S. Korean chartered flight departs for virus-hit Italy to bring citizens home

A South Korean government-chartered plane departed for coronavirus-hit Italy on Monday to bring home hundreds of citizens, amid growing concerns over their safety in the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in Europe. The plane, bound for Milan, is one of the two flights that the Seoul government has arranged to bring about 530 citizens back to Korea. The other flight is expected to depart here for Rome on Tuesday. The first flight, with about 310 people, is set to arrive in Korea on Wednesday,

March 30, 2020

Govt. reconfirms S. Korean-made virus test kits can be exported to US

The foreign ministry reconfirmed Monday that three South Korean coronavirus test kits can be exported to the United States as they were given pre-emergency use authorization numbers from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On Saturday, the foreign ministry issued a press release that the three unidentified companies have gained preapproval in the FDA's emergency use authorization (EUA) process and that their diagnostic devices can be sold in the US market. But the announcement created

March 30, 2020

Chartered flight carrying S. Koreans departs Bolivia amid border closure

Forty-seven South Koreans left Bolivia on a US-arranged chartered flight, the South Korean Embassy in La Paz said, after the South American nation imposed a nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of the new coronavirus. The flight departed Saturday (Bolivia time) with South Korean residents and members of the Korea International Cooperation Agency's volunteer group on board, according to the embassy. Of the 40 members of the volunteer group who applied to take the special flight, two could no

March 29, 2020

Foreign ministry calls in Chinese Amb. Xing over Beijing's abrupt decision to ban entry of foreigners

The foreign ministry called in Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming on Friday over Beijing's banning of the entry of foreigners without prior notice, which a senior Seoul official called "regrettable." Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gunn met the Chinese envoy, a day after Beijing announced it would temporarily suspend the entry of foreigners, even those with visas or residence permits, starting Saturday, to help prevent any inflow of COVID-19. Appearing at the ministry, Xing

March 27, 2020

S. Korea puts US, UAE, Indonesia on priority list for quarantine supplies export

South Korea has put the United States, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia on its priority list for exporting quarantine supplies, such as coronavirus test kits, a Seoul official said Friday, as nearly 120 countries seek to secure the products manufactured here. The foreign ministry official made the remarks a day after the government held the first meeting of an interagency team formed for discussions on striking a delicate balance between domestic demand and the export or humanitarian pro

March 27, 2020

Government evacuates 198 Koreans stranded in Peru

South Koreans stranded in Peru are to arrive home over the weekend via a repatriation flight, as the Latin American country has suspended commercial flights to and from the country to contain the novel coronavirus, the Korean Embassy in Peru said Friday. A total 198 Koreans, including tourists and volunteer workers with the Korea International Cooperation Agency, departed from a military airport in Peru’s capital Lima on Thursday afternoon, local time, on a chartered flight arranged by t

March 27, 2020

Trump says he has heard 'so much' about S. Korea amid coronavirus pandemic

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump said Thursday he has heard "so much" about South Korea since the coronavirus outbreak, as the country's handling of COVID-19 has been praised in American media and elsewhere. During a daily White House press briefing on the coronavirus, Trump also said he has a great relationship with South Korean President Moon Jae-in but insisted the US is doing a better job than South Korea by doing more coronavirus testing. Trump has boasted since Tuesday

March 27, 2020

G-20 leaders vow to take every measure against virus, ensure cross-border flow of essential items

The leaders of the Group of 20 (G-20) major economies pledged Thursday to make every effort to ride out the COVID-19 crisis, saying they will ensure the cross-border flow of key response materials, including medical supplies and agricultural products.    They also agreed to continue "bold and large-scale fiscal support" to minimize the negative impact of COVID-19 on the global economy, according to a joint statement adopted during their special video conference.   

March 26, 2020

Italy swiftly approves evacuation flights for S. Koreans

Italian authorities swiftly approved two evacuation flights for South Koreans living in the European country, sources here said Thursday, as the government here takes further steps to protect its citizens from the novel coronavirus.    Seoul asked Italian civil aviation authorities to operate the two flights early Wednesday, with Rome giving permission before the end of the same day.    The two planes will bring back 581 people, with the first to depart Italy next Tuesday

March 26, 2020

S. Korea raises concerns over Japan's plan to release contaminated water

  South Korea on Thursday renewed its concerns about Japan's plan to release contaminated water from its disabled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea.    South Korea's Office for Government Policy Coordination said Japan should ensure that its plan does not affect the health and safety of South Koreans or the maritime ecosystem.    South Korea's latest move came two days after Tokyo Electric Power, the operator of the ruined nuclear power plant, came up with a p

March 26, 2020

Moon’s steps up summit diplomacy over COVID-19

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday held a telephone conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau discussing the pandemic and their governments’ responses, continuing his COVID-19 diplomacy hours ahead of the G-20 teleconference. According to Cheong Wa Dae, Trudeau said that Seoul was responding to the issue scientifically and had avoided putting too much pressure on the country’s health system, and that Canada plans to take a similar approach. Cheong Wa Dae spokespers

March 26, 2020

Govt. explores ways to support Korean USFK employees facing furloughs next week

The government is weighing the possibility of low-interest loans and other options to support South Korean employees in the US Forces Korea (USFK) who face furloughs next week in the absence of a deal to fund their wages, a Seoul official said Thursday. On Wednesday, the USFK began sending out furlough notices to the Korean employees, mostly in nonessential positions, as Seoul and Washington have yet to bridge the gaps in their monthslong negotiations on the sharing of the cost for stationing

March 26, 2020

Leaders of S. Korea, Mongolia exchange letters to mark establishment of diplomatic ties

The leaders of South Korea and Mongolia exchanged letters Thursday to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year, the foreign ministry in Seoul said. In the letter to Mongolian President Khaltmaa Battulga, President Moon Jae-in noted that the bilateral relationship has developed in areas such as the economic, social and cultural fields in the past decades based on solid trust and friendship, the ministry said in a release. Moon also expressed hop

March 26, 2020

Canada seeks S. Korean model in coronavirus response: Trudeau to Moon

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday his country plans to take a cue from South Korea in responding to the new coronavirus, holding phone talks with President Moon Jae-in for half an hour, according to Cheong Wa Dae. Trudeau lauded South Korea for its "science-based" handling of the problem without excessive burden on the medical system and for producing accomplishments in protecting the people's safety, Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok said. The prime minister a

March 26, 2020

Moon to join G-20 virtual summit on coronavirus response, share S. Korea's strategy

South Korean President Moon Jae-in will have discussions with major global leaders on a coordinated response to the novel coronavirus during their virtual summit Thursday, Cheong Wa Dae said. The Group of 20 advanced economies plans to open the emergency video session, officially named "Extraordinary Virtual Leaders' Summit on COVID-19," at 9 p.m. following Moon's offer to hold such an event earlier this month. Moon will use it to share South Korea's know-how to counter the virus an

March 26, 2020

Trump again boasts higher testing numbers than S. Korea despite conflicting time frames

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump boasted again Wednesday that the United States has tested more people for coronavirus than South Korea, even though there were discrepancies in the time frames the tests were conducted in. Facing one of the biggest challenges of his presidency, Trump appeared to want to underscore the testing numbers that Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, shared in a virtual town hall both attended at the White House on Tuesday. Birx sa

March 26, 2020

Laos to resume flight to Incheon; Czech removes S. Korea from virus-related 'high-risk' country list

HANOI/BERLIN -- Laos plans to resume commercial flight service to South Korea soon and the Czech Republic has decided to lift a ban on the operation of direct flights to the Northeast Asian nation amid reports of slowing spread of the new coronavirus. According to South Korea's Embassy in Laos, Lao Airlines, the national airline of the Southeast Asian nation, agreed during recent consultations to operate one flight per week between Vientiane and Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. T

March 25, 2020

Moon to share S. Korea's coronavirus experience in G-20 summit

South Korean President Moon Jae-in will brief global leaders on his country's "effective" response to the novel coronavirus when they hold a special teleconference this week, Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday. The Group of 20 (G-20) major economies are scheduled to open the session at 9 p.m. Thursday (Seoul time) for discussions on COVID-19 following Moon's proposal during his phone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this month. High on the agenda are ways to str

March 25, 2020

47 countries ask about coronavirus test kits, 39 call for humanitarian aid: official

A total of 47 countries have asked about importing South Korean-made coronavirus test kits while an additional 39 countries requested the kits as humanitarian aid, a foreign ministry official said Wednesday. Such calls have been rising as Seoul has recently been garnering global recognition for its diagnostic capabilities, quarantine efforts and medical infrastructure that have led to a relatively low fatality rate despite an increase in new COVID-19 cases. "As of today, 47 countries ask

March 25, 2020

Seoul to evacuate 581 S. Koreans from Italy next week

Around 600 South Korean nationals in Italy are set to be evacuated on government charter flights home next week, as the grim tally of coronavirus cases and deaths continues to surge. 　 There are 151 people in Rome and 430 in Milan who will fly on the charter flights, according to Seoul’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday. A majority of the passengers are Korean citizens and some are foreign family members. 　 The Korean government will send two flights to the country -- one will depart next

March 25, 2020