yna--2020-12-18--Man gets prison term in unprecedented conviction for ballot theft

SEOUL , Dec. 18 ( Yonhap ) -- A man in his mid-60s was sentenced by a district court on @ @ @ @ @ in prison for stealing ballot papers from the custody of a local election management office @ @ @ @ @ of April 15 , when the general elections were held nationwide .

SEOUL, Dec. 18 (Yonhap) -- A man in his mid-60s was sentenced by a district court on Friday to 2 1/2 years in prison for stealing ballot papers from the custody of a local election management office near Seoul on the night of April 15, when the general elections were held nationwide.
The Uijeongbu District Court handed out the jail sentence to the man, identified only as 65-year-old Lee, saying he deserves severe punishment because his unprecedented crime could produce political conspiracies.
It is the nation's first court ruling on theft of ballot papers since the election system was introduced here.
Lee was accused of stealing six ballot papers from a gym in Guri, a city just east of Seoul, between April 15 and 16 and delivering them to former opposition lawmaker Min Kyung-wook, who claimed they were proof of election fraud.
The stolen ballots were stored at the gym by Guri's election administration committee after voting ended on the election day.
The court said Lee's delivery of the ballots to Min does not constitute an act of public interest whistleblowing.
The court said it did not accept Lee's claim that he received the ballot papers from a whistleblower, after analyzing eight hours of surveillance footage at the gym.
"The defendant is free to have political views but has no freedom to make false facts for political purposes," the court said.
"What the defendant stole is not six ballots, but election fairness, trust in public power and liberal democracy itself," it stressed.
In the previous court hearing, prosecutors demanded a prison sentence of 3 1/2 years for Lee.
This file photo shows the Uijeongbu District Court in Uijeongbu, north of Seoul. (Yonhap)
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-18--(LEAD) Court hearing on top prosecutor's injunction request scheduled for next week

On Wednesday , President Moon Jae-in endorsed the justice ministry 's decision to suspend Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl for two @ @ @ @ @ alleged misconduct , including the surveillance of judges hearing cases on former Justice Minister Cho @ @ @ @ @ alleged involvement in the Ulsan mayoral election in 2018 to bring victory to one of @ @ @ @ @

(ATTN: ADDS more details in last 3 paras)
SEOUL, Dec. 18 (Yonhap) -- A Seoul court plans to hold a hearing next week on the country's top prosecutor's injunction request against the decision to suspend him from duty, an informed source said Friday.
The Seoul Administrative Court is scheduled to open the hearing at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
On Wednesday, President Moon Jae-in endorsed the justice ministry's decision to suspend Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl for two months over four counts of alleged misconduct, including the surveillance of judges hearing cases on former Justice Minister Cho Kuk and presidential officials' alleged involvement in the Ulsan mayoral election in 2018 to bring victory to one of Moon's longtime friends.
The measure immediately went into effect.
Yoon filed an injunction at the court on Thursday night, along with a separate administrative lawsuit against the decision, claiming that the disciplinary session had procedural errors and the allegations against him were not true.
Lee Wan-kyu, Yoon's legal representative, said taking the issue to the court should not be interpreted politically, refuting the idea that Yoon's legal action was targeted at the president.
In a statement, Lee said the litigation was about addressing "the illegality of the justice ministry's outrageous surveillance and disciplinary action."
He also stressed that the defendant was Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae, not the president, apparently guarding against being seen as having a confrontation with the president.
Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl is seen in a car on his way to work in Seoul on Dec. 16, 2020. (Yonhap)
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


Yonhap News Summary

Seoul -- The incoming U.S. administration of Joe Biden should consider using the upcoming confirmation hearing for Secretary of State @ @ @ @ @ send a message that it is willing to engage North Korea in dialogue , an @ @ @ @ @

The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Friday.
-----------------
U.S. should send dialogue message to N.K. at Blinken's confirmation hearing: expert
Seoul -- The incoming U.S. administration of Joe Biden should consider using the upcoming confirmation hearing for Secretary of State nominee Antony Blinken to publicly send a message that it is willing to engage North Korea in dialogue, an American expert said Friday.
Joel Wit, a senior fellow at the Washington-based think tank Stimson Center and founder of the 38 North website, made the case during a videoconference, pointing out the difficulty in seeking immediate talks due to the coronavirus pandemic.
-----------------
S. Korea keeping close eye on N. Korean FM amid report he lost key party position
Seoul -- The unification ministry said Friday it is keeping a close eye on the North Korean foreign minister's status following a media report that he has recently been removed from a key party position.
A local newspaper reported earlier in the day, citing an unidentified government source, that Foreign Minister Ri Son-gwon appears to have lost his position as an alternate member of the political bureau of the Workers' Party Central Committee.
-----------------
Moon wishes Macron quick recovery from COVID-19
Seoul -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in sent a consolation message Friday to French President Emmanuel Macron, who has tested positive for the coronavirus.
It's "regrettable to hear the news of your sudden coronavirus infection," Moon wrote on his Twitter account. The note, written in French, began with "M. le President @EmmanuelMacron."
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(LEAD) Cultural facilities in Seoul to remain closed due to pandemic: ministry
SEOUL -- A group of major cultural facilities in Seoul will stay closed due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19 in the capital area, the culture ministry said Friday.
The ministry said it will extend the measure to suspend the operation of 24 national cultural facilities in Seoul, including museums, art museums, libraries and theaters, until further notice.
-----------------
Court hearing on top prosecutor's injunction request scheduled for next week
SEOUL -- A Seoul court plans to hold a hearing next week on the country's top prosecutor's injunction request against the decision to suspend him from duty, an informed source said Friday.
The Seoul Administrative Court is scheduled to open the hearing at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
-----------------
Ceremony held to honor over 500 sets of remains of soldiers killed in Korean War
SEOUL -- South Korea held a ceremony Friday to honor a total of 514 sets of recently unearthed remains of soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War, vowing to make every effort until the last remains are returned to loved ones.
The ceremony took place at the Seoul National Cemetery, attended by Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, Defense Minister Suh Wook and around 50 senior government and military officials.
-----------------
(LEAD) Ex-Busan mayor admits to sexual harassment but again claims he 'does not remember'
BUSAN -- Former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don attended a court hearing here Friday on an arrest warrant sought against him over sexual harassment allegations.
In a press statement released via his lawyer, Oh acknowledged the "charge," but he maintained that he does not remember exactly what happened. He apologized to Busan citizens and victims as well.
-----------------
N. Korea's production of crops down 5.2 pct in 2020
SEOUL -- South Korea's state-run agricultural administration said Friday the combined production of crops by North Korea is estimated to have decreased 5.2 percent on-year in 2020 due mainly to poor weather conditions.
North Korea's production of food crops is estimated to have reached 4.4 million tons this year, down 240,000 tons from 2019, according to the data compiled by the Rural Development Administration.
(END)


yna--2020-12-18--(LEAD) Cultural facilities in Seoul to remain closed due to pandemic: ministry

On Friday , the country added 1,062 more COVID-19 cases , including 1,036 local infections , raising the total caseload @ @ @ @ @ the new infection cases were from the greater Seoul area , according to the Korea @ @ @ @ @ .

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with culture ministry's announcement in lead paras)
SEOUL, Dec. 18 (Yonhap) -- A group of major cultural facilities in Seoul will stay closed due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19 in the capital area, the culture ministry said Friday.
The ministry said it will extend the measure to suspend the operation of 24 national cultural facilities in Seoul, including museums, art museums, libraries and theaters, until further notice.
Those include the National Museum of Korea, the National Folk Museum of Korea, the National Museum of Contemporary Art, the National Library of Korea and the National Theater of Korea.
They have been out of service since Dec. 8 as the country saw a spike in COVID-19 cases, especially concentrated in the greater Seoul area.
A sign shows that the National Palace Museum of Korea in central Seoul is closed due to the spread of the coronavirus in the capital area on Dec. 6, 2020. (Yonhap)
Major indoor heritage sites in the greater Seoul area, including the National Palace Museum of Korea in central Seoul, will also stay closed until further notice, the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) said earlier.
Following their previous suspension due to the pandemic, the indoor facilities were set to reopen Saturday, according to CHA.
The affected facilities include Seokjojeon and Jungmyeongjeon of Deoksu Palace and the Grand Greenhouse of Changgyeong Palace, both in central Seoul, as well as three Joseon-era royal tomb sites outside of Seoul.
CHA said, however, other outdoor heritage facilities, such as Gyeongbok, Changdeok and Deoksu Palaces in Seoul and open-air royal tomb sites from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) in the surrounding Gyeonggi Province will be open to visitors.
As part of efforts to prevent the spread of the virus, guided tour services will be suspended at those facilities, it added.
The reopening schedule of the indoor public facilities will be posted on their official websites once decisions are made, according to CHA.
On Friday, the country added 1,062 more COVID-19 cases, including 1,036 local infections, raising the total caseload to 47,515. Most of the new infection cases were from the greater Seoul area, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
nyway@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-18--(LEAD) Seoul stocks hit new high on U.S. stimulus hopes

`` Major indices in the United States all rose to reach record highs after reports of stimulus talks being close @ @ @ @ @ Eugene Investment & Securities analyst Huh Jae-hwan said .
`` Gains were , however , @ @ @ @ @ the talks may continue into the weekend . ''

(ATTN: ADDS bond yields at bottom; CHANGES photo)
SEOUL, Dec. 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks rose slightly to reach a record high Friday, buoyed by optimism over U.S. stimulus talks despite a spike in local COVID-19 cases. The Korean won fell against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 1.75 points, or 0.06 percent, to close at 2,772.18.
Trading volume was high at about 1.05 billion shares worth some 18.9 trillion won (US$17.2 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 491 to 342.
Foreigners sold a net 192.4 billion won, while institutions offloaded a net 152.1 billion won. Retail investors picked up a net 390.4 billion won.
Electronic signboards at a Hana Bank dealing room in Seoul show the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 2,772.18 on Dec. 18, 2020, up 1.75 points or 0.06 percent from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)
The benchmark index rebounded from the previous session's fall tracking overnight gains on Wall Street as U.S. lawmakers continued negotiations to clinch a deal for a new stimulus package.
"Major indices in the United States all rose to reach record highs after reports of stimulus talks being close to an agreement," Eugene Investment & Securities analyst Huh Jae-hwan said. "Gains were, however, limited on the possibility that the talks may continue into the weekend."
Investor sentiment was also boosted after Moderna said its COVID-19 vaccine received recommendation for emergency use by an expert panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The recent surge in COVID-19 cases in South Korea, however, limited the index's gains.
While authorities have stopped short of adopting the strongest social distancing measures, which would place the country in a quasi-lockdown, the country reported over 1,000 new coronavirus cases for the third day in a row.
Most large caps in Seoul ended lower.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics shed 0.41 percent to 73,000 won, and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix declined 0.84 percent to 118,500 won.
Leading chemical firm LG Chem retreated 1.93 percent to 814,000 won, while rechargeable battery maker Samsung SDI edged up 0.18 percent to 568,000 won.
Internet portal giant Naver slipped 0.88 percent to 282,500 won, with rival Kakao declining 0.54 percent to 367,000 won.
Hyundai Motor, the country's largest carmaker, fell 0.79 percent to 189,000 won.
Pharmaceutical giant Samsung Biologics inched down 0.25 percent to 802,000 won, while Celltrion added 1.28 percent to 356,000 won.
The local currency closed at 1,099.7 won against the U.S. dollar, down 6.4 won from the previous session's close.
Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, closed higher. The yield on three-year Treasurys fell 3.6 basis points to 0.963 percent, and the return on the benchmark five-year government bond lost 2.2 basis points to 1.345 percent.
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-18--S. Korean Bond Yields on Dec. 18, 2020

S. Korean Bond Yields on Dec. 18, 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--2020-12-18--Ceremony held to honor over 500 sets of remains of soldiers killed in Korean War

South Korea launched the excavation work in 2000 as it marked the 50th anniversary of the outbreak of the war @ @ @ @ @ has discovered around 10,000 sets of remains , with nearly 120,000 troops yet to be @ @

SEOUL, Dec. 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korea held a ceremony Friday to honor a total of 514 sets of recently unearthed remains of soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War, vowing to make every effort until the last remains are returned to loved ones.
The ceremony took place at the Seoul National Cemetery, attended by Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, Defense Minister Suh Wook and around 50 senior government and military officials.
The remains include 127 sets discovered during this year's excavation work on Arrowhead Ridge inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), 147 sets repatriated from the United States in June, and others found in extensive operations across the country, according to the ministry.
Of them, 19 were identified and returned to their families. The remaining unidentified remains will be moved to the Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification under the defense ministry for further analysis, the ministry said.
"Currently, we have DNA samples from only 60,000 families. We will continue to work hard to discover remains and collect more DNA data for identification," the ministry said in a statement.
South Korea launched the excavation work in 2000 as it marked the 50th anniversary of the outbreak of the war. Since then, it has discovered around 10,000 sets of remains, with nearly 120,000 troops yet to be retrieved.
During the three-year war, 178,569 South Korean and U.N. soldiers were killed, and 42,769 others remain unaccounted for, according to government data.
Soldiers excavate the remains believed to be from Song Hae-kyung, a South Korean soldier killed in the 1950-53 Korean War, at Arrowhead Ridge in the central section of the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, in this photo released by the defense ministry on Nov. 27, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-18--GM Korea workers OK revised 2020 wage deal

The company and the union have had 26 rounds of negotiations since July , and union members staged several rounds @ @ @ @ @ 30 , demanding an end to a wage freeze and a new vehicle production plan @ @ @ @ @ Incheon , west of Seoul .

SEOUL, Dec. 18 (Yonhap) -- Unionized workers at GM Korea Co. agreed Friday to accept the company's revised wage proposals amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.
GM Korea workers voted in favor of the second tentative wage and collective agreement deal in a two-day vote that ended on Friday. The workers rejected the first tentative deal earlier this month.
In the second deal, GM Korea agreed to drop a damage suit filed against the union for strike-driven output losses and provide 4 million won (US$3,600) per worker in performance-based pay and bonuses within this year, a company spokesman said over the phone.
This file photo, taken Feb. 17, 2020, shows GM Korea's Bupyeong plant in Incheon, west of Seoul. (Yonhap)
The company and the union have had 26 rounds of negotiations since July, and union members staged several rounds of partial strikes starting Oct. 30, demanding an end to a wage freeze and a new vehicle production plan at its Bupyeong plant in Incheon, west of Seoul.
The South Korean unit of General Motors Co. said it will maintain production of the Trax compact SUV and the Malibu midsize sedan, currently being assembled at the No. 2 Bupyeong plant, as long as possible.
Partial strikes cost GM Korea about 25,000 vehicles in lost production. The company already suffered production losses of 60,000 vehicles in the first half due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Detroit carmaker has three Korean plants -- two in Bupyeong and one in Changwon -- whose combined output capacity reaches 630,000 units a year.
GM owns a 76 percent stake in GM Korea, and the state-run Korea Development Bank and SAIC Motor Corp. hold a 17 percent stake and 6 percent stake, respectively, in the Korean unit.
From January to November, its sales fell 15 percent on-year to 321,736 vehicles from 378,408 units in the year-ago period.
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-18--Court hearing on top prosecutor's injunction request scheduled for next week

SEOUL, Dec. 18 (Yonhap) -- A Seoul court plans to hold a hearing next week on the country's top prosecutor's injunction request against the decision to suspend him from duty, an informed source said Friday.
The Seoul Administrative Court is scheduled to open the hearing at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
On Wednesday, President Moon Jae-in endorsed the justice ministry's decision to suspend Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl for two months over four counts of alleged misconduct, including the surveillance of judges hearing cases on former Justice Minister Cho Kuk and presidential officials' alleged involvement in the Ulsan mayoral election in 2018 to bring victory to one of Moon's longtime friends.
The measure immediately went into effect.
Yoon filed an injunction at the court on Thursday night, along with a separate administrative lawsuit against the decision, claiming that the disciplinary session had procedural errors and the allegations against him were not true.
Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl is seen in a car on his way to work in Seoul on Dec. 16, 2020. (Yonhap)
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-18--Summary of external news of North Korea this week

`` During his meetings with senior ROK officials in Seoul , Deputy Secretary Biegun expressed appreciation for the ROK 's @ @ @ @ @ , discussed how to ensure the U.S.-ROK alliance is prepared to face the challenges of @ @ @ @ @ '' the department said in a press release .

SEOUL, Dec. 18 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of external news of North Korea this week.
------------
U.S. reaffirms commitment to complete denuclearization of N. Korea: State Dept.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun has reaffirmed his country's continued commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea, the State Department said Friday.
Biegun, while meeting with top South Korean officials in Seoul, also confirmed the United States' commitment to coordinating its denuclearization efforts with South Korea.
"During his meetings with senior ROK officials in Seoul, Deputy Secretary Biegun expressed appreciation for the ROK's continued partnership in COVID-19 response, discussed how to ensure the U.S.-ROK alliance is prepared to face the challenges of the next 70 years," the department said in a press release.
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Pompeo says N. Korea a greater threat than Russia in cyber security
WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 (Yonhap) -- North Koreans are consistently trying to break into U.S. servers for classified information, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday, adding North Korea and China pose greater threats than Russia to the U.S.
"It's an ongoing battle, an ongoing struggle to keep our systems safe," the top U.S. diplomat said in an interview with U.S. radio network Breitbart News.
Pompeo said the United States faces similar threats from Russian and Chinese actors.
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UN passes N. Korean human rights resolution for 16th consecutive year
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 (Yonhap) -- The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution calling for improvements to human rights conditions in North Korea.
The resolution marks the 16th of its kind since 2005.
The U.N. again condemned "in the strongest terms, the systematic, widespread and gross violations" of human rights by North Korean authorities.
------------
Former U.S. nuclear negotiator says N. Korea's ultimate goal is to secure regime
SEOUL, Dec. 17 (Yonhap) -- A former U.S. nuclear negotiator said Thursday that Washington needs to push for normalizing relations with North Korea and make efforts to sign a peace treaty that ends the 1950-53 Korean War, as Pyongyang's ultimate goal is to secure its regime and leadership.
Joseph DeTrani also said during a virtual seminar that recognizing North Korea as a nuclear weapons state is not a "viable option" because such recognition would facilitate an arms race and cause instability in the region.
"We know it's security for the regime, security for the leadership. That's the ultimate objective," said the former U.S. special envoy for six-party nuclear talks during the conference hosted by the state-run Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS).
------------
U.S. expresses concerns over S. Korean ban on anti-Pyongyang leaflets
WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. government had expressed concerns about a South Korean bill prohibiting the launch of anti-North Korea leaflets across the border before the South Korean parliament passed the bill this week, a news report said Thursday.
Citing unidentified sources, the Washington Post said Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun had "privately conveyed" the U.S. government's concerns during his trip to Seoul that ended last Friday.
The bill passed Monday by a 187-0 vote in South Korea's unicameral parliament.
(END)


yna--2020-12-18--Summary of inter-Korean news this week

Summary of inter-Korean news this week

But the government has stressed that sending such leaflets could provoke the North to engage in bellicose behavior so as @ @ @ @ @ people living in border regions .
Pyongyang has sharply protested such leaflets and even blew @ @ @ @ @ in anger earlier this year .

SEOUL, Dec. 18 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of inter-Korean news this week.
------------
Assembly passes bill on banning cross-border launch of anti-Pyongyang leaflets
SEOUL, Dec. 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's parliament on Monday passed a controversial bill prohibiting the launching of anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the inter-Korean border, a move critics claim violates freedom of expression.
The revision to the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act, billed as the anti-leaflet law, outlaws the scattering of leaflets critical of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un or his political system across the border.
Violators of the law can face up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won (US$27,000), if convicted.
------------
Ministry says ban on anti-Pyongyang leaflets 'least possible measure' to protect people in border regions
SEOUL, Dec. 14 (Yonhap) -- Prohibiting the flying of anti-North Korea leaflets is the "least possible measure" to protect the safety of people living in border regions, the unification ministry said Monday, after a U.S. congressman criticized the envisioned ban for violating civil liberties.
The ruling Democratic Party, which commands a majority in the National Assembly, has been pushing to legislate a ban on sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets to the North with a relevant revision bill up for a vote for approval.
The opposition party lawmakers have been blocking its passage through filibustering.
------------
Defector activist mulls constitutional complaint over ban on anti-Pyongyang leafleting
SEOUL, Dec. 15 (Yonhap) -- A high-profile North Korean defector activist is considering filing a constitutional complaint against the recently legislated ban on the sending of anti-Pyongyang leaflets into the communist nation, his lawyer said Tuesday.
On Monday night, the National Assembly, controlled by the ruling Democratic Party, passed the bill penalizing the sending of anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets into the North despite strong objection by opposition party lawmakers.
Critics, including Park Sang-hak, a defector who heads Fighters for a Free North Korea, have strongly opposed the ban, saying it would violate the right to freedom of speech.
------------
FM says freedom of expression can be limited over leafleting ban
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Wednesday defended the country's recent passage of a bill prohibiting sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets into North Korea, arguing that freedom of expression can be limited for the safety of people.
South Korea's ruling party-controlled National Assembly approved the leafleting ban Monday despite criticism that it undermines the right to freedom of expression and the country has given in to pressure from Pyongyang.
But the government has stressed that sending such leaflets could provoke the North to engage in bellicose behavior so as to endanger the safety of people living in border regions. Pyongyang has sharply protested such leaflets and even blew up an inter-Korean liaison office in anger earlier this year.
------------
S. Korea to develop border security sensor detecting ground vibration
SEOUL, Dec. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea began producing ground vibration sensors on a trial basis to install on the border with North Korea, officials said Thursday, after the military failed to detect a North Korean jumping over barbed wire fences on the border in a defection bid last month.
The system is designed to sense vibrations on the ground and ring an alarm bell to allow troops to detect infiltrators, as it is to be equipped with diverse sensors, such as infrared, image and vibration sensors, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).
The agency launched the project in December last year in cooperation with Hanwha Systems Co. and is currently building a prototype. After wrapping up necessary tests by 2022, it plans to deliver the equipment to the military around 2023, according to officials.
------------
Unification ministry expresses regret over U.N. rapporteur's appeal to review leafleting ban
SEOUL, Dec. 17 (Yonhap) -- The unification ministry expressed regret Thursday after a U.N. special rapporteur called on South Korea to reconsider a recently legislated ban on sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets into North Korea, saying the measure was legislated in due democratic procedures.
Earlier in the week, the National Assembly, controlled by the ruling Democratic Party, passed the bill penalizing the sending of anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets into the North despite strong objection by opposition party lawmakers.
Special Rapporteur Tomas Ojea Quintana has told a U.S. media outlet that he hopes South Korea will reconsider the legislation before it goes into effect, citing the freedom of expression of activist groups.
(END)


yna--2020-12-19--3 more military members test positive for new coronavirus

Last week , another military hospital in the central city of Daejeon began accepting civilian patients , and one in @ @ @ @ @ , will also be available next week , according to the ministry .

SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- Two Navy officers and a soldier tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Saturday.
The Navy officers stationed in the southeastern city of Jinhae underwent COVID-19 tests after their colleague was confirmed to have been infected earlier, according to the ministry.
The soldier in the border city of Paju also tested positive while in isolation after coming in contact with other patients at his barracks, it added.
The latest cases brought the total number of COVID-19 infections among the military population to 478.
Nationwide, the country added 1,053 more COVID-19 cases, including 1,029 local infections, raising the total caseload to 48,570, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
As the country faces a shortage of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients, the ministry opened a military hospital in the southeastern city of Daegu to civilians Saturday. The Daegu clinic has 303 beds.
Last week, another military hospital in the central city of Daejeon began accepting civilian patients, and one in Goyang, north of Seoul, will also be available next week, according to the ministry.
Service members refurbish a military hospital in the southeastern city of Daegu on Dec. 14, 2020, to accept civilian COVID-19 patients, in this photo provided by the defense ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-19--(2nd LD) Daily virus cases above 1,000 for 4th day, concerns rise over hospital capacity

This month alone , six patients have died of the disease without getting treatment while waiting to be admitted to @ @ @ @ @ is feared to grow as the number of critically ill patients has been rising faster @ @ @

(ATTN: ADDS more antivirus measures in paras 11, 18-22, photo)
SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases topped the 1,000 mark for the fourth consecutive day Saturday on continued cluster infections nationwide, deepening concerns over hospital bed shortages for seriously ill patients.
The country added 1,053 more COVID-19 cases, including 1,029 local infections, raising the total caseload to 48,570, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
It is the first time that the daily number has stayed above 1,000 for four straight days. After reaching a record high of 1,078 on Wednesday, the daily caseload inched down to 1,014 the following day and then bounced back to 1,062 on Friday.
Construction workers build a makeshift ward with shipping containers at a Seoul hospital on Dec. 18, 2020. (Yonhap)
Cluster infections have been breaking out across the country, with senior care hospitals, religious facilities, schools and offices hit particularly hard.
Of the locally transmitted cases, more than 70 percent were from the greater Seoul area, which is home to around half of the country's population of more than 50 million.
The capital city of Seoul reported 384 new cases Saturday, and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and the western city of Incheon had 278 and 46 additional patients, respectively.
Other municipalities also reported fresh infections, with the central province of North Chungcheong having 103 new patients and the southern city of Busan 29 cases, according to the KDCA.
The continued surge in new cases has caused the shortage in hospital beds for COVID-19 patients.
This month alone, six patients have died of the disease without getting treatment while waiting to be admitted to hospitals, and the figure is feared to grow as the number of critically ill patients has been rising faster than before.
The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients came to 275 Saturday, up 29 from the previous day.
In Seoul alone, around 580 patients were waiting to be admitted to hospitals as of Friday, according to the municipal government.
The KDCA reported 14 additional deaths, raising the total to 659.
The government said it has been working to mobilize all resources available and to partner with private medical institutions to prepare more beds to prevent additional fatalities.
Medical workers carry out COVID-19 tests at a makeshift test clinic in the southern city of Jinju, in this photo provided by the city government on Dec. 19, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The resurgent pandemic has led the government to review raising the antivirus scheme to the highest Level 3 in the five-tier system.
The Level 2.5 social distancing guidance has been in place in the greater Seoul area since last week, but it has failed, at least for now, to stop the spreading virus.
Level 3 can be adopted when locally transmitted cases hover between 800 and 1,000 for a week or the daily tally doubles from the previous day.
The recent tally has already met the requirements, as the KDCA said that an average of 976.4 daily new cases occurred over the past week.
As the tougher scheme is expected to have far-reaching impacts on the economy, the government has been very careful, saying it will prioritize the implementation of the current antivirus measures more thoroughly and enforce additional measures at specific, vulnerable facilities.
Starting Saturday, all poker pubs were ordered to shut down for 10 days, after more than two dozen infections were linked to such bars in the multicultural district of Itaewon in Seoul.
The government also plans to have ski resorts located outside the capital area close after 9 p.m. A ski resort in the eastern county of Pyeongchang caused a chain infection that has affected at least 17 people so far.
The authorities are also working hard to conduct more tests to find "unknown spreaders."
So far, 131 makeshift test centers have been set up in the greater Seoul area, and 286 individuals tested positive through the random testing there, including 116 patients reported Saturday.
"This weekend will be a crucial moment in judging whether to adjust the social distancing level," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said during a meeting at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters on Saturday.
Pointing to a near fivefold increase in the number of infections at religious facilities over the past few weeks, Chung appealed to the people to adhere to antivirus guidelines particularly ahead of the Christmas and New Year's holidays.
Imported cases came to 24, mainly from the United States and Asian countries, excluding China, according to the KDCA.
The number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries came to 352, raising the total to 34,334.
South Korea has carried out 3,646,247 COVID-19 tests so far, including 56,450 the previous day.
A street in the southern resort city of Jeju is nearly empty on Dec. 18, 2020, as the local government raised its social distancing plan by one notch to Level 2. (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-19--USFK ups antivirus scheme for all areas in S. Korea amid resurgent pandemic

Starting at 12:01 a.m. , USFK enforced the Health Protection Condition ( HPCON ) Charlie , or HPCON C , @ @ @ @ @ its five-tier system , as South Korea has seen another wave of the pandemic in @ @ @ @ @ caseload topped the 1,000 mark for the fourth day Saturday .

SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) on Saturday raised its health protection level against the new coronavirus for all areas in South Korea following the resurgence of the pandemic.
Starting at 12:01 a.m., USFK enforced the Health Protection Condition (HPCON) Charlie, or HPCON C, the third-highest warning level in its five-tier system, as South Korea has seen another wave of the pandemic in recent weeks. Its daily caseload topped the 1,000 mark for the fourth day Saturday.
Under the tougher scheme, only "mission essential" individuals will report for duty, with all others teleworking.
Non-necessary off-post activities are also restricted, such as visiting gyms outside the barracks, clubs, shopping centers and theaters.
HPCON C is likely to be in effect at least throughout the month, as the command said it will make an assessment regarding the warning level early next year.
USFK also highly encouraged its people to avoid travel as much as possible within the country, adding the greater Seoul area and the southern city of Busan remain off-limits except for official and necessary duties.
"Out of an abundance of caution to protect the force, we must maintain the overall health and safety of our community by applying an immediate, aggressive approach to preventing the virus' spread," Abrams said earlier.
Up until Thursday, USFK reported a total of 442 COVID-19 patients, most of whom have tested positive upon arrival in South Korea from the U.S.
This photo uploaded in a U.S. Forces Korea Facebook post on April 17, 2020, shows its Health Protection Condition level Charlie. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-19--Random testing finds 286 COVID-19 cases in capital area in 5 days

The government has been asking all capital area citizens to voluntarily visit the random testing centers to help stem the @ @ @ @ @ Anybody can easily take the coronavirus test at those centers after offering their mobile phone @ @ @ @ @ and epidemiological reasons .

SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- The government's ongoing random testing, launched in the greater Seoul area at the beginning of this week, has identified nearly 300 cases of COVID-19 so far, a government agency on the coronavirus pandemic said Saturday.
According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, an additional 116 people were diagnosed with COVID-19 at the capital area random testing centers Friday, raising the five-day total to 286.
People stand in line to take coronavirus tests at a temporary screening center in front of Seoul City Hall in downtown Seoul on Dec. 18, 2020. (Yonhap)
The 116 new cases -- 81 in Seoul, 25 in Gyeonggi Province and 10 in Incheon -- were confirmed out of 48,496 people tested by the random screening centers, the agency said, noting about 98 percent of them were screened by the so-called polymerase chain reaction test (PCR), designed to detect the virus's genetic material.
In a bid to preemptively find "hidden infected people" through random testing, the government has been installing temporary coronavirus testing facilities at about 150 locations in the capital area, including Seoul City Hall and Seoul Station, since Monday. Those random testing centers will operate until Jan. 3.
The agency said the random screening facilities have conducted a total of 119,207 coronavirus tests in the five-day period. So far, 131 random testing centers have opened -- 51 in Seoul, 70 in Gyeonggi Province and 10 in Incheon, it added.
The government has been asking all capital area citizens to voluntarily visit the random testing centers to help stem the spread of the disease. Anybody can easily take the coronavirus test at those centers after offering their mobile phone numbers, regardless of symptoms and epidemiological reasons.
In Seoul, the number of new daily coronavirus cases rose by 384 on Saturday. Excluding two patients from abroad, all other cases came from the capital.
The Saturday figure, the fourth highest on record for Seoul, marked a slight fall from the all-time high of 423 recorded the previous day. Throughout this month, the number of daily cases in the capital has fluctuated between 200 to 423.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-19--(LEAD) Daily virus cases above 1,000 for 4th day, concerns rise over hospital capacity

(ATTN: ADDS more figures, PM's comments, background info in paras 6-7, 16-22)
SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases topped the 1,000 mark for the fourth consecutive day Saturday on continued cluster infections nationwide, deepening concerns over hospital bed shortages for seriously ill patients.
The country added 1,053 more COVID-19 cases, including 1,029 local infections, raising the total caseload to 48,570, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
It is the first time that the daily number has stayed above 1,000 for four straight days. After reaching a record high of 1,078 on Wednesday, the daily caseload inched down to 1,014 the following day and then bounced back to 1,062 on Friday.
Medical workers carry out COVID-19 tests at a makeshift test clinic in the southern city of Jinju, in this photo provided by the city government on Dec. 19, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Cluster infections have been breaking out across the country, with senior care hospitals, religious facilities, schools and offices hit particularly hard.
Of the locally transmitted cases, more than 70 percent were from the greater Seoul area, which is home to around half of the country's population of more than 50 million.
The capital city of Seoul reported 384 new cases Saturday, and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and the western city of Incheon had 278 and 46 additional patients, respectively.
Other municipalities also reported fresh infections, with the central province of North Chungcheong having 103 new patients and the southern city of Busan 29 cases, according to the KDCA.
The continued surge in new cases has caused the shortage in hospital beds for COVID-19 patients.
This month alone, six patients have died of the disease without getting treatment while waiting to be admitted to hospitals, and the figure is feared to grow as the number of critically ill patients has been rising faster than before.
The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients came to 275 Saturday, up 29 from the previous day.
The KDCA reported 14 additional deaths, raising the total to 659.
The government said it has been working to mobilize all resources available and to partner with private medical institutions to prepare more beds to prevent additional fatalities.
The resurgent pandemic has led the government to review raising the antivirus scheme to the highest Level 3 in the five-tier system.
The Level 2.5 social distancing guidance has been in place in the greater Seoul area since last week, but it has failed, at least for now, to stop the spreading virus.
As the tougher scheme is expected to have far-reaching impacts on the economy, the government has been very careful, saying it will prioritize the implementation of the current antivirus measures more thoroughly.
Level 3 can be adopted when locally transmitted cases hover between 800 and 1,000 for a week or the daily tally doubles from the previous day. The recent tally has already met the requirements.
The KDCA said an average of 976.4 daily new cases occurred over the past week.
"This weekend will be a crucial moment in judging whether to adjust the social distancing level," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said during a meeting at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters on Saturday.
Pointing to a near fivefold increase in the number of infections at religious facilities over the past few weeks, Chung appealed to the people to adhere to antivirus guidelines particularly ahead of the Christmas and New Year's holidays.
Imported cases came to 24, mainly from the United States and Asian countries, excluding China, according to the KDCA.
The number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries came to 352, raising the total to 34,334.
South Korea has carried out 3,646,247 COVID-19 tests so far, including 56,450 the previous day.
A street in the southern resort city of Jeju is nearly empty on Dec. 18, 2020, as the local government raised its social distancing plan by one notch to Level 2. (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-19--Seoul stocks set to climb next week amid U.S. stimulus hopes

The country reported over 1,000 new coronavirus cases for the third day in a row on Friday , leading authorities @ @ @ @ @ Level 3 social distancing measures , which would ban gatherings of 10 or more people @

SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks will likely further advance next week as investors pin hopes on new U.S. stimulus.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at a new record high of 2,772.18 points on Friday, up 0.07 percent from a week ago.
While the index fell for two consecutive sessions earlier this week amid a spike in local COVID-19 cases, the index slightly recovered to end the week at an all-time high.
Analysts said investor sentiment was lifted by progress in new U.S. stimulus talks and a dovish message from U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on continuing to support the pandemic-struck U.S. economy.
Electronic signboards at a Hana Bank dealing room in Seoul show the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 2,772.18 on Dec. 18, 2020, up 1.75 points or 0.06 percent from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)
"The KOSPI is expected to exhibit an overall upward trend next week as the U.S. Federal Open Market Committee met market expectations," Korea Investment & Securities analyst Kim Sung-keun said.
"While there weren't any surprises, it expressed that it would maintain its accommodative stance over the long run."
"Much of the market attention will now likely be placed on fiscal policy," Kim added, pointing at the new U.S. stimulus deal.
Hopes for new stimulus have recently gathered ground as new COVID-19 cases in the United States have yet to show signs of slowing down.
Analysts still noted that potential new COVID-19 restrictions in South Korea to fight against the new surge in cases could weigh on market sentiment.
The country reported over 1,000 new coronavirus cases for the third day in a row on Friday, leading authorities to review adopting the toughest Level 3 social distancing measures, which would ban gatherings of 10 or more people.
"The Level 3 measures are virtually a lockdown and will likely have a negative impact on the local economy," Kim said.
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-19--Daily virus cases above 1,000 for 4th day, concerns rise over hospital capacity

SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases topped the 1,000 mark for the fourth consecutive day Saturday on continued cluster infections nationwide, deepening concerns over hospital bed shortages for seriously ill patients.
The country added 1,053 more COVID-19 cases, including 1,029 local infections, raising the total caseload to 48,570, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
It is the first time that the daily number has stayed above 1,000 for four straight days. After reaching a record high of 1,078 on Wednesday, the daily caseload inched down to 1,014 the following day and then bounced back to 1,062 on Friday.
Medical workers carry out COVID-19 tests at a makeshift test clinic in the southern city of Jinju, in this photo provided by the city government on Dec. 19, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Cluster infections have been breaking out across the country, with senior care hospitals, religious facilities, schools and offices hit particularly hard.
Of the locally transmitted cases, more than 70 percent were from the greater Seoul area, which is home to around half of the country's population of more than 50 million.
The continued surge in new cases has caused the shortage in hospital beds for COVID-19 patients.
This month alone, six patients have died of the disease without getting treatment while waiting to be admitted to hospitals, and the figure is feared to grow as the number of critically ill patients has been rising faster than before.
The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients came to 275 Saturday, up 29 from the previous day.
The KDCA reported 14 additional deaths, raising the total to 659.
The government said it has been working to mobilize all resources available and to partner with private medical institutions to prepare more beds to prevent additional fatalities.
The resurgent pandemic has led the government to review raising the antivirus scheme to the highest Level 3 in the five-tier system.
The Level 2.5 social distancing guidance has been in place in the greater Seoul area since last week, but it has failed, at least for now, to stop the spreading virus.
As the tougher scheme is expected to have far-reaching impacts on the economy, the government has been very careful, saying it will prioritize the implementation of the current antivirus measures more thoroughly.
The number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries came to 352, raising the total to 34,334, KDCA said.
A street in the southern resort city of Jeju is nearly empty on Dec. 18, 2020, as the local government raised its social distancing plan by one notch to Level 2. (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-19--(URGENT) 352 more patients released from coronavirus treatment, total now at 34,334: KDCA


yna--2020-12-19--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 14 additional coronavirus deaths, total now at 659: KDCA


yna--2020-12-19--(URGENT) S. Korea reports 1,053 new coronavirus cases, total at 48,570: KDCA


Saturday's weather forecast

SEOUL , Dec. 19 ( Yonhap ) -- The following is the weather forecast for South Korea 's 12 major @ @ @ @ @ .


yna--2020-12-19--MMCA brings modern media art to historic Joseon-era venue

`` It is the first exhibition at the cultural heritage space , which is within the museum venue but was @ @ @ @ @ said Youn Bummo , director of the MMCA , adding that the museum will showcase @ @ @ @ @ spatial and historic context of Jongchinbu .

By Lee Minji
SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- At the heart of Seoul is Jongchinbu, a historic building that was used as the headquarters of an office overseeing royal family affairs during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).
The building, which had been relocated to several different places near the royal palace of Gyeongbok, returned to its original spot less than 10 years ago when the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) was being built.
The MMCA has recently opened a new outdoor exhibition there, filling the centuries-old venue with modern art.
This photo, provided by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, shows the installation view of media artworks at Jongchinbu, the former office of royal genealogy, in central Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Two media artworks by artist group col.l.age+ fill a giant LED screen, measuring nine meters in length, and an LED cube that light up daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The 2016 work "Hypnagogia" was inspired by Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi's fable "Butterfly Dream." The colorful piece explores contrasting concepts like light, darkness, present and future through illuminations of human eye-shaped figures that make up a giant butterfly.
"Super Nature" (2020) is a more socially conscious work. Through images reflected on an LED light cube, it quizzes visitors on themes like environmental pollution and the relationship between mankind and nature, according to the museum.
This photo, provided by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, shows the media artwork "Super Nature" by artist group col.l.age+. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
This photo, provided by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, shows the media artwork "Hypnagogia" by artist group col.l.age+. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"It is the first exhibition at the cultural heritage space, which is within the museum venue but was not being utilized," said Youn Bummo, director of the MMCA, adding that the museum will showcase new projects that highlight the spatial and historic context of Jongchinbu.
The outdoor exhibition will remain open until Dec. 27. Currently, the museum's other indoor programs remain suspended in line with the government's toughened social distancing guidelines.
This is not the first time that Jongchinbu has been featured in modern cultural works. In October, K-pop singer-songwriter CL filmed her performance for "The Late Late Show with James Corder" at the historic venue.
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-19--Top headlines in major S. Korean newspapers

Korean-language dailies -- Even judges not well aware of 'suspended penalty sentence ' ( Kyunghyang Shinmun ) -- Land Minister @ @ @ @ @ saying , 'How can poor people eat out unless they are out of their mind @ @ @ @ @ -- Gov't says vaccine to be available in Feb.-March , but no time frame for @ @ @ @ @ ) -- Another COVID-19 patient died waiting to be admitted to hospital , bed shortage @ @ @ @ @ ) -- Sixth death as no hospital beds are left , 841 waiting to be @ @ @ @ @ ( Chosun Ilbo ) -- Gov't repeatedly says vaccine will be secured next year , @ @ @ @ @ Ilbo ) -- Vaccine contracts lag while COVID-19 spreads fast ( Hankyoreh ) -- Six @ @ @ @ @ rise over hospital bed shortage ( Hankook Ilbo ) -- 'Collaboration ' becomes highly popular @ @ @ @ @ ( Maeil Business Newspaper ) -- Hospital bed for COVID-19 running out , vaccine not @ @ @ @ @ Daily ) ( END )

SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- The following are the top headlines in major South Korean newspapers on Dec. 19.
Korean-language dailies
-- Even judges not well aware of 'suspended penalty sentence' (Kyunghyang Shinmun)
-- Land Minister nominee Byeon made controversy by saying, 'How can poor people eat out unless they are out of their mind' (Kookmin Daily)
-- Gov't says vaccine to be available in Feb.-March, but no time frame for vaccine contract (Donga llbo)
-- Another COVID-19 patient died waiting to be admitted to hospital, bed shortage becomes reality (Segye Times)
-- Sixth death as no hospital beds are left, 841 waiting to be admitted in capital area alone (Chosun Ilbo)
-- Gov't repeatedly says vaccine will be secured next year, no progress made (JoongAng Ilbo)
-- Vaccine contracts lag while COVID-19 spreads fast (Hankyoreh)
-- Six died this month, concerns rise over hospital bed shortage (Hankook Ilbo)
-- 'Collaboration' becomes highly popular, breaks boundaries among industries (Maeil Business Newspaper)
-- Hospital bed for COVID-19 running out, vaccine not in sight (Korea Economic Daily)
(END)


yna--2020-12-19--N. Korea's Kangson facility may not be uranium enrichment plant: Heinonen

`` The available evidence suggests that Kangson is not a uranium enrichment plant , although it is likely still tied @ @ @ @ @ enrichment program , just in a different role , '' Heinonen said in an op-ed @ @ @ @ @ , a website run by Washington-based think tank Stimson Center .

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's long suspected uranium enrichment facility in Kangson may instead be dedicated to producing related components, a former official of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Friday.
Olli Heinonen, former IAEA deputy director-general for safeguards, noted the facility appears to be linked to the North's uranium program, but not in a way that had been suspected.
"The available evidence suggests that Kangson is not a uranium enrichment plant, although it is likely still tied to North Korea's uranium enrichment program, just in a different role," Heinonen said in an op-ed piece published by 38 North, a website run by Washington-based think tank Stimson Center.
"Its characteristics are consistent with a large-scale machine tool workshop suitable for the production and testing of centrifuge components," he added.
The Kangson facility has been suspected of being North Korea's second uranium-enrichment plant after its well-known facility in Yongbyon.
Such suspicions surfaced in 2018, but have never been confirmed.
Noting high-level security arrangements around the Kangson complex, including a 1-kilometer-long perimeter wall, Heinonen said the facility appears to hold a "valuable asset."
"However, unlike buildings at the Yongbyon nuclear complex, Kangson does not have a security defense-in-depth. Its security arrangements are more comparable with the features of military-industrial complexes in North Korea," he wrote.
In addition, the facility "appears to be missing air conditioning units, which are essential to maintaining an appropriate operating environment for centrifuges at production-scale facilities," he added, citing recent satellite imagery of the site.
North Korea offered to shut down its Yongbyon facility when its leader, Kim Jong-un, met U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi in February 2019.
However, the Hanoi summit, the second for Trump and Kim, ended without a deal as the U.S. demanded the North give up all five nuclear facilities that it said it had information on.
The U.S. has not made public its list of North Korean nuclear facilities but Kangson has been thought to be one of them.
The first Trump-Kim summit was held in Singapore in June 2018.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-19--Ex-presidential candidate to announce bid for Seoul mayoral by-election

Ahn , who finished third in the South Korean presidential election in 2017 , told party officials via a text @ @ @ @ @ to run for the top executive position of Seoul , the capital and largest city @ @ @ @

SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- Ahn Cheol-soo, the head of the minor opposition People's Party, will announce his bid to run in next year's Seoul mayoral by-election, officials here said Saturday.
Ahn, who finished third in the South Korean presidential election in 2017, told party officials via a text message that he has decided to run for the top executive position of Seoul, the capital and largest city of South Korea.
Ahn, 58, will officially declare his bid for the Seoul mayoralty by-election, which is scheduled for April 7, 2021, at a press conference Sunday, according to the officials.
The Seoul mayoral seat has been left vacant since July following the sudden death of Park Won-soon, who was found dead on a mountain in Seoul in apparent suicide after sexual harassment allegations emerged.
In 2011, Ahn considered running in a by-election for the Seoul mayoralty, with his support rating exceeding 50 percent at the time. But he quit the race, lending his support to then candidate Park Won-soon who eventually won the election.
Ahn also ran for the Seoul mayoral election in 2018 but came in third.
The Seoul mayoral race is regarded as the most important election in South Korea after the presidential poll held every five years.
This file photo, taken on Dec. 14, 2020, shows Ahn Cheol-soo, the head of the minor opposition People's Party at the National Assembly in Seoul. (Yonhap)
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-19--Ulsan Hyundai FC win AFC Champions League title

In the 45th minute , Mehdi Abdi put Persepolis on the board following a Ulsan turnover .
Defender Park Joo-ho @ @ @ @ @ in his own zone while trying to make a pass , and Abdi picked up @ @ @ @ @ to the center of the box , and rolled one into the bottom left corner @ @ @ @ @ .

By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- Ulsan Hyundai FC are the champions of Asian club football for 2020.
The South Korean club defeated Persepolis FC of Iran 2-1 in the final of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League in Qatar on Saturday.
Junior Negrao converted two penalties at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, just south of Doha, helping Ulsan rally from a 1-0 deficit.
In this AFP photo, Junior Negrao of Ulsan Hyundai FC celebrates his goal against Persepolis FC during the final of the Asian Football Confederation Champions League at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, Qatar, on Dec. 19, 2020. (Yonhap)
This was Ulsan's first AFC title since 2012. They were the runners-up in both the K League 1 and the Korean FA Cup tournament this year, finishing behind Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors each time.
The script was flipped at the AFC Champions League when the group stage for East Asian clubs resumed, following a coronavirus-induced hiatus, in November in Qatar.
Jeonbuk, in their bid for a third major trophy, didn't even make it past the group stage. But Ulsan reeled off five consecutive victories to finish atop Group F, and then won three straight knockout matches to reach the final. In the process, Ulsan set a tournament record by scoring at least two goals in eight consecutive matches.
Ulsan's ninth consecutive win was a perfect sendoff gift for their outgoing head coach Kim Do-hoon. His four-year contract expires at the end of this year, and Kim said in his press conference after the semifinals last weekend that the Champions League final would be his last one with Ulsan.
In this Reuters photo, Junior Negrao (R) of Ulsan Hyundai FC is congratulated by teammate Won Du-jae after scoring a goal against Persepolis FC during the final of the Asian Football Confederation Champions League at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, Qatar, on Dec. 19, 2020. (Yonhap)
Ulsan won the Korean FA Cup in 2017, Kim's first year at the helm, but the talented squad has often crumbled under the weight of expectations. They were runners-up in the K League 1 in 2019 and 2020, and at the FA Cup in 2018 and 2020.
The teams traded a goal apiece in the first half.
In the 45th minute, Mehdi Abdi put Persepolis on the board following a Ulsan turnover. Defender Park Joo-ho lost control of the ball in his own zone while trying to make a pass, and Abdi picked up the loose ball, sprinted to the center of the box, and rolled one into the bottom left corner for a 1-0 Persepolis lead.
Ulsan tied things up on the final play of the first half. Shortly after Abdi's goal, Ulsan were awarded a penalty following a video review, which showed Ahmad Noorollahi fouling Yoon in the box while trying to contain the Ulsan midfielder.
In this Associated Press photo, Yoon Bitgaram of Ulsan Hyundai FC (R) is grabbed by Ahmad Noorollahi of Persepolis FC during the final of the Asian Football Confederation Champions League at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, Qatar, on Dec. 19, 2020. (Yonhap)
Junior Negrao's first attempt was saved by goalkeeper Hamed Lak but the rebound bounced right back to the Brazilian forward, who calmly put it into the gaping net for a 1-1 tie.
Junior, as he's commonly known, scored another penalty in the 55th minute to put Ulsan ahead for good.
And once again, Ulsan benefited from a video review. When Lee Chung-yong sent a cross intended for Junior in the box, Persepolis defender Mehdi Shiri touched the ball with his right hand as he jumped for a header.
The violation wasn't immediately called. But the video assistant referee alerted on-field official Abdulrahman Al Jassim, who didn't need much time to call the handball on Shiri after watching the replay.
Junior stepped up and beat Lak with his first attempt this time.
Ulsan averted a huge crisis in the 85th minute, when defender Kim Kee-hee was let off the hook by a video review after getting tangled up with Noorollahi inside the Ulsan box.
In this Associated Press photo, Lee Chung-yong of Ulsan Hyundai FC (R) battles Ahmad Noorollahi of Persepolis FC for the ball during the final of the Asian Football Confederation Champions League at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, Qatar, on Dec. 19, 2020. (Yonhap)
In this Associated Press photo, Junior Negrao (L) and Kim In-sung of Ulsan Hyundai FC celebrates the former's goal against Persepolis FC during the final of the Asian Football Confederation Champions League at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, Qatar, on Dec. 19, 2020. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-19--(5th LD) Daily virus cases above 1,000 for 4th day, concerns rise over hospital capacity

`` Our data shows that one patient now affects around 1.2 individuals .
We are also conducting tests in an @ @ @ @ @ infections .
So , we expect the daily number of this size to continue for @ @ @ @ @ Lim Sook-young , a senior health official , said during a regular press briefing .

(ATTN: ADDS more info paras 4-5)
SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases topped the 1,000 mark for the fourth consecutive day Saturday on continued cluster infections nationwide, deepening concerns over hospital bed shortages for seriously ill patients.
The country added 1,053 more COVID-19 cases, including 1,029 local infections, raising the total caseload to 48,570, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
It is the first time that the daily number has stayed above 1,000 for four straight days. After reaching a record high of 1,078 on Wednesday, the daily caseload inched down to 1,014 the following day and then bounced back to 1,062 on Friday.
Medical workers prepare for COVID-19 tests at a makeshift test center in Seoul on Dec. 19, 2020. South Korea has been witnessing another wave of the new coronavirus, with daily cases hovering above 1,000 for four straight days. (Yonhap)
An additional 870 COVID-19 infections have been confirmed across South Korea from the start of Saturday till 9 p.m., according to health authorities and local governments.
The tentatively compiled figure was about 14 more than the tally registered during the same time period a day earlier. Since the latest tally did not include a virus outbreak at Seoul Dongbu Detention Center, which reported more than 180 cases, health authorities are likely to announce a record high daily number of confirmed COVID-19 cases Sunday.
Cluster infections have been breaking out across the country, with senior care hospitals, religious facilities and offices hit particularly hard.
Of the locally transmitted cases, more than 70 percent were from the greater Seoul area, which is home to around half of the country's population of more than 50 million.
The capital city of Seoul reported 384 new cases Saturday, and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and the western city of Incheon had 278 and 46 additional patients, respectively.
The North Chungcheong Province, central South Korea, logged 103 new patients, marking the highest daily figure from municipalities and provinces outside the capital region since mid-March.
The continued surge in new cases has caused the shortage in hospital beds for COVID-19 patients.
In Seoul alone, around 580 patients were waiting to be admitted to hospitals as of Friday, according to the municipal government.
South Korea has 573 beds for seriously ill patients across the nation, but only 48 of them, or 8.4 percent, were unoccupied as of Friday.
So far this month, six patients have died of the disease while waiting to be admitted to hospitals, and the figure is feared to grow as the number of critically ill patients has been rising faster than before.
The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients came to 275 Saturday, up 29 from the previous day.
The KDCA reported 14 additional deaths, raising the total to 659.
The government has been scurrying to mobilize all resources available and to partner with private medical institutions to prepare more beds to prevent additional fatalities.
It issued an administrative order Friday dictating private hospitals set aside a certain portion of their intensive-care beds for serious COVID-19 cases, according to officials. It is the first time the government has issued such an order.
Construction workers build a makeshift ward with shipping containers at a Seoul hospital on Dec. 18, 2020. (Yonhap)
"Our data shows that one patient now affects around 1.2 individuals. We are also conducting tests in an aggressive manner to find more infections. So, we expect the daily number of this size to continue for some time being," Lim Sook-young, a senior health official, said during a regular press briefing.
Over the past two weeks, 11,162 were newly infected, and 26.9 percent of them had unknown transmission routes, according to the authorities.
So far, 131 makeshift test centers have been set up in the greater Seoul area, and 286 individuals tested positive through the random testing there, including 116 patients reported Saturday.
The resurgent pandemic has led the government to review raising the antivirus scheme to the highest Level 3 in the five-tier system.
The Level 2.5 social distancing guidance has been in place in the greater Seoul area since last week, but it has failed, at least for now, to stop the spreading virus.
Level 3 can be adopted when locally transmitted cases hover between 800 and 1,000 for a week or the daily tally doubles from the previous day. The recent tally has already met the requirements, as the KDCA said that an average of 976.4 daily new cases occurred over the past week.
As the tougher scheme is expected to have far-reaching impacts on the economy, the government has been very careful, saying it will prioritize the implementation of the current antivirus measures more thoroughly and enforce additional measures at specific, vulnerable facilities.
Starting Saturday, all poker pubs were ordered to shut down for 10 days, after more than two dozen infections were linked to such bars in the multicultural district of Itaewon in Seoul.
The government also plans to have ski resorts located outside the capital area close after 9 p.m. A ski resort in the eastern county of Pyeongchang caused a chain infection that has affected at least 17 people so far.
"This weekend will be a crucial moment in judging whether to adjust the social distancing level," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said during a meeting at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters on Saturday.
Pointing to a near fivefold increase in the number of infections at religious facilities over the past few weeks, Chung appealed to the people to adhere to antivirus guidelines particularly ahead of the Christmas and New Year's holidays.
Imported cases came to 24, mainly from the United States and Asian countries, excluding China, according to the KDCA.
The number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries came to 352, raising the total to 34,334.
South Korea has carried out 3,646,247 COVID-19 tests so far, including 56,450 the previous day.
A theater in the southeastern city of Busan is nearly empty on Dec. 19, 2020, amid the resurgent new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-19--Main opposition party on alert after spokesperson tests positive for COVID-19

Yun reportedly placed himself in self-isolation since Thursday afternoon after he was told that a person whom he previously met @ @ @ @ @ .
But it was confirmed that he worked at the parliament Thursday morning .

SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Saturday ordered its key members to work from home after one of its spokespeople tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
The conservative opposition party said Yun Hee-suk, who serves as a party spokesman, tested positive for COVID-19. It added those who attended an emergency committee meeting with Yun on Thursday are required to take virus tests and work from home until they receive the results.
Most of the party's leading figures, including interim chief Kim Chong-in and floor leader Rep. Joo Ho-young, were at the meeting with Yun.
Yun reportedly placed himself in self-isolation since Thursday afternoon after he was told that a person whom he previously met may have contracted the virus. But it was confirmed that he worked at the parliament Thursday morning.
A PPP official said the party is considering canceling its upcoming events or holding them online.
This file photo, taken on Sept. 10, 2020, shows People Power Party spokesperson Yun Hee-suk at the National Assembly in Seoul. (Yonhap)
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-19--(2nd LD) More than 180 virus cases reported at Seoul detention center

Most of the virus cases reportedly came from a ward accommodating new inmates .
Correction officials transfer new inmates to @ @ @ @ @ for two weeks to check for COVID-19 symptoms .
However , health authorities suspect that @ @ @ @ @ caused a massive outbreak at the prison .

(ATTN: ADDS 1st photo; CHANGES 2nd photo)
SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- A mass infection of the novel coronavirus was reported at a major correctional facility in Seoul, health authorities said Saturday, amid the third wave of the pandemic in the country.
Among 2,400 individuals incarcerated at Seoul Dongbu Detention Center, 184 tested positive for COVID-19, the authorities said after conducting virus tests on all inmates Friday. One worker at the jailhouse was also found to have contracted the virus.
The massive testing came after 14 workers at the facility tested positive for the virus Tuesday.
Most of the virus cases reportedly came from a ward accommodating new inmates. Correction officials transfer new inmates to existing wards after isolating them for two weeks to check for COVID-19 symptoms. However, health authorities suspect that asymptomatic patients among new inmates caused a massive outbreak at the prison.
Health workers clad in protective gear enter Seoul Dongbu Detention Center in southeastern Seoul on Dec. 19, 2020, after a mass infection of the novel coronavirus was reported at the facility. (Yonhap)
The justice ministry said it has disinfected wards after separating virus-infected inmates from others. It has also temporarily suspended receptions, inmate transfers and reform events at the facility.
The ministry added epidemiological investigation is currently taking place with health officials and that it has set up a cohort isolation plan for the facility.
Seoul Dongbu Detention Center is where former South Korean President Lee Myung-bak is serving his jail sentence. He reportedly tested negative for the novel coronavirus.
Lee has been incarcerated at the facility since Nov. 2 after an appeals court handed down a 17-year jail term to him in a corruption case.
Meanwhile, South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases topped the 1,000 mark for the fourth consecutive day Saturday. The country reported 1,053 COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload to 48,570.
This photo, taken on Dec. 19, 2020, shows Seoul Dongbu Detention Center in southeastern Seoul where a mass infection of the novel coronavirus was reported. (Yonhap)
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-19--(LEAD) More than 180 virus cases reported at Seoul detention center

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 2-3, 5-6)
SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- A mass infection of the novel coronavirus was reported at a major correctional facility in Seoul, health authorities said Saturday, amid the third wave of the pandemic in the country.
Among 2,400 individuals incarcerated at Seoul Dongbu Detention Center, 184 tested positive for COVID-19, the authorities said after conducting virus tests on all inmates Friday. One worker at the prison was also found to have contracted the virus.
The massive testing came after 14 workers at the prison tested positive for the virus Tuesday.
Most of the virus cases reportedly came from a ward accommodating new inmates. Correction officials transfer new inmates to existing wards after isolating them for two weeks to check for COVID-19 symptoms. However, health authorities suspect that asymptomatic patients among new inmates caused a massive outbreak at the prison.
The justice ministry said it has disinfected wards after separating virus-infected inmates from others. It has also temporarily suspended receptions, inmate transfers and reform events at the facility.
The ministry added epidemiological investigation is currently taking place with health officials and that it has set up a cohort isolation plan for the facility.
Seoul Dongbu Detention Center is where former South Korean President Lee Myung-bak is serving his jail sentence. He reportedly tested negative for the novel coronavirus.
Lee has been incarcerated at the facility since Nov. 2 after an appeals court handed down a 17-year jail term to him in a corruption case.
Meanwhile, South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases topped the 1,000 mark for the fourth consecutive day Saturday. The country reported 1,053 COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload to 48,570.
This file photo, taken on Nov. 2, 2020, shows Seoul Dongbu Detention Center in eastern Seoul. (Yonhap)
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-19--(4th LD) Daily virus cases above 1,000 for 4th day, concerns rise over hospital capacity

(ATTN: ADDS more info in 4th para)
SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases topped the 1,000 mark for the fourth consecutive day Saturday on continued cluster infections nationwide, deepening concerns over hospital bed shortages for seriously ill patients.
The country added 1,053 more COVID-19 cases, including 1,029 local infections, raising the total caseload to 48,570, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
It is the first time that the daily number has stayed above 1,000 for four straight days. After reaching a record high of 1,078 on Wednesday, the daily caseload inched down to 1,014 the following day and then bounced back to 1,062 on Friday.
Medical workers prepare for COVID-19 tests at a makeshift test center in Seoul on Dec. 19, 2020. South Korea has been witnessing another wave of the new coronavirus, with daily cases hovering above 1,000 for four straight days. (Yonhap)
From the start of Saturday till 6 p.m., the number of new virus cases was tallied at 656, an increase of 75 from Friday's count during the same time period. Of the latest tally, 435 cases were recorded from the greater Seoul metropolitan area, including 122 in the capital.
Cluster infections have been breaking out across the country, with senior care hospitals, religious facilities and offices hit particularly hard.
Of the locally transmitted cases, more than 70 percent were from the greater Seoul area, which is home to around half of the country's population of more than 50 million.
The capital city of Seoul reported 384 new cases Saturday, and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and the western city of Incheon had 278 and 46 additional patients, respectively.
The North Chungcheong Province, central South Korea, logged 103 new patients, marking the highest daily figure from municipalities and provinces outside the capital region since mid-March.
The continued surge in new cases has caused the shortage in hospital beds for COVID-19 patients.
In Seoul alone, around 580 patients were waiting to be admitted to hospitals as of Friday, according to the municipal government.
South Korea has 573 beds for seriously ill patients across the nation, but only 48 of them, or 8.4 percent, were unoccupied as of Friday.
So far this month, six patients have died of the disease while waiting to be admitted to hospitals, and the figure is feared to grow as the number of critically ill patients has been rising faster than before.
The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients came to 275 Saturday, up 29 from the previous day.
The KDCA reported 14 additional deaths, raising the total to 659.
The government has been scurrying to mobilize all resources available and to partner with private medical institutions to prepare more beds to prevent additional fatalities.
It issued an administrative order Friday dictating private hospitals set aside a certain portion of their intensive-care beds for serious COVID-19 cases, according to officials. It is the first time the government has issued such an order.
Construction workers build a makeshift ward with shipping containers at a Seoul hospital on Dec. 18, 2020. (Yonhap)
"Our data shows that one patient now affects around 1.2 individuals. We are also conducting tests in an aggressive manner to find more infections. So, we expect the daily number of this size to continue for some time being," Lim Sook-young, a senior health official, said during a regular press briefing.
Over the past two weeks, 11,162 were newly infected, and 26.9 percent of them had unknown transmission routes, according to the authorities.
So far, 131 makeshift test centers have been set up in the greater Seoul area, and 286 individuals tested positive through the random testing there, including 116 patients reported Saturday.
The resurgent pandemic has led the government to review raising the antivirus scheme to the highest Level 3 in the five-tier system.
The Level 2.5 social distancing guidance has been in place in the greater Seoul area since last week, but it has failed, at least for now, to stop the spreading virus.
Level 3 can be adopted when locally transmitted cases hover between 800 and 1,000 for a week or the daily tally doubles from the previous day. The recent tally has already met the requirements, as the KDCA said that an average of 976.4 daily new cases occurred over the past week.
As the tougher scheme is expected to have far-reaching impacts on the economy, the government has been very careful, saying it will prioritize the implementation of the current antivirus measures more thoroughly and enforce additional measures at specific, vulnerable facilities.
Starting Saturday, all poker pubs were ordered to shut down for 10 days, after more than two dozen infections were linked to such bars in the multicultural district of Itaewon in Seoul.
The government also plans to have ski resorts located outside the capital area close after 9 p.m. A ski resort in the eastern county of Pyeongchang caused a chain infection that has affected at least 17 people so far.
"This weekend will be a crucial moment in judging whether to adjust the social distancing level," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said during a meeting at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters on Saturday.
Pointing to a near fivefold increase in the number of infections at religious facilities over the past few weeks, Chung appealed to the people to adhere to antivirus guidelines particularly ahead of the Christmas and New Year's holidays.
Imported cases came to 24, mainly from the United States and Asian countries, excluding China, according to the KDCA.
The number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries came to 352, raising the total to 34,334.
South Korea has carried out 3,646,247 COVID-19 tests so far, including 56,450 the previous day.
A theater in the southeastern city of Busan is nearly empty on Dec. 19, 2020, amid the resurgent new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-19--More than 180 virus cases reported at Seoul detention center

SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- A mass infection of the novel coronavirus was reported at a major correctional facility in Seoul, health authorities said Saturday, amid the third wave of the pandemic in the country.
Among 2,400 individuals incarcerated at Seoul Dongbu Detention Center, 184 tested positive for COVID-19, the authorities said after conducting virus tests on all inmates Friday.
Earlier this week, 14 workers at the prison tested positive for the virus.
Most of the virus cases reportedly came from a ward accommodating new inmates. Correction officials transfer new inmates to existing wards after isolating them for two weeks to check for COVID-19 symptoms. However, health authorities suspect that asymptomatic patients among new inmates caused a massive outbreak at the prison.
The justice ministry said it has disinfected wards after separating virus-infected inmates from others.
Seoul Dongbu Detention Center is where former South Korean President Lee Myung-bak is serving his jail sentence. He reportedly tested negative for the novel coronavirus.
Lee has been incarcerated at the facility since Nov. 2 after an appeals court handed down a 17-year jail term to him in a corruption case.
Meanwhile, South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases topped the 1,000 mark for the fourth consecutive day Saturday. The country reported 1,053 COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload to 48,570.
This file photo, taken on Nov. 2, 2020, shows Seoul Dongbu Detention Center in eastern Seoul. (Yonhap)
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-19--UNC confirms Panmunjom tour suspension over virus concerns

`` Unfortunately , based on continuing high numbers of COVID cases in the country , UNC has suspended all non-essential @ @ @ @ @ including tours , '' UNC wrote on Twitter .
`` This is needed to protect @ @ @ @ @ DMZ personnel .
We look forward to resuming tours once COVID cases subside . ''

SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- The United Nations Command (UNC) confirmed Saturday that tours to the truce village of Panmunjom have been suspended due to novel coronavirus concerns in South Korea.
"Unfortunately, based on continuing high numbers of COVID cases in the country, UNC has suspended all non-essential activities in the JSA, including tours," UNC wrote on Twitter. "This is needed to protect the ROK public & our DMZ personnel. We look forward to resuming tours once COVID cases subside."
The UNC controls access to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), including Panmunjom.
Seoul's unification ministry already announced Sunday that the Panmunjom tours will be suspended following consultation with the UNC.
The Panmunjom tours had resumed on Nov. 4 after more than a year of suspension due to the outbreak of African swine fever. The tours take visitors to the Joint Security Area (JSA) and other sites inside the DMZ separating the two Koreas.
However, the resurgence of COVID-19 in the country has forced the authorities to halt the tour program.
South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases topped the 1,000 mark for the fourth consecutive day Saturday due to cluster infections nationwide. The country reported 1,053 COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload to 48,570.
In this file photo taken by Joint Press Corps on Nov. 4, 2020, a member of a demonstration tour group takes a photo at the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom, north of Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-19--'Mysterious structure' set up at Pyongyang square for upcoming party congress: 38 North

`` At the Mirim Parade Training Ground in east Pyongyang , where parade rehearsals often take place , several formations @ @ @ @ @ number of cargo trucks and tracked vehicles are present '' according to the website .
@ @ @ @ @ with parade preparations , although at a much smaller scale than what took place ahead @ @ @ @ @ parade . ''

SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- One "mysterious structure" has been built at the main square in North Korea's capital city of Pyongyang, which appears to be related to its party congress slated for next month, a U.S. website monitoring the communist country has said.
According to 38 North on Friday, a small building surrounded by a high wall has been built in Kim Il-sung Square "right across the street from the viewing platform used by (leader) Kim Jong-un and party officials during parades."
It also said that another one was set up adjacent to the structure but outside of the walled-off area, citing recent satellite imagery, adding that the construction appears to have begun last week.
"The purpose of the buildings is unclear, although they could be related to the upcoming Eighth Party Congress that is expected to take place in January," 38 North said.
North Korea has prepared for a key session of its ruling Workers' Party in January, at which it could unveil a new national strategy to deal with a series of challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and prolonged global sanctions.
It also plans to stage a parade to mark the event, according to Seoul's national intelligence agency. The square has been a venue for such massive events, including the latest one held in October.
"At the Mirim Parade Training Ground in east Pyongyang, where parade rehearsals often take place, several formations of marching troops and a number of cargo trucks and tracked vehicles are present" according to the website. "This activity is consistent with parade preparations, although at a much smaller scale than what took place ahead of the October 10 military parade."
This photo uploaded on 38 North's website on Dec. 18, 2020, shows structures at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-19--(3rd LD) Daily virus cases above 1,000 for 4th day, concerns rise over hospital capacity

(ATTN: ADDS more comments, details in paras 7, 20, 14-18; CHANGES photos; TRIMS)
SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases topped the 1,000 mark for the fourth consecutive day Saturday on continued cluster infections nationwide, deepening concerns over hospital bed shortages for seriously ill patients.
The country added 1,053 more COVID-19 cases, including 1,029 local infections, raising the total caseload to 48,570, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
It is the first time that the daily number has stayed above 1,000 for four straight days. After reaching a record high of 1,078 on Wednesday, the daily caseload inched down to 1,014 the following day and then bounced back to 1,062 on Friday.
Medical workers prepare for COVID-19 tests at a makeshift test center in Seoul on Dec. 19, 2020. South Korea has been witnessing another wave of the new coronavirus, with daily cases hovering above 1,000 for four straight days. (Yonhap)
Cluster infections have been breaking out across the country, with senior care hospitals, religious facilities and offices hit particularly hard.
Of the locally transmitted cases, more than 70 percent were from the greater Seoul area, which is home to around half of the country's population of more than 50 million.
The capital city of Seoul reported 384 new cases Saturday, and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and the western city of Incheon had 278 and 46 additional patients, respectively.
The North Chungcheong Province, central South Korea, logged 103 new patients, marking the highest daily figure from municipalities and provinces outside the capital region since mid-March.
The continued surge in new cases has caused the shortage in hospital beds for COVID-19 patients.
In Seoul alone, around 580 patients were waiting to be admitted to hospitals as of Friday, according to the municipal government.
South Korea has 573 beds for seriously ill patients across the nation, but only 48 of them, or 8.4 percent, were unoccupied as of Friday.
So far this month, six patients have died of the disease while waiting to be admitted to hospitals, and the figure is feared to grow as the number of critically ill patients has been rising faster than before.
The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients came to 275 Saturday, up 29 from the previous day.
The KDCA reported 14 additional deaths, raising the total to 659.
The government has been scurrying to mobilize all resources available and to partner with private medical institutions to prepare more beds to prevent additional fatalities.
It issued an administrative order Friday dictating private hospitals set aside a certain portion of their intensive-care beds for serious COVID-19 cases, according to officials. It is the first time the government has issued such an order.
Construction workers build a makeshift ward with shipping containers at a Seoul hospital on Dec. 18, 2020. (Yonhap)
"Our data shows that one patient now affects around 1.2 individuals. We are also conducting tests in an aggressive manner to find more infections. So, we expect the daily number of this size to continue for some time being," Lim Sook-young, a senior health official, said during a regular press briefing.
Over the past two weeks, 11,162 were newly infected, and 26.9 percent of them had unknown transmission routes, according to the authorities.
So far, 131 makeshift test centers have been set up in the greater Seoul area, and 286 individuals tested positive through the random testing there, including 116 patients reported Saturday.
The resurgent pandemic has led the government to review raising the antivirus scheme to the highest Level 3 in the five-tier system.
The Level 2.5 social distancing guidance has been in place in the greater Seoul area since last week, but it has failed, at least for now, to stop the spreading virus.
Level 3 can be adopted when locally transmitted cases hover between 800 and 1,000 for a week or the daily tally doubles from the previous day. The recent tally has already met the requirements, as the KDCA said that an average of 976.4 daily new cases occurred over the past week.
As the tougher scheme is expected to have far-reaching impacts on the economy, the government has been very careful, saying it will prioritize the implementation of the current antivirus measures more thoroughly and enforce additional measures at specific, vulnerable facilities.
Starting Saturday, all poker pubs were ordered to shut down for 10 days, after more than two dozen infections were linked to such bars in the multicultural district of Itaewon in Seoul.
The government also plans to have ski resorts located outside the capital area close after 9 p.m. A ski resort in the eastern county of Pyeongchang caused a chain infection that has affected at least 17 people so far.
"This weekend will be a crucial moment in judging whether to adjust the social distancing level," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said during a meeting at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters on Saturday.
Pointing to a near fivefold increase in the number of infections at religious facilities over the past few weeks, Chung appealed to the people to adhere to antivirus guidelines particularly ahead of the Christmas and New Year's holidays.
Imported cases came to 24, mainly from the United States and Asian countries, excluding China, according to the KDCA.
The number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries came to 352, raising the total to 34,334.
South Korea has carried out 3,646,247 COVID-19 tests so far, including 56,450 the previous day.
A theater in the southeastern city of Busan is nearly empty on Dec. 19, 2020, amid the resurgent new coronavirus. (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-19--Private general hospitals ordered to offer more intensive-care beds to COVID-19 patients

Public hospitals have so far received most local COVID-19 patients but have now reached the saturation point , as the @ @ @ @ @ hovers around 1,000 per day .
In Seoul alone , around 580 patients were waiting @ @ @ @ @ as of Friday .

SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's government issued an emergency order earlier this week dictating private hospitals nationwide earmark a certain portion of their intensive-care beds for seriously ill COVID-19 patients, officials said Saturday.
The administrative order, the first of its kind, was delivered by the Central Disaster Management Headquarters to all local governments Friday, the officials said, as part of government efforts to cope with the worsening hospital bed shortage caused by a recent surge in coronavirus infections.
The order mandates that about 40 excellent private general hospitals assign at least 1 percent of their beds to critically ill coronavirus patients. State-run university hospitals were also ordered to provide over 1 percent of their beds to serious COVID-19 cases.
"With the recent surge in confirmed coronavirus cases, it is important to secure more hospital beds to treat seriously ill patients," said the central headquarters, noting the order was issued under the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act.
It is the first time that even private general hospitals have come under an administrative order to provide their beds for COVID-19 cases.
Public hospitals have so far received most local COVID-19 patients but have now reached the saturation point, as the number of newly confirmed cases hovers around 1,000 per day. In Seoul alone, around 580 patients were waiting to be admitted to hospitals as of Friday.
Government officials expect the administrative order to free up about 300 intensive-care beds from private general hospitals.
Some critics, however, said the administrative order could be unrealistic because 1 percent of all beds at excellent private general hospitals actually represents over 20 percent of their available intensive-care beds.
They said an excessive allotment of critical-care beds to COVID-19 patients may weaken the private general hospitals' resources to treat critical non-coronavirus patients.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)


yna--2020-12-19--Vice justice minister said to have run-in with taxi driver before appointment

Lee grabbed the taxi driver by the collar at an apartment complex in southern Seoul one night , as the @ @ @ @ @ , according to officials at the Seocho Police Station .

SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- Vice Justice Minister Lee Yong-gu allegedly engaged in an altercation with a taxi driver while intoxicated in early November, when he was working as a lawyer, police officials said Saturday.
Lee grabbed the taxi driver by the collar at an apartment complex in southern Seoul one night, as the driver was waking him up, according to officials at the Seocho Police Station.
Lee, who had served as a judge before practicing law, was appointed to the No. 2 post at the Ministry of Justice on Dec. 2 amid the government's campaign to revamp the prosecution.
Police were called to the scene at that time, and Lee was allowed to go home after his identity was confirmed, the officials said.
Police closed the case later without booking Lee after the taxi driver objected to his punishment.
Vice Justice Minister Lee Yong-gu speaks during a briefing session in Seoul on Dec. 16, 2020. (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)