Tokyo Olympics hold test event without fans, top athletes

TOKYO (AP) -- Despite the spreading virus, Tokyo Olympic organizers have finally held a test event. The recent outbreak of the coronavirus has forced them to cancel or postpone several. But they allowed a sport climbing event on Friday to go ahead, with a few restrictions: no fans and no top athletes. Instead they used amateurs to test the climbing facility. Almost all sports events and large gatherings have been shut down in Japan. Preseason baseball is being played without fans, the socce

Olympic GamesMarch 6, 2020

Govt. urges 'hagwon' to close, join anti-virus fight

In its latest tactic to combat the new coronavirus, South Korea on Friday again asked private sector cram schools to temporarily suspend classes to prevent group transmissions. The move comes in line with the government's recent decision to push back the new school year by three weeks to March 23 to prevent COVID-19 infections in schools and communities. South Korea has so far reported 6,284 cases, the largest outside of China, where the virus first emerged. Most of the cases trace to mass

Social AffairsMarch 6, 2020

NPS likely to intervene in Hanjin KAL’s governance issues

South Korea’s state pension fund said Friday that it would exercise its voting rights at Hanjin KAL, the holding firm of logistics conglomerate Hanjin Group, an apparent move to intervene in an ongoing leadership feud among the founding family members. “The National Pension Service has decided to exercise its voting rights at Hanjin KAL and GIIR on its own after retrieving them from its proxy agents,” said the state-run pension fund operator after a meeting among its commit

MarketMarch 6, 2020

Seoul warns of countermeasures to Tokyo’s entry restriction on Koreans

South Korea on Friday expressed “extreme regret” over Japan’s entry restrictions imposed on its citizens over the novel coronavirus, and warned of “corresponding measures.”  　 Japan on Thursday announced that all arrivals from Korea will be put into two-week quarantine at designated facilities, while it has invalidated some visas already issued to travelers from here. It is also suspending a visa-waiver program for short stays, all effective from Monday. 　 It

Foreign AffairsMarch 6, 2020

Coronavirus outbreak boosts gold transactions

As the deadly coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) is sparking fears of a global pandemic, investors in South Korea are flocking to safe haven assets, gold in particular, according to data Friday. The accumulative transactions of gold in the first two months of this year at the Korea Gold Exchange, a private gold exchange here, stood at 27,243, up 192 percent from the same period last year. The exchange said investors’ increasing preference toward safe haven assets is behind the drastic gro

MarketMarch 6, 2020

Celebrities use livestreaming to communicate with fans

Many celebrities are turning to online fan meetings and concerts as ways to communicate with fans without physical contact to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Comedians Song Eun-yi and Kim Sook went live online on Feb. 29 in celebration of the fourth anniversary of Vivo TV, a podcast by the two comedians. The 1,200 seats for both Feb. 28 and Feb. 29 concerts sold out in less than three minutes but the events were canceled due to the spread of the new coronavirus. The comedians decided to h

PerformanceMarch 6, 2020

Samsung’s compliance committee to address corporate succession, labor issues

Samsung Group’s seven-member compliance committee on Thursday announced three major agendas after its first meeting. The newly established committee addressed issues related to corporate succession, labor unions and communication with the local society. The committee said it will deliver detailed proposals to Samsung’s de facto leader Lee Jae-yong, all Samsung affiliates and press outlets as soon as possible. Led by former Supreme Court Justice Kim Ji-hyung, the committee added

IndustryMarch 6, 2020

Watcha Play to provide free service for coronavirus patients

OTT service provider Watcha Play on Friday announced that it is discussing with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety about providing a free service for a month to COVID-19 patients and those under self-quarantine. The company explained that it is providing the service to support those who are having a hard time due to the outbreak of the virus. “We reached out to the government first with the idea. The ministry agreed to provide the service with us,” a Watcha Play spokesperson

TelevisionMarch 6, 2020

[Newsmaker] Shincheonji’s W12b donation rejected

The Shincheonji Church of Jesus said Friday that its donation of 12 billion won ($10.1 million) to aid the country’s fight against the coronavirus outbreak has been rejected. Shincheonji is a Christian sect that is at the center of the rapid spread of COVID-19 in Korea, with more than half of the country’s over 6,300 confirmed cases being members of its congregation. Apparently mindful of the widespread criticism that it is not taking full responsibility for the ongoing public h

Social AffairsMarch 6, 2020

FM Kang calls in Japanese Amb. Tomita to protest new entry restrictions

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha called in Japanese Ambassador Koji Tomita on Friday to lodge a protest over Tokyo's decision to impose new entry restrictions for South Koreans over novel coronavirus fears. Kang met Tomita hours after the ministry voiced "extreme regrets" over Japan's plan to request a two-week quarantine for visitors from South Korea. Tokyo has announced that from Monday through the end of this month, visitors from South Korea and China will be asked to stay at desi

Foreign AffairsMarch 6, 2020

Museum of Korea Emigration History seeks materials from South America

The Museum of Korea Emigration History on Friday announced that it is asking Korean emigrants in South America to donate historic items for a special exhibition to be held in early July. “It has been 60 years since Korea officially began emigrating to Brazil in 1961. The first immigrants, who were adults at the time, are now in their 80s and 90s, and many of them have already passed away. Before it‘s too late, we would like to exhibit the history of early emigrants,” The Mus

CultureMarch 6, 2020

Japan's entry restrictions deal bigger blow to airlines, travel agencies

Japan's entry restrictions for visitors from South Korea are dealing another blow to airlines and travel agencies already hit by the fast-spreading coronavirus outbreak, the companies said Friday. Local airlines and travel agencies have been struggling with a sharp decline in air travel demand for more than a month after South Korea's first confirmed COVID-19 case was reported on Jan. 20. Adding to their woes, Japan announced Thursday that visitors from South Korea and China will have to stay

MobilityMarch 6, 2020

Govt. to extend child care hours as virus outbreak continues

The government on Friday announced additional support measures, such as longer child care hours, as part of its latest efforts to fight the new coronavirus that has infected more than 6,000 people here. The measures come after the government extended closures nationwide at child care centers, kindergartens and schools to prevent COVID-19 infections among toddlers and children. The child care facilities and schools were initially planned to open on March 9 after a weeklong delay, but it was po

Social AffairsMarch 6, 2020

'This is not a drill': WHO urges world to take virus more seriously

BEIJING (AFP) -- World health officials have warned that countries are not taking the coronavirus crisis seriously enough, as outbreaks surged across Europe and in the United States where medical workers sounded warnings over a "disturbing" lack of hospital preparedness. Global markets tumbled again over concerns about the impact on the economy and as countries took more drastic steps to prevent contagion of a disease that has killed more than 3,300 people and infected nearly 100,000

World NewsMarch 6, 2020

Korean employee of USFK tests positive for new coronavirus

A South Korean employee of US Forces Korea has tested positive for the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of USFK-related infection cases to seven, the military said Friday. The seventh patient is now in isolation at her off-base residence in the central city of Cheonan, according to USFK. "KCDC and USFK health professionals are actively conducting contact tracing to determine whether anyone else may have been exposed," it said. KCDC stands for the Korea Centers for Disease

DefenseMarch 6, 2020

Samsung releases Galaxy S20 worldwide

Samsung Electronics on Friday launched its flagship smartphone Galaxy S20 models in 20 nations, including the US, Canada, Singapore, Vietnam, Puerto Rico and others -- with plans to release them in 130 nations by end-March. The new smartphone model comes in three types: 6.2-inch Galaxy S20, 6.7-inch S20 Plus and the 6.9-inch S20 Ultra. All the three variants support 5G network and camera system that utilizes artificial intelligence technology and the company’s high-end image sensor. Ho

TechnologyMarch 6, 2020

Coronavirus triggers work-from-home trend in Seattle

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) -- Tech firms in Seattle, a new focal point for the coronavirus epidemic, were telling employees this week to take advantage of technology to work remotely in an effort to contain the outbreak. Ten of the 12 US fatalities from the outbreak have been in the northwest state, leading to an emergency declaration by the state and proactive measures in the community where tech plays a major role in the economy. Online retail and cloud computing colossus Amazon, which has transfo

World NewsMarch 6, 2020

Seoul says it may take 'reciprocal' steps against Japan's entry restrictions over coronavirus

South Korea's presidential office on Friday expressed "strong regret" over Japan's entry restrictions on people arriving from South Korea amid the spread of the new coronavirus, saying it may take measures under the principle of reciprocity. Seoul's warning of possible corresponding steps came one day after Tokyo said people arriving from South Korea and China will be quarantined at designated facilities for up to two weeks, citing concerns over the outbreak of the coronavirus in the

Foreign AffairsMarch 6, 2020

S. Korea reports 518 more cases, total 6,284

South Korea’s reported coronavirus cases rose by 518 to 6,284 with a total of 42 deaths Friday, amid growing concerns over the emerging new clusters of infections. Of the new cases, 367 (70.8 percent) were confirmed in the southeastern city of Daegu at the heart of the country’s virus outbreak, and 123 (23.7 percent) in North Gyeongsang Province, according to data tallied at Thursday midnight by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ten new cases were reported in

Social AffairsMarch 6, 2020

[Newsmaker] No. of coronavirus cases in military remains unchanged at 34

The military reported no additional cases of the new coronavirus among service personnel for the second straight day on Friday, with the total number of infections remaining unchanged at 34, the defense ministry said. Of the total COVID-19 cases, 19 were in the Army, 11 in the Air Force, two in the Marine Corps and one each in the Navy and a unit under the direct control of the ministry, it said. Around 5,020 service members are quarantined at their bases. Of them, around 820 have either show

DefenseMarch 6, 2020