Coachella postponed until October over coronavirus fears

NEW YORK (AFP) -- Organizers on Tuesday rescheduled the Coachella music festival until October over coronavirus concerns, following advice from local health authorities. "While this decision comes at a time of universal uncertainty, we take the safety and health of our guests, staff and community very seriously," Goldenvoice, the company that puts on the event in the California desert, said in a statement. The two-weekend festival set for April will now take place over the weekend

PerformanceMarch 11, 2020

South Korea reports 8 more African swine fever cases in wild boars

An environment agency said Tuesday it has found eight more wild boars infected with African swine fever virus in areas near the inter-Korean border. The discoveries raised the number of wild boar infections in the country to 347. The eight carcasses were found in the border city of Yeoncheon in Gyeonggi Province, north of Seoul, according to a research institute affiliated with the environment ministry. South Korea confirmed its first-ever outbreak of the animal disease in September last year

Social AffairsMarch 10, 2020

Fitch sees limited impact of coronavirus on memory chip market

Global rating agency Fitch Ratings Inc. said Tuesday the global memory chip market will suffer a limited risk of supply disruptions in the short term from the spreading coronavirus outbreak. The memory semiconductor market is likely to continue to recover as weakening demand for memory chips used in smartphones and PCs will be offset by stronger demand for those used in servers, Fitch said in a statement.  "This is because the industry's manufacturing facilities are highly automated

MarketMarch 10, 2020

NPS to be no barrier for Hyosung chairman to extend term

Despite the National Pension Service’s efforts to actively interfere in the management decisions of scores of domestic companies as a major shareholder, it is likely to leave Hyosung Group untouched. The NPS has yet to change the shareholding purpose of Hyosung Corp., holding firm of the family-controlled conglomerate, to “general investing” from “nonengagement investing,” which would otherwise have allowed it to have a say in issues related to executive salaries

MarketMarch 10, 2020

Star producer of ‘Reply’ series returns with ‘Hospital Playlist’

Maverick producer Shin Won-ho is returning with tvN drama “Hospital Playlist,” set to air Thursdays starting this week. While most popular South Korean television dramas are aired twice weekly, Shin, the creator of the smash-hit “Reply” series, says it is time for Korean dramas to attempt new formats. “The drama industry is becoming increasingly competitive, and I’m not sure if all shows would be able to continue like this. We wanted to set a new model,&rdq

TelevisionMarch 10, 2020

S. Korea forced to postpone joint trainings with foreign troops

A series of planned combined trainings between South Korean and foreign troops will be postponed due to the continued worldwide spread of the new coronavirus, officials said Tuesday. Around 50 service members of the Army were supposed to visit the US' Fort Irwin National Training Center later this month to observe trainings there, but the deployment has been put off at the request of the US military, according to the officials. "Other similar training sessions are scheduled for later t

DefenseMarch 10, 2020

[Obituary] Korean American entertainer Johnny Yune dies at 84

Comedian Johnny Yune, born as Yoon Jong-seung, died in Los Angeles at the age of 84 on Sunday. Born in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province, in 1936, Yune graduated from Sungdong High School in central Seoul, before attending Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio. He became a US citizen in 1978. Yune made his film debut in 1979’s “Meteor” under the stage name of Jon Yune, and built up his career as a standup comedian in the 1980s. The Korean American star rose to st

TelevisionMarch 10, 2020

[Feature] Are Korea’s drama-focused studios ready for film industry’s growth?

In February, the Korean Film Council announced that the biggest and oldest film set in the country, Namyangju Studio Complex, would resume operations following its closure last October by the new owner Booyoung Group. The Namyangju set’s reopening is welcomed by Korean cineastes as the studio complex -- located in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, just northeast of Seoul -- is the one of the few large-scale studios in close proximity to Seoul. Since its opening in 1997, 786 films, or more t

FilmMarch 10, 2020

China's Xi pays first visit to virus epicentre Wuhan

WUHAN (AFP) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Wuhan Tuesday for the first time since the city emerged as the epicentre of the coronavirus epidemic in January -- a major sign that officials believe the outbreak is under control. Xi's visit came as unprecedented quarantine measures that have sealed off Wuhan and the rest of central Hubei province since late January appear to have paid off, with new infections dropping dramatically in recent weeks. China's progress stands in stark contrast

World NewsMarch 10, 2020

[Monitor] Passenger traffic on Korea-Japan routes nosedives

The number of passengers on flights between South Korea and Japan nosedived this month, as the two countries enforced entry restrictions over the coronavirus spread. As of Monday morning, Japan suspended its visa-waiver program for Korean citizens, on top of asking arriving passengers to stay at designated facilities for two weeks. In response, Korea also suspended its 90-day visa-free entry program for Japanese. Incheon International Airport Corp. estimated that 318 passengers traveled on th

IndustryMarch 10, 2020

Samsung, LG eye Japan’s 5G smartphone market

South Korean tech firms said Tuesday they are gearing up for the commercialization of 5G services in Japan with plans to roll out latest smartphone models as SoftBank Telecom is set to launch operations this month. Samsung Electronics is likely to launch the Galaxy S20 lineup, introducing 5G phones for the first time in Japan. SoftBank will be the first Japanese mobile carrier to launch 5G services on March 27, with other Japanese carriers like NTT and KDDI are also planning to launch soon.

TechnologyMarch 10, 2020

[Robert J. Fouser] Lessons from the Spanish flu

Since March began, the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19, has spread rapidly around the world, causing broad disruption in its wake. The speed of the spread has caught leaders and public health officials off guard and has forced them to scramble to contain the spread of the disease. Fear has set in as the public search for answers amid conflicting messages from leaders and the media. The world has been through global pandemics before. The worst on record remains the Spanish flu from early 19

ViewpointsMarch 10, 2020

[Kim Seong-kon] Korea’s image battered by coronavirus outbreak

Until the recent outbreak of the new coronavirus, South Korea’s reputation in the international community could not have been better. For the past few decades, Samsung, LG, and Hyundai have significantly upgraded the image of South Korea. So have BTS and, more recently, the Academy Award-winning film “Parasite.” In addition to Hallyu that has enchanted young people on foreign soils, many countries have watched the spectacular economic success of South Korea with admiration and

ViewpointsMarch 10, 2020

[Feature] Lack of volunteers at soup kitchens hits people living in poverty

Homeless people and poor senior citizens are doing without hot meals as soup kitchens shut down and volunteers shun crowds in the aftermath of the new coronavirus outbreak that has killed dozens here. Soup kitchens are desperately waiting for the crisis to wane so they can normalize their service. The Angel Soup Kitchen, a nonprofit organization that operates 26 centers across the country, shut down its sites Feb. 5. The decision was made to protect recipients -- low-income senior citize

Social AffairsMarch 10, 2020

[News Focus] Chinese masks highlight amicable ties between Seoul, Beijing

China’s decision to provide masks to South Korea while imposing tit-for-tat entry restrictions on Japanese nationals is highlighting Seoul-Beijing relations. From Tuesday, China temporarily halted its visa waiver program for Japanese nationals coming to China for tourism, to visit acquaintances or to change planes. Visa-free travel will still be allowed for Japanese visiting relatives in China or going there on business. The measure is thought to be a response to Japan’s latest

Foreign AffairsMarch 10, 2020

Coronavirus wipes out spring fests in southern regions

With COVID-19 cases continuing to climb, spring festivals hosted in the southern regions of Korea have taken a major blow, affecting local economies heavily dependent on the festivals. As Korea has implemented a “social distancing” policy to prevent community spread of the novel coronavirus, festivals and events that attract a large number of people have been canceled or postponed indefinitely, threatening the livelihoods of people who make a living on the festival circuit. 

TravelMarch 10, 2020

S. Korea to tighten grip over stock short selling as emergency action

South Korea vowed Tuesday to tighten regulations on stock short selling to stabilize the market amid increased volatility caused by the spread of the new coronavirus, and also the sudden drop in global oil prices. “As a market stabilizing action, (the government) will alleviate the requisites for (designating) overheated short selling and expand the transaction ban period (for these stocks),” Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki was quoted as saying in a minist

EconomyMarch 10, 2020

S. Korea on edge over largest yet mass infections in Seoul

Seoul’s biggest-yet cluster of infections emerged Tuesday, keeping South Korea’s health authorities on their toes despite the number of newly discovered infections across the country slowing for the fourth consecutive day. 　 The nationwide total of reported coronavirus cases rose by 131 to 7,513 with 54 deaths, marking the lowest daily increase in two weeks, according to data tallied Monday at midnight by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 　 The new cluster in S

Social AffairsMarch 10, 2020

Students' private education spending surges to 10-year high in 2019

Young South Korean students' spending on private education spiked to a 10-year high in 2019, data from the Ministry of Education and Statistics Korea showed Tuesday, reflecting undiminished parental enthusiasm for their children's academic achievements. Elementary, middle and high school students spent 20.99 trillion won ($17.6 billion) on private education last year, up 7.8 percent from the previous year's 19.48 trillion won and marking the largest amount since 2009, when 21.6 trillion won wa

EconomyMarch 10, 2020