Yonhap News Summary

The following is the first summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Thursday.

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(2nd LD) No new coronavirus infections reported for 2nd day, total unchanged at 28

SEOUL -- South Korea on Thursday reported no new novel coronavirus cases after the latest case was identified on Tuesday, and the number of cases here remained unchanged at 28.

As of Thursday morning, the number of people being checked for the COVID-19 virus under quarantine came to 670, down from 785 on Wednesday, with seven patients having recovered and been released from hospitals, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

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(LEAD) All 147 Wuhan evacuees given clear from coronavirus

SEOUL -- All evacuees airlifted earlier this week from Wuhan, the epicenter of the COVID-19 virus outbreak, tested negative for the illness, the country's health authorities here said Thursday.

A total of 147 South Koreans, their Chinese spouses and family members were evacuated from China on Wednesday.

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(LEAD) Coronavirus hits mobile carriers' launch ceremonies for Galaxy S20

SEOUL -- South Korean mobile carriers are moving to cancel launch ceremonies for Samsung Electronics Co.'s new Galaxy S20 smartphone amid the coronavirus scare, industry sources said Thursday.

South Korea's top mobile phone operator SK Telecom Co. and No. 2 industry player KT Corp. had originally planned to hold launch ceremonies for Samsung's new flagship smartphone on Feb. 27.

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Senior Cheong Wa Dae official in Moscow over Putin's plan to visit S. Korea

MOSCOW -- South Korea's Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Hyun-chong said Wednesday he would discuss the details of Russian President Vladimir Putin's upcoming trip to South Korea and other pending issues related to Seoul-Moscow ties as he began a three-day stay here.

"There are pending bilateral issues. (This year) marks the 30th anniversary of (South Korea and Russia) establishing diplomatic relations. And there's a matter to discuss in connection with President Putin's visit to South Korea," Kim told reporters upon arriving at the Moscow international airport.

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N.K. denounces S. Korea's main opposition party for scouting defector for elections

SEOUL -- A North Korean propaganda outlet lashed out at South Korea's main opposition party on Thursday over its decision to scout a North Korean defector, known for his appearance at a U.S. State of the Union address, ahead of April's general elections.

Last month, the Liberty Korea Party (LKP) announced its decision to recruit Ji Seong-ho as one of the new faces who will run for the April 15 parliamentary elections. Ji is known for his surprise appearance at U.S. President Donald Trump's State of the Union speech in 2018.

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U.S. Treasury says it will continue to use financial sanctions against N. Korea

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Treasury Department will continue to focus on applying financial sanctions against North Korea, according to the agency's budget request for fiscal year 2021.

In the budget proposal published on the Treasury's website this week, the department's Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence outlined its efforts last year to support the administration's efforts to achieve the final and fully verified denuclearization of North Korea.

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Korean stocks up late Thursday morning

SEOUL -- South Korean stocks traded higher late Thursday morning, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) was up 11.66 points, or 0.52 percent, to 2,250.04 as of 11:20 a.m.
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