A growing number of foreign countries have been asking about importing South Korean-made coronavirus diagnostic kits and other forms of aid to help curb the pandemic, a foreign ministry official said Wednesday. Such calls have been rising as Seoul's containment efforts have led to a slowdown in new COVID-19 cases and a low fatality rate, which have created breathing space for South Korea to look beyond its shores to embrace a broader role in the global fight against the virus. "We have b

Foreign Affairs March 18, 2020

More than 2,500 performing art shows and exhibitions have been canceled for the first four months of this year, resulting in heavy financial damage to the arts industry, a report showed Wednesday. According to the report by the private Federation of Artistic & Cultural Organization of Korea, a total of 2,511 concerts, performing art shows and art exhibitions have been called off in the January-April period due to coronavirus outbreaks. The direct financial damage from the show cancellat

Social Affairs March 18, 2020

The South Korean Buddhist community and an umbrella group of Protestant churches said Wednesday they will postpone upcoming Buddha's birthday and Easter celebrations to join the nationwide fight against the novel coronavirus. "The ritual to celebrate Buddha's birthday, scheduled to be held on April 30, will be put off to May 30," the Association of Korea Buddhist Orders, whose members include the country's biggest Jogye Order, said in a press conference in Seoul. "The Lotus La

Social Affairs March 18, 2020

18일 대구에서 폐렴 증세를 보인 17세 소년이 사망해 보건 당국이 신종 코로나바이러스 감염증(코로나19) 감염 여부를 검사하고 있다. 보건 당국에 따르면 이날 오전 11시 15분께 대구 영남대병원에서 17세 소년 A군이 숨졌다. 사인은 다발성 장기부전으로 파악됐다. 기저질환은 없는 것으로 확인됐다. A군은 지난 13일 오전 발열 등 증상으로 경북 경산 중앙병원을 찾았다가 엑스레이 검사결과 폐렴 징후가 나타나 이날 오후 영남대병원으로 옮겨진 것으로 알려졌다. A군은 엑스레이상 폐 여러 부위가 하얗게 변한 것으로 드러났다. 이후 혈액 투석, 에크모(ECMO·인공 심폐 장치) 등 치료를 받은 것으로 알려졌다. 앞서 A군은 지난 13일 경산 중앙병원 선별진료소에서 검체 검사를 받았으나 음성 판정을 받았다. 보건당국 관계자는 "A군에 대해 여러 번 검사를 한 결과 대부분 음성이 나왔지만 1∼2번 정도 어떤 유전자 검사에서 양성 소견을 보인 게 있

한국어판 March 18, 2020

K-pop boy band WINNER will drop its third full-length album, "Remember," next month, in its return to the music scene, its agency said Wednesday. Ahead of the official album launch on April 9, the band will release lead single "Hold" on March 26, according to YG Entertainment. The album is WINNER's first full-length album since "Everyday," released in 2018. Including "Hold," the new album carries a total of 12 tracks. This is likely to be WINNER's las

K-pop March 18, 2020

Since K-pop band BTS' first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in 2018, other K-pop boy bands have entered the top five of the albums chart, pushing the horizon for South Korean pop in the global music market. This week, K-pop boy band NCT 127's new album, "NCT #127 Neo-Zone," debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart dated March 21, becoming the fourth K-pop band to score a top-five hit on the albums chart. Also this week, BTS' latest album, "Map of the Soul: 7,"

K-pop March 18, 2020

South Korean stocks returned to negative terrain late Wednesday morning, offsetting earlier gains from the opening bell as foreigners and institutions both became net sellers. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) had fallen 6.61 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,665.83 as of 11:20 a.m. The market earlier rebounded as investors welcomed a set of additional stimulus packages being considered by the United States. Washington announced Tuesday (local time) it is considering a stimul

Market March 18, 2020

Another cluster transmission of the new coronavirus has infected more than 70 people at a nursing hospital in the southeastern city of Daegu, the epicenter of the local outbreak, city government officials said Wednesday. The Daegu Metropolitan City Government said a total of 75 people from the nursing hospital, including 57 patients and 18 medical staff, tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. A nurse working at the hospital was the its first confirmed case on Monday. The hospital -- which ha

Social Affairs March 18, 2020

The virus-hit South Korean film community is gradually regaining vitality, with some movies poised to hit local screens in the coming weeks, as the country's coronavirus infections have been seemingly slowing down. South Korea reported an additional 93 cases of COVID-19 infection on Wednesday, bringing the total to 8,413 with 84 deaths. The Wednesday figure marked the fourth consecutive day of double-digit daily increases. "Judy," a biographical drama film about American singer and

Film March 18, 2020

South Korea dispatched two military transport aircraft to Myanmar on Wednesday to bring back 80,000 sets of surgical gowns for use in dealing with the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said. The Air Force C-130J planes departed for the Southeast Asian nation from Gimhae airport, near the southeastern city of Busan, marking the first time that military planes have been mobilized to bring commercial goods into the country, the ministry said. The planes are scheduled to return to Seoul's Gi

Foreign Affairs March 18, 2020

South Korea will bring back part of its troops from South Sudan without sending a replacement contingent for the time being due to coronavirus concerns, government sources said Wednesday. The decision to bring home about 210 troops of the 270-strong Hanbit Unit came after South Sudan officially asked Seoul and other foreign countries not to send fresh troops in the wake of the continued spread of the COVID-19 virus across the globe. About 150 service members will return home this month and th

Foreign Affairs March 18, 2020

President Moon Jae-in warned Wednesday that the global economic crisis could be drawn out and stressed South Korea should explore bold preemptive measures without being restricted to precedents. He was speaking at a rare group meeting with the heads of the country's major business-related associations and umbrella labor unions. COVID-19 is bringing about a "combined crisis" in the real economy and finance, Moon pointed out. "Now that it's a problem that the whole world is unde

Politics March 18, 2020

Samsung Electronics Co., the world's largest memory chip maker, said Wednesday it expects this year's chip demand to grow despite concerns over the novel coronavirus pandemic. During an annual shareholder meeting, Kim Ki-nam, who leads Samsung's device solutions division, said that "external uncertainties" will continue this year but global chip demand will increase. "We expect global chip demand to grow on the back of the growth of artificial intelligence and automotive semicon

Industry March 18, 2020

자가격리 기간 일본 여행을 다녀오며 물의를 일으킨 정직원에 대해 국립발레단이 해고라는 초강수를 둔 배경에 관심이 쏠리고 있다. 17일 국립발레단에 따르면 발레단은 전날 징계위원회를 열고 해외여행을 다녀온 나 모(28) 씨에 대해 해고 결정을 내리고, 본인에게 이를 통보했다. 나씨는 이에 대한 반응을 내놓지 않고 있다. 국립발레단 내부 규정을 보면, 단원을 해고할 수 있는 경우는 '일주일 이상 무단결근' '고의 또는 과실에 따른 재산상의 손실을 끼쳤을 때' '발레단 위상에 심각한 위해를 끼쳤을 경우' 등 3가지다. 비교적 까다로운 규정 탓에 국립발레단은 1962년 창단된 이후 정단원을 해고한 사례가 없었다. 그러나 강수진 예술감독, 권영섭 사무국장 등이 포함된 징계위원회는 해고라는 초강수를 뒀다. 나씨의 행동이 발레단 위상에 심각한 위해를 끼쳤다고 판단했기 때문이다. 실제 자가격리 기간 해외여행을 다녀온 나씨에 대한 소식이 알려지자 국립발레단은 여론의 십자포화를 맞았다. 국

한국어판 March 18, 2020

While the number of new coronavirus cases reported in South Korea remained below 100 for a fourth straight day Wednesday, cases in the capital area continued to increase, raising concerns over mass transmission in the region, home to 25 million people. Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul, reported 15 new cases, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 277, according to the latest data by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). This means that the provinc

Social Affairs March 18, 2020