USFK requires all individuals at bases to wear masks amid coronavirus

US Forces Korea said Friday that all individuals on its installations will be required to wear masks or cloth face coverings in public spaces to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Effective Friday, all people at military installations must wear one if they cannot maintain at least 2 meters of social distance in public areas or work centers, USFK said in a release. The measure will be toughened starting on Saturday, as all individuals on its installations "will be required to wear a clot

DefenseApril 10, 2020

[Herald Review] How ‘World of Married’ escaped being cliche love affair story

At first sight, JTBC’s new Friday-Saturday series “The World of the Married” seems like just another average Korean love affair TV drama, but this one seems to be taking a different path. Ji Sun-woo, played by 53-year-old veteran actress Kim Hee-ae, is simply perfect: an established doctor at work, an ideal wife and a doting mother. She faces a personal crisis in life when she finds out her husband Tae-oh is having an affair. The series does not drag on with the cliche story

TelevisionApril 10, 2020

Renault Samsung, union tentatively OK wage deal for 2019

Renault Samsung Motors Corp. said Friday it has reached a tentative agreement with its union over wages for last year as the automobile industry tries to cope with the coronavirus outbreak, the company said Friday. Renault Samsung workers accepted a wage freeze and will be paid cash bonuses of 8.88 million won ($7,320) per person for 2019, the company said in a statement. "The company and the union have reached a consensus that they will have to make joint efforts to weather an industry-

MobilityApril 10, 2020

Amid COVID-19 scare, drive-thrus proliferate, from Korean short ribs to fresh seafood

While Korea’s drive-thru testing for the novel coronavirus grabbed the attention of countries across the world, the drive-thru model is recently being applied to other sectors of life here. Customers can now pick up diverse culinary dishes through drive-thru services, minimizing the chances of virus infection while still enjoying the delicacies. Drive for galbi and samgyetang Recently, a variety of Korean dishes, from galbi -- the short ribs widely enjoyed as Korean barbecue -- to samg

CultureApril 10, 2020

Authorities emphasize personal information protection in big data virus tracker

South Korean authorities said Friday that the country’s latest tracker enabling epidemiological surveys in just 10 minutes does not compromise the personal information and privacy of COVID-19 patients or people in self-quarantine. Using big data and artificial intelligence, the virus tracker known as the “COVID-19 smart management system” allows health investigators to immediately obtain the data of those being surveyed, receive analysis on virus clusters and identify likely

Social AffairsApril 10, 2020

91 recovered COVID-19 patients test positive again: KCDC

A total of 91 patients who recovered from novel coronavirus in South Korea have tested positive again, health authorities said Friday, raising fears that the virus can be reactivated. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director General Jeong Eun-kyeong said health authorities are conducting epidemiological and clinical studies into the cases to find out whether those who tested positive for the virus could infect others again. Relevant testing of cultivating and isolating t

Social AffairsApril 10, 2020

Baedal Minjok apologizes for new fee system, decides to take back

Baedal Minjok, which has come under fire for the introduction of a restructured commission system, on Friday issued a public apology and said it would be returning to the previous fee structure. The country’s No. 1 delivery app operator Baemin recently took public flak after it announced it would expand the fixed-rate commission system from April 1, while scaling back the more preferred flat-sum system. Woowa Brothers’ Chief Executive and founder Kim Bong-jin and CEO Kim Beom-jo

IndustryApril 10, 2020

Porsche Korea donates W200m for COVID-19 relief efforts

Porsche Korea said Friday that it has donated 200 million won ($166,000) to ChildFund Korea with its four authorized dealer partners -- Stuttgart Sports Cars, Autostadt, Deutsch Auto Co. and Yongsan Sports Automobile -- for coronavirus relief efforts. The donation will be used under two categories “Porsche Do Dream Safe Kit” and “Porsche Do Dream Safe Fund.” Recipients will be children in low-income families and vulnerable groups who have been experiencing difficulties

MobilityApril 10, 2020

Busan mayor visits Renault Samsung’s Busan plant to encourage workers

Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don visited Renault Samsung’s Busan plant Friday to encourage workers amid the continued economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. According to the automaker, Oh also met with Renault Samsung CEO Dominique Signora and the labor union, vowing to support them to overcome the current crisis. Renault Samsung said that he appreciated workers at the facility for working hard and focusing on manufacturing major vehicle lineups.  He also discussed with Signora

MobilityApril 10, 2020

Korean firms rush to sell assets amid high uncertainty

South Korean businesses are increasingly selling assets in a bid to secure liquidity by hoarding cash amid high uncertainty triggered by the novel coronavirus outbreak, according to industry sources Friday. Hyundai Steel, a steelmaking affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group, has decided to sell one of its corporate buildings in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul. The building in Jamwon-dong, an affluent neighborhood in the area, has been used for the company’s sales operations. “It is hard t

IndustryApril 10, 2020

Korean banks flock to Myanmar for ‘next big market’

Major South Korean lenders are gearing to start business in Myanmar, hoping to sustain their momentum in the Southeast Asian region. Korea Development Bank, Industrial Bank of Korea and KB Kookmin Bank obtained preliminary approval from the central bank in Myanmar earlier in the week, industry sources said Friday. KDB was granted preliminary approval from the Central Bank of Myanmar a day prior to open a new branch in Yangon, the country’s largest city. It marks the first time in 22 yea

MarketApril 10, 2020

ULikeKorea’s tech catches early-stage bovine coronavirus

ULikeKorea, a livestock health care company, said Friday it has successfully detected early-stage bovine coronavirus in South Korea and Japan. Coronavirus is prevalent in animals, and few are lethal to humans and cause respiratory infections like the COVID-19, Middle East respiratory syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome. Coronaviruses are ribonucleic acid virus that are prone to mutation, and have the possibility of animal-to-human and human-to-animal infections, uLikeKorea CEO Kim

IndustryApril 10, 2020

US flies surveillance plane over Korean Peninsula

A US spy aircraft has flown over South Korea, an aviation tracker said Friday, on an apparent mission to monitor North Korea. The US Air Force's RC-135W Rivet Joint was spotted in skies above South Korea, Aircraft Spots tweeted, without giving details on the time of its operation. The aviation tracker also said Saturday and Tuesday the same type of the aircraft was detected over the Korean Peninsula. The operation came as the North was to hold a key meeting of the country's rubber-stamp par

North KoreaApril 10, 2020

Samsung Biologics to manufacture Vir’s COVID-19 treatment starting 2021

Samsung Biologics on Friday signed a binding letter of intent worth 440 billion won ($363 million) to manufacture US-based Vir’s COVID-19 treatment, starting 2021. It is the biggest single deal Samsung Biologics has taken since its 2016 initial public offering. Vir’s SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody (mAb) candidates VIR-7831 and VIR-7832 have demonstrated high potency in neutralizing the SARS-CoV-2 in live-virus cellular assays. The molecules were approved for fast-track developme

IndustryApril 10, 2020

Seoul stocks up for 2nd day on US stimulus measure

South Korean shares ended higher for the second straight session Friday on improved investor sentiment over the United States' latest stimulus effort meant to minimize the economic fallout from the new coronavirus. The Korean won sharply rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 24.46 points, or 1.33 percent, to 1,860.67. Huh Jae-hwan, a strategist at Eugene Investment Co., said the US Federal Reserve's provision of liquidity programs that also i

MarketApril 10, 2020

Duty free giants withdraw from Incheon airport first time

Duty-free operators, including local No. 1 Lotte Duty Free and runner-up Shilla Duty Free, have given up their preferred bidder positions for operation licenses at Incheon Airport, amid the ongoing tug-of-war between the companies and airport over rental fees. It is the first time for the conglomerates to withdraw from signing operation contracts due to rental prices, according to industry sources Friday. Incheon International Airport Corp. announced the preferred bidders to operate eight ai

ConsumerApril 10, 2020

Army chiefs of S. Korea, US discuss countering COVID-19

The army chiefs of South Korea and the US held a telephone conversation Friday to discuss countering the coronavirus and the readiness of their combined forces. The call between Suh Wook, South Korea’s Army chief of staff, and James C. McConville, his US counterpart, was held at the request of the US. In the call, Gen. Suh highlighted strong measures to track down potential patients and test them while following anti-virus precautions as key to curb the spread of COVID-19. South Korea&r

DefenseApril 10, 2020

[Photo News] Early voting despite virus fears

Voters were advised to wear face masks and disposable gloves while casting their ballots for the April 15 general elections, on the first day of the two-day early voting Friday. Strict quarantine guidelines were presented to prevent virus spread, as public safety is a top priority in this year’s elections. (Photos: Yonhap) By Kim Tae-eun (kimt17@heraldcorp.com)

PoliticsApril 10, 2020

[Newsmaker] Football legend's son given suspended sentence for drunk driving

South Korean football legend Cha Bum-kun's second son Cha Se-jji, indicted for causing a traffic accident while drunk driving last December, was given a suspended sentence Friday. The Seoul Central District Court sentenced the junior Cha to 1 1/2 years in prison with a stay of execution for three years after finding him guilty of dangerous driving. The 34-year-old was also given two years of probation and ordered to attend a 40-hour compliance driving lecture. Cha was accused of ramming into

Social AffairsApril 10, 2020

Moon, Gates agree on coronavirus vaccines, treatment in phone talks

President Moon Jae-in and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates agreed Friday to expand cooperation in efforts to develop vaccines and treatments against the new coronavirus during their phone talks, Cheong Wa Dae said. In their 25-minute conversation, made at Gates' request, they focused on ways to tackle COVID-19 sweeping through the world. Leading the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for philanthropic campaigns, Gates has been striving to help the international community overcome the virus cris

PoliticsApril 10, 2020