Yonhap News Summary

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

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S. Korea to revise law on inter-Korean exchanges to allow N.K. firms to do business in South

SEOUL -- South Korea is pushing to revise a law governing inter-Korean exchanges in a way that allows North Korean firms to do business in the South as part of efforts to further promote cross-border exchanges and peace, the unification ministry said Monday.

Ministry spokesperson Yoh Sang-key stressed, however, that the envisioned revision is nothing more than upgrading an already existing regulation into a formal law and does not in any way mean that the government is trying to abruptly speed up cooperation with the North against global sanctions.

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Sampling blunder by BTS member serves as cautionary tale for K-pop act going forward

SEOUL -- A recent audio sampling controversy surrounding BTS member Suga's new album shows that even global K-pop superstars are not bulletproof from potential public relations debacles.

It highlights the inevitable risks associated with celebrities trying to step up their game on the international stage amid heightened calls for political correctness.

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Some S. Korean-owned shops suffer damage from U.S. protests, no casualties reported: ministry

SEOUL -- The government has identified 26 cases of property damage at South Korean-owned stores across the United States due to violent protests that erupted over the death of a black man at the hands of police, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday.

No casualties have been reported from Korean communities in connection with the demonstrations, the ministry said, citing updates received from the South Korean consulates in the U.S.

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(LEAD) Moon: Korean New Deal designed for 'pacesetting' economy

SEOUL -- President Moon Jae-in announced plans Monday for a string of big-spending government projects, including the Korean version of the New Deal, to ride out the economic crisis from COVID-19, presenting South Korea's "pacesetting" economic vision.

Moon confirmed the government's push for the biggest-scale supplementary budget in the country's history, as he presided over the sixth emergency economic council meeting at Cheong Wa Dae.

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(LEAD) Incheon reports 23 church-related virus cases

INCHEON -- At least 23 infections traced to a local church were reported in the western port city of Incheon on Monday, raising alerts over additional new coronavirus cases in the wider metropolitan area.

They include 13 pastors, five family members and five churchgoers. Of them, 18 people attended a meeting at a church in the Incheon ward of Michuhol on Thursday, according to city officials.

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(LEAD) Cram school infections up worries ahead of school reopening

SEOUL -- A rise in infections linked to cram schools in South Korea's capital has raised alarm over school reopening, with more students set to return to classrooms later this month.

Following months of closure, South Korea began to resume in-person classes in May as new coronavirus cases in the country appeared to be slowing.

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S. Korea cuts 2020 growth estimate to 0.1 pct amid pandemic, sees sharp rebound in 2021

SEOUL -- South Korea on Monday sharply slashed its growth estimate for the year, joining many others in a gloomy outlook for Asia's fourth-largest economy hit by a virus-triggered slump in global trade.

The finance ministry revised down its growth outlook to 0.1 percent from the 2.4 percent forecast late last year.

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S. Korea to center on post-pandemic recovery, job creation in H2

SEJONG -- South Korea will implement its economic policy in the second half of this year to revive the nation's economy, which has been significantly hurt by the coronavirus pandemic, and create more jobs, the finance ministry said Monday.

The economy is expected to grow 0.1 percent this year, a sharp cut from a 2.4 percent growth the ministry had predicted last December and would mark the lowest growth in about two decades, according to the ministry.

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(4th LD) S. Korea again gripped by church-linked cluster infections in greater Seoul area

SEOUL -- Cluster infections at churches are again putting health authorities on edge Monday following a series of mass infections tied to clubs and a distribution center after the country eased social distancing and millions of students went back to schools.

South Korea reported 35 additional cases of the new coronavirus, including 30 local infections, raising the total caseload to 11,503, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

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