Yonhap News Summary

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

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(LEAD) 2 suspected MIS-C cases in S. Korea turn out to be Kawasaki disease

SEOUL -- Two suspected cases of an unknown inflammatory syndrome in children in South Korea turned out to be Kawasaki disease, health authorities here said Wednesday, amid concerns that the disease may be linked to the novel coronavirus.

The two children -- a 4-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy -- were reported in Seoul last month for the first time for the disease, named Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C). They have recovered from the disease.

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FM voices regret over Japan's decision to maintain export curbs on S. Korea

SEOUL -- Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha spoke by phone with her Japanese counterpart Wednesday and expressed "deep regret" that Japan keeps export restrictions imposed on South Korea in a row over wartime forced labor, her office said.

Kang's call with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi came a day after Seoul decided to take the issue to the World Trade Organization (WTO). She expressed "deep regret" that Japan refuses to lift the curbs even after Seoul resolved all issues cited by Japan as reasons for the restrictions, her office said.

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(LEAD) Seoul stocks spike to over 3-month high amid recovery hopes, Korean won sharply up

SEOUL -- South Korean shares extended their winning streak to a fourth consecutive session on Wednesday, hitting a more than three-month high amid economic recovery hopes. The Korean won sharply rose against the U.S. dollar.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) jumped 59.81 points, or 2.87 percent, to close at 2,147.00, the highest since Feb. 25. Trading volume was high at about 1.1 billion shares worth a record high of 16.8 trillion won (US$13.8 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 517 to 344.

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Moon asks S. Koreans to tighten vigilance against coronavirus

SEOUL -- President Moon Jae-in appealed to the public here Wednesday not to lower its guard against the new coronavirus, as South Korea is reporting a rise again in the number of confirmed cases.

He cited continued cluster infections in Seoul and nearby regions, especially from religious facilities, clubs, private educational institutions known as hakwon.

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K-pop artists throw support behind Black Lives Matter movement in U.S.

SEOUL -- K-pop artists from various genres have openly expressed their support behind the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in the United States, condemning racism and paying homage to African-American culture as an important source of inspiration for modern day K-pop.

R&B artist Crush is among the K-pop recording artists to raise their voices via social media. The singer, hip-hop star posted an image on Monday that said, "It is not enough to be quietly non-racist, now is the time to be vocally anti-racist."

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Seoul approves use of remdesivir as virus treatment

SEOUL -- South Korea's food and drug administration on Wednesday made an emergency decision to allow the use of remdesivir as a treatment for the new coronavirus, paving the way for inbound shipments of the new drug for the first time.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said it has decided to allow special imports of the drug using its special measures procedure that allows imports of previously unauthorized substances under special circumstances.

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