South Korea will conduct pre-boarding temperature checks on all outbound passengers at the country's main gateway starting next week to prevent the new coronavirus from spreading further, the transport ministry said Thursday. The Incheon International Airport Corp., the operator of the Incheon International Airport, will conduct passenger temperature checks for all flights departing from Incheon, just west of Seoul, beginning Monday to make the main gateway a "COVID-19 Free Airport,&quo

Social Affairs March 5, 2020

Japan decided Thursday to tighten entry restrictions on arrivals from South Korea and China starting next week amid concerns over the spread of the new coronavirus. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced after a government meeting that those flying in from the two virus-hit neighboring countries will be quarantined at a designated place for two weeks. The new measure will be effective from next Monday through the end of this month. Tokyo's has already imposed an entry ban on people

Foreign Affairs March 5, 2020

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent a personal letter to President Moon Jae-in to express his support for South Korea to overcome the outbreak of the new coronavirus, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday. In the letter, delivered to Moon on Wednesday, Chairman Kim consoled South Koreans fighting the virus and wished for their good health, according to Yoon Do-han, Cheong Wa Dae's senior secretary for public communication. "The North's leader said he will quietly support South Korea's fight a

North Korea March 5, 2020

Australia plans to impose a temporary entry ban on foreigners from South Korea on Thursday, the country's embassy in Seoul said, as the number of COVID-19 infections here reached 5,766. Seoul's foreign ministry voiced "strong regrets" over the measures that it claimed came without sufficient prior consultations, officials said, stressing its all-out efforts to contain the novel coronavirus. Shortly before Australia's official announcement on the measures, Australian Ambassador to So

Foreign Affairs March 5, 2020

After historic global successes by South Korean movie "Parasite" and K-pop band BTS, South Korea will focus on further nurturing local creativity and the global sales of Korean cultural content in 2020, the culture ministry said Thursday. To meet the policy direction, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will pour a total of 1.69 trillion won ($1.42 billion) into assistance funds to help local content creators better finance their projects, including an 80 billion-won venture

Culture March 5, 2020

Big businesses in South Korea are introducing more "social-distancing" measures to help contain the disruptive coronavirus outbreak, sources said Thursday. It comes as the government has proposed a social-distancing drive to slow the fast spread of the pneumonia-causing disease, seeing the next couple of weeks as a turning point for containing it. Social distancing refers to a series of tactics designed to keep people from gathering in large crowds, including working from home, can

Industry March 5, 2020

A total of 96 countries and territories are imposing entry restrictions or tougher quarantine procedures on people from South Korea on Thursday, amid fears about the new coronavirus outbreaks, Seoul's foreign ministry said. As of 9 a.m., 36 countries and territories, including Singapore and Hong Kong, had imposed entry bans on people who have traveled to South Korea in the past two weeks, according to the ministry. Four countries and territories, including Japan, have imposed entry bans on pe

Foreign Affairs March 5, 2020

South Korea reported 438 new cases of the coronavirus on Thursday, bringing the nation's total number of infections to 5,766, with most new virus infections still identified in the southeastern city of Daegu, the epicenter of the virus outbreak here.   So far, 35 people, mostly elderly patients with underlying illnesses, have died in South Korea from the respiratory virus that emerged in China late last year, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.   Abo

Social Affairs March 5, 2020

  South Korea's current account surplus narrowed sharply in January on shrinking exports, central bank data showed Thursday. The country's current account surplus came to $1.01 billion in the month, compared with a surplus of $4.33 billion the previous month and a $3.3 billion surplus the same month last year, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). The drop was largely attributed to a dip in South Korea's goods account surplus, which shrank to $1.93 billion in January from $5

Economy March 5, 2020

Toronto Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin has completed his second start of spring training -- just not in an actual game. Instead of starting a proper Grapefruit League game, the South Korean left-hander pitched a simulated game against Blue Jays minor league hitters at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida, on Wednesday (local time). His big league teammates were in Port Charlotte, about a two-hour drive south from Dunedin, to face the Tampa Bay Rays. Ryu threw 32 of his 50 pitches for strikes over 3 2/3

Baseball March 5, 2020

Three children were killed in a house fire in Seoul on Wednesday, police and fire fighters said. The fire occurred on the third floor of a commercial-residential building in Godeok-dong, southeastern Seoul, at around 3 p.m., they said. The fire was extinguished about 20 minutes later, but three children -- a four-year-old boy, four-year-old girl and seven-year-old girl -- were found with third-degree burns.   Rescue authorities performed CPR and took them to a nearby hospital wher

Social Affairs March 5, 2020

단원들 해외여행, 학원특강 등 '도덕적 해이' 국립발레단이 단원들의 부적절한 행동이 잇따르면서 여론의 뭇매를 맞고 있다. 최근 신종 코로나바이러스 감염증(코로나 19) 예방을 위해 소속 단원 전체가 자가격리에 들어갔는데, 일부 단원의 일탈이 이어지면서다. 5일 국립발레단에 따르면 발레단은 지난달 24일부터 일주일간 강수진 예술감독을 포함한 단원 전원이 자가격리에 들어갔다. 지난달 14~15일 대구 오페라하우스에서 '백조의 호수' 공연을 진행했는데, 이후 대구·경북 지역에서 코로나 19 환자가 급속히 늘어나면서 행한 예방 차원의 조치였다. 발레단은 안전조치 차원에서 상급 기관인 문화부에 보고하고 나서 단원들의 자가격리를 진행했다. 발레단 측은 단원들 건강 상황을 매일 체크했는데, 이 기간 감염증상을 보인 단원은 없었다. 하지만 '코로나 19'라는 외부적 악재 대신 내부에서 문제가 터져 나왔다. 단원 가운데 1명이 자가격리 기간 중 해외여행을 다녀온 사실이 밝혀

한국어판 March 5, 2020

"고난에 처한 이탈리아 국민 모욕했다" 비판…외교 문제로도 비화 프랑스 한 민영방송이 이탈리아의 전통 음식인 피자를 소재로 신종 코로나바이러스 감염증(코로나19) 확산을 풍자하는 방송을 내보내 이탈리아에서 격앙된 반응을 보이고 있다. 4일(현지시간) 일간 라 레푸블리카 등 현지언론에 따르면 문제가 된 것은 프랑스 민영방송 '카날+'이 지난달 29일 방영한 풍자 프로그램의 한 장면이다. 피자를 준비하는 한 음식점 요리사가 기침하더니 초록색의 타액을 피자에 내뱉는 모습이 나오고 이어 이탈리아 국기 색인 초록색과 흰색, 빨간색을 활용해 '코로나 피자'라고 쓴 자막이 표출됐다. "전 세계에 출시될 새로운 이탈리안 피자"라는 음성도 나온다. 마치 이탈리아를 중심으로 전 세계로 코로나19가 확산하고 있다는 풍자적 메시지를 담은 듯한 내용이다. 방송이 나간 뒤 이탈리아에선 프랑스가 이웃 나라의 국민감정을 자극했다는 분노 섞인 질타가 터

한국어판 March 5, 2020

Park Geun-hye, an impeached former president of South Korea, stepped back into politics Wednesday while in prison by sending a message calling for the country's conservatives to unite ahead of the April 15 parliamentary elections. In a handwritten letter made public by her lawyer, Yoo Young-ha, Park asked them to come together around the "existing giant opposition party." Yoo read the letter aloud at a press briefing he held at the National Assembly. Park was apparently referring t

Politics March 4, 2020

Government, ruling party and presidential officials agreed Wednesday to sharply restrict exports of face masks and spur their production even during weekends to fight against the new coronavirus. The government has begun to provide face masks via public organizations since last week amid a surge in infections. But many people still find it difficult to buy protective goods due to a sharp supply shortage. The ruling Democratic Party (DP), the government and the presidential office Cheong Wa D

Social Affairs March 4, 2020