US official to arrive in Seoul for working group talks on N.Korea

A US State Department official involved in nuclear talks with North Korea was set to arrive in South Korea later Sunday for a meeting of a bilateral policy coordination working group on the communist regime.  Alex Wong, US deputy assistant secretary of state for North Korea, is expected to meet with his South Korean counterpart, Rhee Dong-yeol, director general at the foreign ministry's Korean Peninsula Peace Regime bureau, for the working group talks Monday, according to foreign ministr

North KoreaFeb. 9, 2020

Samsung offers W2.6tr for virus-hit subcontractors

Samsung Electronics said Sunday it will provide 2.6 trillion won ($2.18 billion) worth financial support for its subcontractors who are facing difficulties in procuring parts due to the novel coronavirus outbreak. The company will lend them 1 trillion won at lower-than-usual interest or zero rates, while providing 1.6 trillion won worth goods payments in advance by using its existing funds raised for contractors, the tech giant said. Logistics costs of express deliveries of major raw mater

IndustryFeb. 9, 2020

S. Korea reconsidering planned participation in Cobra Gold exercise amid coronavirus

The South Korean military has been reconsidering whether to participate in an upcoming multinational military exercise in Thailand as the new coronavirus continues to spread, officials said Sunday. The 39th Cobra Gold exercise, co-sponsored by the Thai and US armed forces, is scheduled to be held from Feb. 26 through March 6. The annual exercise is expected to be joined by more than two dozen countries, including Japan, Singapore and Indonesia. Last year, China and India also participated in

DefenseFeb. 9, 2020

Moon stresses alliance, seeks US state governors' support for Korea peace process

President Moon Jae-in has asked US state governors to provide South Korea with full support for its efforts to bring lasting peace to the peninsula, as he delivered a video message to them during a reception co-hosted by his country's embassy in Washington, D.C. "We now find ourselves with the noble task of completing the journey towards peace," Moon said at the U.S. National Governors Association (NGA) event held in the U.S. capital on Saturday (local time). "I would like to as

PoliticsFeb. 9, 2020

Will 'Parasite' end with stellar finale at Oscars?

When Bong Joon-ho's tragic comedy thriller "Parasite" debuted at Cannes and won the Palme d'Or in May last year, nobody anticipated that the South Korean film would contend for best picture and five other awards at the 92nd Academy Awards nine months later. But the Korean auteur's seventh feature film about have-nots infiltrating a wealthy family has created strong buzz throughout the U.S. awards season and become a massive hit since its stateside release in October. It is nominated

FilmFeb. 9, 2020

S. Korea reports 3 more coronavirus cases, total at 27

The government said Sunday it will send another chartered plane to China’s Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, to bring back Koreans and consider imposing an additional entry ban on other Chinese regions heavily struck by the virus. 　 Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun announced that the government would also tighten quarantine checks on those entering from virus-hit countries as he presided over an emergency ministerial meeting. Currently, Korea has barred the entry of foreigne

Social AffairsFeb. 9, 2020

S. Korea strengthens crackdown on smuggling face masks out of country

South Korea has strengthened its crackdown on travelers' attempts to smuggle out face masks in bulk to fight the new coronavirus, officials said Saturday, with the customs office confiscating the protective goods and imposing fines when perpetrators are found. Since Thursday, people who seek to take face masks from the country for purposes beyond that of their own use are required to report to the customs office at airports and seaports. The strict rule is aimed at preventing travelers and me

EconomyFeb. 9, 2020

N. Korea on highest alert to protect Pyongyang from coronavirus

North Korea has been putting in all-out efforts to prevent the new coronavirus from reaching the capital city of Pyongyang, the country's state media said Saturday. Pyongyang's anti-epidemic headquarters is meticulously carrying out testing and disinfection measures at every road reaching Pyongyang and at the same time strengthening all tests and medical monitoring, the Korean Central News Agency said, even though no confirmed case has been reported there. On Friday, North Korea announced it

North KoreaFeb. 9, 2020

Arrest warrant sought for YouTuber for coronavirus prank

BUSAN -- Police said Saturday they have sought a warrant to arrest a YouTuber for allegedly pretending to be a coronavirus patient and posting a video on the website. The suspect, whose identity has been withheld, is accused of posting the video clip of him staging pranks by pretending that he came from Wuhan, the epicenter of the deadly contagious virus, the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency said. The video clip shows the suspect coughing at a subway train in the southern port city of Busan p

Social AffairsFeb. 9, 2020

Thai mall gunman shot dead after deadly rampage

NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand (AFP) -- The Thai soldier who killed at least 20 people and holed up in a mall overnight was shot dead Sunday morning by commandos, ending a near-17-hour ordeal which left dozens wounded and stunned the country. It was unclear how many people remained trapped inside the Terminal 21 mall in Nakhon Ratchasima -- also known as Korat -- where the gunman held out through the night, armed with assault weapons stolen from his barracks. Volleys of gunfire rang out as the

World NewsFeb. 9, 2020

China virus deaths rise past 800, overtaking SARS toll

BEIJING (AFP) - The death toll from the novel coronavirus outbreak soared to 803 in China on Sunday, according to official figures, overtaking the global toll for SARS. With 81 more people dying in Hubei -- the province at the centre of the outbreak -- the toll is now higher than the 774 killed worldwide by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in 2002-2003, according to figures released Sunday. The latest data came after the World Health Organisation said numbers were "stabilising"

World NewsFeb. 9, 2020

S. Korea beats Britain, keeps Olympic women's hoops dreams alive

BELGRADE -- South Korea has squeezed past Britain 82-79 to stay alive in the Olympic women's basketball qualifying tournament. Shooting guard Kang Lee-seul made her first six 3-point field goals for a team-high 26 points, giving South Korea its first win of the four-nation competition at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in the Serbian capital Saturday. Coached by Lee Moon-kyu, South Korea, world No. 19, nearly blew a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter but held on to beat the 18th-ranked Britain thank

Olympic GamesFeb. 9, 2020

Key takeaways from Democratic debate in New Hampshire

Three days before the critical New Hampshire Primary, seven Democratic presidential candidates debated, with many of them fighting to survive in the race to challenge President Donald Trump. Here are some key takeaways. MAYOR PETE MAKES HIS CASE Pete Buttigieg, the 38-year-old former mayor of South Bend., Ind., was the candidate of the moment Friday. All eyes were on him Friday night to see if he could make his case. And he did _ with one significant stumble. Attacked for his thin resum

World NewsFeb. 8, 2020

Govt. to provide W1.23m for 4-person families with member in quarantine

South Korea's government said Saturday it will provide 1.23 million won ($1,030) per month to a four-person family with a member in quarantine, as part of its efforts to compensate people who cooperate with the ongoing effort to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. The health ministry said that the monthly living expenses allowance will be provided to anyone who has been in quarantine for more than 14 days, with foreign nationals also eligible for support.  If a person without a fam

Social AffairsFeb. 8, 2020

Male North Korean refugee arrives in US in Feb: data

A North Korean male in his 50s or older arrived in the United States as a refugee this week, US government data showed Friday. He is the second North Korean refugee to resettle in the US this year. In January, a male aged 14-20 was placed in Richmond, Virginia, according to data from the State Department's bureau of population, refugees and migration. The new arrival was reported Thursday as a male aged 51-64. He now lives in Chicago, Illinois. No North Korean refugees were admitted last ye

World NewsFeb. 8, 2020

More people subject to coronavirus checks, confirmed cases unchanged at 24

More people in South Korea underwent tests for the new coronavirus on Saturday as health authorities have expanded the scope of people subject to virus checks, with the number of confirmed cases remaining at 24. South Korea has tested 2,097 people for the new virus as of Saturday, up from 1,352 tallied the previous day, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The data came as health authorities expanded the scope of people subject to the test for the contagious viru

Social AffairsFeb. 8, 2020

Pangolin identified as potential link for coronavirus spread

BEIJING (AFP) -- The endangered pangolin may be the link that facilitated the spread of the novel coronavirus across China, Chinese scientists said Friday. Researchers have long suspected that the virus, which has now killed more than 630 people and infected some 31,000, was passed from an animal to a human at a market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. Researchers at the South China Agricultural University have identified the scaly mammal as a “potential intermediate

World NewsFeb. 7, 2020

Global shortage of anti-virus masks: WHO chief

  GENEVA (AFP) -- The world is running out of masks and other protective equipment against the novel coronavirus, the World Health Organization chief warned on Friday. “The world is facing a chronic shortage of personal protective equipment,”  Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the WHO‘s executive board in Geneva. He said he would be speaking to members of the supply chain network for protective gear to try and resolve “bottlenecks” in the production. WH

World NewsFeb. 7, 2020

Death of Chinese doctor fuels anger, demands for change

BEIJING (AFP) -- The death of a whistleblowing doctor whose early warnings about China‘s new coronavirus outbreak were suppressed by the police has unleashed a wave of anger at the government’s handling of the crisis -- and bold demands for more freedom. Ophthalmologist Li Wenliang was among a group of people who sounded the alarm about the virus in late December, only to be reprimanded and censored by the authorities in central Hubei province. After Li‘s death was confirmed

World NewsFeb. 7, 2020

What doctors know, don’t know about new coronavirus

South Korea’s top infectious disease doctors say the outbreak of the novel coronavirus may just be the beginning, and that medical resources should be distributed with the possibility the epidemic may drag on for months. In a meeting with a group of reporters on Thursday evening, 10 specialists from the Korean Society of Infectious Diseases shared their understanding of the new virus with a group of reporters. Those present included the society’s president, Sungkyunkwan Medical Sc

TechnologyFeb. 7, 2020