinos locked down the top seed in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) with a 3-3 tie against the LG Twins on Saturday at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul. The Dinos will now head straight to the Korean Series, which begins Nov. 17.
The Dinos are 81-53-5 (wins-losses-ties) with five games left this season, and will not be caught at the top regardless of their results in remaining games. The Twins, in second place, are 79-59-4 with two games to go.
The Dinos are the first club in KBO history to clinch the regular season crown with a tie.
Yang Eui-ji of the NC Dinos hits a two-run home run against the LG Twins in the bottom of the fifth inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Oct. 24, 2020. (Yonhap)
The Dinos will be making their second appearance in the Korean Series. Their first trip came in 2016, when they were swept by the Doosan Bears in four games.
The Dinos joined the KBO as an expansion club in 2013. They finished seventh out of nine teams in their inaugural season and then reached the postseason in each of the next four years.
The Dinos suffered through their worst season in 2018 by finishing in last place but bounced back to reach the postseason again in 2019.
And this year, they look primed for their first-ever Korean Series championship. The top seed that earns a bye to the Korean Series has won the title about 80 percent of the time so far.
The season started on May 5, about a month and a half behind schedule due to the coroanvirus pandemic, and the Dinos first reached the top on May 13. They haven't come down since, though they came close on a few occasions in the second half of the season when the Kiwoom Heroes and then the Twins made a run at the top spot.
Behind the league's most lethal offense, the Dinos fended off those rivals and celebrated their first regular season crown in front of home fans.
It was an anticlimactic finish Saturday, though, as the Dinos clinched the pennant with a tie.
The Dinos went down 1-0 after just four pitches, as Hong Chang-gi led off the contest with a solo home run to right field.
Koo Chang-mo of the NC Dinos pitches against the LG Twins in the top of the fifth inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Oct. 24, 2020. (Yonhap)
NC starter Mike Wright settled down after that, retiring the next nine batters in a row and then working out of a two-out, two-on jam in the fourth inning.
The Dinos knotted the score at 1-1 with Aaron Altherr's sacrifice fly in the bottom fourth. They went ahead 3-1 thanks to Yang Eui-ji's two-run blast in the fifth inning -- his third home run in two games.
The Twins weren't just going to lie down and let the Dinos celebrate. They erased that two-run deficit in the top eighth, with Kim Hyun-soo's triple followed by Chae Eun-seong's sacrifice fly.
The Twins' bats went cold, though, and didn't have any baserunner in the final four innings.
The Dinos put a go-ahead run at second base twice in the bottom eighth but failed to cash in on that opportunity. In the bottom 11th, Park Min-woo hit a two-out double but was stranded on Lee Myung-ki's groundout.
None of that ultimately mattered, as the Dinos' bullpen kept putting up zeroes on the board to ensure the club would at least get a tie needed for the regular season crown.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-10-24--Civic group holds memorial rally for deceased fisheries official

`` People easily make their judgment , although they do n't know how we have lived and under what environment @ @ @ @ @ .
The only ones qualified to judge my father are my father himself and my @ @ @ @ @ with him for the last 20 years , '' the son wrote .

SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) -- A civic group held a memorial rally in Seoul on Saturday for a South Korean fisheries official shot to death by the North Korean military last month, with his son vowing to "fight until the end" to regain his honor.
The group consisting of people in their 20s and 30s led the rally, as the family of the ill-fated official strongly protested the Coast Guard's interim conclusion that he sought to defect to the North after losing money in gambling.
Lee Rae-jin, the elder brother of the official, joined the rally and revealed his nephew's hand-written letter in which he expressed frustration over the Coast Guard's claim that the official tried to voluntarily defect to the North.
"People easily make their judgment, although they don't know how we have lived and under what environment we have been growing up. The only ones qualified to judge my father are my father himself and my mother who had been together with him for the last 20 years," the son wrote.
"It might be painful, but I will fight until the end, until I can regain my father's honor so that he can comfortably close his eyes," he added.
Lee Rae-jin, the elder brother of a South Korean fisheries official, shot to death by the North Korean military last month, speaks during a memorial rally in Seoul on Oct. 24, 2020. (Yonhap)
The elder brother of the official renewed calls for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to return the official's remains and agree to initiate a joint probe into the killing incident.
"Until we can confidently reveal my brother's name, our family will do our best," he said.
Challenging the claim of his brother's defection to the North, Lee has been appealing to the United Nations for a fresh investigation.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)