Yonhap News Summary

The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Friday.

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(LEAD) No discussions on possible location shift of THAAD launchers in S. Korea: defense ministry

SEOUL -- No discussions have taken place with the United States about the possibility of moving THAAD missile interceptor launchers away from their battery in central South Korea to other parts of the country, the defense ministry said Friday.

Earlier, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency hinted at the possibility of separating the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) unit's launchers in the central county of Seongju in order to secure greater flexibility in its operation.

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(3rd LD) S. Korea remains vigilant against coronavirus, no new cases for 3rd straight day

SEOUL -- No new cases of the novel coronavirus were reported in South Korea for the third consecutive day, but health authorities remain vigilant to monitor how the outbreak is unfolding in two neighboring Asian countries.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said the number of confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus remains unchanged at 28, with seven of them having been released from hospitals after making full recoveries.

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(2nd LD) KLM offers apology for barring S. Koreans from using toilet

SEOUL -- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, the national flag carrier of the Netherlands, offered a public apology Friday for not allowing South Korean passengers to use an on-board toilet due to concerns about the new coronavirus.

The incident occurred on a KLM flight to Incheon from Amsterdam on Monday when a crew member posted a note written in Korean on the door of the restroom, which read "Lavatory For Crew Members Only."

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Court reduces jail sentence of former president's confidante in retrial

SEOUL -- A longtime friend of jailed former President Park Geun-hye was sentenced to 18 years in prison in a retrial of her corruption case at a Seoul appellate court on Friday.

The Seoul High Court commuted its jail sentence for Choi Soon-sil, who was known as Park's confidante during her presidency from 2013 to 2017, from the previous 20 years to 18 years in the retrial, which was ordered by the Supreme Court last August.

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Bong Joon-ho's detailed directing works behind the scene

SEOUL -- Even before Bong Joon-ho grabbed four Oscars, including best picture and best director, for his black comedy masterpiece "Parasite," the South Korean auteur was not a new kid on the block.

With seven features on his directorial career, including "Parasite," he has earned a nickname of "Bongtail" at home and abroad, a combination of his family name and the English word "detail."

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(LEAD) BOK chief says will maintain ample liquidity

SEOUL -- The head of South Korea's central bank said Friday the country will continue to maintain ample liquidity to help minimize the fallout from the outbreak of the new coronavirus amid growing market expectations for a rate cut down the road.

"I believe now is the time when we need everyone's efforts to minimize the impact of this crisis," Bank of Korea (BOK) Gov. Lee Ju-yeol told a Seoul meeting hosted by Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki to review the impact of the outbreak.

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(LEAD) S. Korea to spare no efforts to minimize economic impact of coronavirus

SEOUL -- South Korea will spare no efforts to minimize the economic fallout of the new coronavirus and draw up additional measures to support an economic recovery, Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said Friday.

Hong made the remarks in a meeting with Bank of Korea Gov. Lee Ju-yeol on Friday to discuss how to cope with the economic impact of the virus, which was recently named COVID-19.

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