S. Korea, China, Japan, ASEAN seek joint fund for medical supplies in summit deal

The leaders of South Korea, China, Japan and ASEAN member states have agreed to push for a joint fund for medical supplies against pandemics like COVID-19, according to their joint statement released Wednesday. The statement was adopted to summarize the results of a Special ASEAN Plus Three summit that the 13 countries held via videoconferencing the previous day to discuss joint efforts to tackle the novel coronavirus. The participating leaders were South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Japanes

Foreign AffairsApril 15, 2020

Dark clouds loom over credit ratings of Korean firms

South Korean companies are bracing for a massive credit rating downgrade as the novel coronavirus spillover threatens their business outlook, according to industry sources Wednesday. The weakening prospect of retailers, petrochemical firms and manufacturers in the wake of the coronavirus spread appears to be putting pressure on their liquidity. On Tuesday, the credit outlook of three companies for straight bonds was revised to “negative,” according to three credit rating agencies -

MarketApril 15, 2020

[News Focus] Renault Samsung, GM Korea conclude wage deals, but hurdles remain

Renault Samsung Motors and GM Korea have concluded wage deals with unionized workers -- a positive sign for the struggling automotive industry amid the COVID-19 outbreak -- but there are still hurdles, considering the ongoing global economic downturn and unstable management-labor union ties, industry sources said Wednesday.  According to Renault Samsung, 70.2 percent of the unionized workers voted to accept a wage freeze and cash bonuses of 8.88 million won ($7,320) per person for 2019. T

MobilityApril 15, 2020

[Newsmaker] Single-use plastic gloves at polls raise eyebrows

All voters must wear plastic gloves at the polling stations during Wednesday’s general election as a precaution against the coronavirus, but many people are voicing concerns about their impact on the environment. 　 Mask-clad voters, upon arriving at one of 14,330 polling stations across the nation, first have to disinfect their hands with the hand sanitizer that is provided by election officials and then put on disposable gloves before casting their ballots. After voting, the plastic glo

Social AffairsApril 15, 2020

Nearly half of voters cast ballots in general elections as of 1 p.m.

Voter turnout for parliamentary elections reached 49.7 percent by around the midpoint of the daylong voting Wednesday, 11.8 percentage points higher than at the same time in the previous elections four years ago, the National Election Commission (NEC) said. According to the commission, some 21.9 million South Koreans completed casting ballots as of 1 p.m., seven hours after voting began at 14,330 polling stations nationwide in crucial elections that are seen as a referendum on President Moon J

PoliticsApril 15, 2020

[Photo News] Korean voters brave virus fears to cast ballots

South Koreans cast ballots to elect a new parliament on Wednesday, braving the continued threat of the coronavirus across the nation.   Voters were advised to follow strict precautions to prevent the virus from spreading, such as wearing face masks and plastic gloves, and maintaining a safe distance from each other. The Seoul metropolitan area, Busan, the Chungcheong region, Gangwon and Jeju are expected to see some of the closest matches in the general elections. Many are paying atten

PoliticsApril 15, 2020

US flies spy planes following N. Korea's missile launches

A series of US surveillance aircraft have flown near and over the Korean Peninsula, an aviation tracker said Wednesday, following North Korea's launch of what appeared to be cruise missiles off its east coast. The US Air Force's RC-135U Combat Sent was spotted en route to waters between South Korea and Japan, Aircraft Spots tweeted, without giving details on the time of its operation. On Tuesday, the Air Force's E-8C and the Navy's EP-3E were also seen operating over South Korea after the Nor

North KoreaApril 15, 2020

Coronavirus threatens Hongdae indie music scene

The indie music scene in Hongdae is struggling to stay afloat as concerts and festivals are delayed or canceled amid strict social distancing. While major music labels are better able to endure long-term losses, allowing musicians to concentrate on their next albums, small labels and clubs that rent out venues to bands are suffering to the point where their very existence is under threat. “We had zero profit. What worries us the most is not now but what is about to come. Usually from la

PerformanceApril 15, 2020

Voter turnout stands at 15.3% as of 11 a.m.

Around 15.3 percent of South Korean voters had turned out in Wednesday's parliamentary elections as of 11 a.m., 0.8 percentage point lower than at the same time in the previous elections four years ago, the National Election Commission (NEC) said. According to the commission, some 6.73 million completed voting, five hours after the polls opened at 14,330 polling stations nationwide in crucial elections that are seen as a referendum on President Moon Jae-in amid the country's fight against the

PoliticsApril 15, 2020

Caremile sees surge in quarantine goods orders from foreign governments

Korean safety solution company Caremile said Tuesday it is seeing a rapid surge in orders of Korean-made diagnostic kits and quarantine goods from various countries, including Ukraine, Poland, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Mexico, Iraq and Malaysia, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Caremile, which has rights for Solgent’s global special sale, for instance, exported the “Solgent COVID-19 DiaPlexQ Detection Kit” that can be used for 100,000 people on March 27 upon an emergency request from Uk

ConsumerApril 15, 2020

[April 15 Elections] Many races in swing vote regions too close to call

  In addition to the Seoul metropolitan area, which accounts for nearly half of the country’s constituencies, the swing vote regions of Busan, Chungcheong, Gangwon and Jeju are likely to see some of the closest matches in the general elections on Wednesday. Of the 253 electoral districts nationwide, the ruling Democratic Party said it was leading in 120 and contending in 70. The main opposition United Future Party said it was headmost in 95 constituencies and contesting in 51. Ba

PoliticsApril 15, 2020

Another Army soldier tests positive for virus after full recovery

An Army officer has tested positive for the new coronavirus after having fully recovered from the disease, the defense ministry said Wednesday. Including the officer based in the southeastern city of Andong, three service members are currently in treatment for COVID-19, according to the ministry. The ministry also said Tuesday another Army soldier in Seoul has tested positive for the new virus again after a full recovery. The military has so far reported 39 infections in barracks. All of th

Social AffairsApril 15, 2020

Trump directs halt to payments to WHO during virus pandemic

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he was cutting off US payments to the World Health Organization during the coronavirus pandemic, accusing the organization of failing to do enough to stop the virus from spreading when it first surfaced in China. Trump, who had telegraphed his intentions last week, claimed the outbreak could have been contained at its source and that lives could have been saved had the UN health agency done a better job investigating the early reports

World NewsApril 15, 2020

Esper: S. Korea can and should pay more for US troops

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday that he continues to believe South Korea can and should pay more for the stationing of American troops on the peninsula. Speaking at a Pentagon press briefing, he did not directly address a question about a recent Reuters report that President Donald Trump rejected South Korea's offer to increase its contribution by at least 13 percent from last year. "I defer to the State Department on that," he said. "They're leading the negotiatio

DefenseApril 15, 2020

S. Korea confirms 27 new patients on Election Day

South Korea reported 27 new patients for the 24 hours of the previous day, on the day of its general elections Wednesday, recording a seventh consecutive day of infection numbers falling below 40. Korea is allowing persons placed under self-quarantine to vote under strict guidelines. Out of 59,918 quarantined individuals, 13,642, or 22.8 percent, have informed authorities of the intent to vote. They are able to cast their ballots after 6 p.m. when polls close to other voters. To limit transm

Social AffairsApril 15, 2020

[Graphic News] The election in numbers

 

PoliticsApril 15, 2020

Voting for general elections kicks off

Voting in Korea’s general elections got underway at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, with 8 percent of voters casting their ballots as of 9 a.m. In this year’s general elections, 253 constituency and 47 proportional representative seats are being contested. According to the National Election Commission, just over 3.53 million of 43.99 million voters had cast their ballots by 9 a.m. in the voting that continues until 6 p.m. The early voting participation rate will be included in the overall

PoliticsApril 15, 2020

Voter turnout stands at 8% as of 9 a.m.

Around 8 percent of South Korean voters turned out in Wednesday's parliamentary elections as of 9 a.m., the National Election Commission (NEC) said. According to the commission, some 3.54 million completed voting, three hours after the polls opened at 14,330 polling stations nationwide in crucial elections that are seen as a referendum on President Moon Jae-in amid the country's fight against the new coronavirus. The latest turnout tally does not include 26.69 percent who participated in las

PoliticsApril 15, 2020

[Ivo Daalder] Amid the pandemic, a sobering lesson

For the past 30 years, international politics have been shaped by two fundamental realities: America’s unrivaled power and the forces of globalization. While already waning for some time, both realities are threatened with death blows from the COVID-19 pandemic. America emerged from the Cold War in 1990 as the sole remaining superpower. Its military was larger than that of the next 10 countries combined, and it was the only one with true global reach. Its economy accounted for more than a

ViewpointsApril 15, 2020