Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday that South Korea has not spotted any "unusual" signs in North Korea that may suggest a serious problem in leader Kim Jong-un's health. Its statement came in response to multiple media reports that Kim has been hospitalized after a surgery. CNN said that the United States is monitoring "intelligence" that he is in "grave danger." It quoted an unnamed US official. With regard to the news, "We have nothing to confirm and there has bee

North Korea April 21, 2020

South Korea has seen no unusual signs with regard to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's heath, a government source said Tuesday, after CNN reported that Kim is "in grave danger after a surgery." CNN cited an unidentified "US official with direct knowledge," but offered no further details. A South Korean government source said there have been no relevant signs detected with regard to Kim's health conditions, emphasizing that Kim continued to be shown in public until recent d

North Korea April 21, 2020

South Korea's two major display makers are expected to suffer an operating loss for the first quarter of the year, analysts here said Tuesday, due to the fallout from the novel coronavirus pandemic. Samsung Display Co., the display manufacturing affiliate of Samsung Electronics Co., was projected to have posted an operating loss of 464.2 billion won ($378 million) and racked up 6.3 trillion won in sales in the January-March period, according to the data by 13 local brokerage houses compiled b

Industry April 21, 2020

The South Korean religious community is set to resume public meetings and services that have been on hold for nearly two months due to the novel coronavirus, after social distancing guidelines were eased. The government earlier said it will extend social distancing for two more weeks, but it has partially eased the rules, conditionally allowing churches, bars, gyms and cram schools to resume operations. The decision came as South Korea's new daily confirmed COVID-19 cases have remained under

Culture April 21, 2020

US Forces Korea (USFK) called Tuesday for service members to guard against complacency and to follow aggressive preventive measures against the coronavirus so as to stop its spread and maintain a full readiness posture. "All USFK-affiliated individuals must remain disciplined and vigilant in their efforts to fighting complacency," USFK said in a release. So far, USFK has reported a total of 25 infections, with the latest case confirmed last week, and two of the patients are active-d

Defense April 21, 2020

South Korea reported another single-digit increase in new virus cases Tuesday in a clear sign of a slowdown in the spread of COVID-19, bringing the nation's total infections to 10,683. The country detected just nine new COVID-19 infections Monday, marking the third day in a row that the country's new virus infections stayed below 15, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Five of the newly added cases were imported, the data showed, raising the total number

Social Affairs April 21, 2020

South Korean stocks opened lower Tuesday, tracking overnight losses on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 16.07 points, or 0.85 percent, to 1,882.29 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The decline followed losses in the US market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 2.44 percent, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index declining 1.03 percent. Huh Jae-hwan, a strategist at Eugene Investment Co., said a sharp plunge in oil prices and potential poor corporate

Market April 21, 2020

North Korea's official newspaper Tuesday urged its people to stay on high alert against the coronavirus, warning that the devastation caused by the pandemic in other countries could take place anytime in the communist nation. North Korea claims to be free from the coronavirus, but Pyongyang has ramped up calls for its people not to let their guard down in warding off the COVID-19 pandemic as it is bracing for a long fight against the infectious disease that has been sweeping around the world.

North Korea April 21, 2020

South Korea's exports sank 27 percent on year in the first 20 days of April amid the shock from the coronavirus pandemic, customs data showed Tuesday. The nation's outbound shipments dropped 26.9 percent in the April 1-20 period to $21.7 billion, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service. The daily average exports during the 20-day period also slipped 16.8 percent on-year. The data came amid growing concerns that the coronavirus pandemic is denting exports by Asia's fourth-largest

Economy April 21, 2020

Two US spy planes have flown over South Korea, an aviation tracker said Tuesday, on an apparent mission to monitor North Korea. The US Air Force's E-8C and Navy's P-3C were spotted in skies above South Korea, Aircraft Spots tweeted without specifying the exact time of their operation. The United States has deployed a series of reconnaissance aircraft here in recent months following the North's stepped-up military moves amid little progress in denuclearization negotiations with Washington. Th

Defense April 21, 2020

WASHINGTON -- The US state of Maryland has purchased $9 million worth of South Korean coronavirus test kits, enabling it to perform 500,000 tests, Gov. Larry Hogan said Monday. Hogan made the announcement during a press conference in the state capital of Annapolis alongside his Korean wife, Yumi, who he said made the purchase -- dubbed "Operation Enduring Friendship" -- possible. "Operation Enduring Friendship was launched on Saturday, March 28, when I asked my wife, Yumi, to j

Foreign Affairs April 21, 2020

독일 언론이 신종 코로나바이러스 감염증(코로나19) 확산 사태와 관련해 '미국 때리기'에 한국을 활용하고 있다. 독일 주요 언론들은 한국을 코로나19 대응의 모범 사례로 꼽아왔다. 독일에서 초기 대응 실패로 걷잡을 수 없이 확산하면서 이런 경향이 강해졌다. 신속한 검사, 감염자 및 접촉자 추적관리, 사회적 거리 두기 준수 등에 대해 호평해왔다. 독일 내무부의 코로나19 대응전략 보고서에서는 한국을 롤모델로 삼는다고 명시하기도 했다. 4·15 총선에 대해서도 독일 언론은 '역사상 가장 위생적인 무균 선거'(프랑크푸르터룬트샤우), '민주주의가 살아있다는 표시'(쥐트도이체차이퉁), '팬데믹도 한국 선거 못막아'(타게스차이퉁)라고 제목을 뽑았다. 최근 독일 언론은 한국의 상황을 그대로 보도하는 데 그치지 않고, 미국과의 비교 모델로 사용하고 있다. 미국의 코로나19 대응 실패 해부…"한국, 질풍같이 검진체계 구축" 일간 타게스차이퉁은

한국어판 April 21, 2020

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump said Monday he rejected South Korea's offer on defense cost-sharing because the country is wealthy and should pay "for a big percentage of what we're doing" there. "They've offered us a certain amount of money and I've rejected it," Trump said at a White House coronavirus press briefing, referring to the stalled negotiations on how to share the cost for the upkeep of about 28,500 American troops stationed in South Korea. "

Defense April 21, 2020

Starting Tuesday, South Korean professional football clubs will be allowed to play practice matches against one another, as their league inches closer to opening the season that has been delayed for nearly two months by the coronavirus.    The Korean Professional Football League, or simply the K League, made the announcement Monday evening. With such short notice, clubs may not be able to play a match immediately on Tuesday, but there will likely be a few later in the week.  &nb

Sports April 20, 2020

Ten medical staff members at a military hospital in the central city of Daejeon have all tested negative for the coronavirus, officials said Monday. The hospital has been temporarily shut down.    This is not the final results, however, as each of three rounds of testing on their samples showed mixed results and officials suspect that the samples could have been compromised.    Fresh samples have been sent to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) for

Defense April 20, 2020