Yonhap News Summary

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

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(LEAD) New infections in 300s for 3rd day; distancing rules eased for small businesses

SEOUL -- South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed in the 300s for the third consecutive day Monday on fewer tests during the Lunar New Year holiday, with social distancing measures eased to help small businesses whose operations have been in limbo over tougher regulations.

The country reported 344 more COVID-19 cases, including 323 local infections, raising the total caseload to 83,869, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

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S. Korea closely monitoring N.K. moves ahead of late leader's birthday: JCS

SEOUL -- South Korea is closely monitoring North Korea's military moves ahead of the birthday of late leader Kim Jong-il, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Monday.

Tuesday marks the birthday of the late leader, who is the father of current leader Kim Jong-un. The day, called the Day of the Shining Star, is one of the North's biggest national holidays, and Pyongyang has held commemorative events.

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(LEAD) S. Korea's exports jump 69 pct in first 10 days of Feb.

SEOUL -- South Korea's exports jumped 69.1 percent on-year in the first 10 days of February on strong shipments of chips and autos amid the pandemic, customs data showed Monday.

The country's outbound shipments stood at US$18 billion in the Feb. 1-10 period, compared with $10.6 billion a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service.

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(2nd LD) Inter-Korean reunification activist Paek Ki-wan dies at 88

SEOUL -- Paek Ki-wan, who devoted his life to the reunification of the two Koreas and labor and social issues, died in hospital Monday, hospital officials said. He was 88.

According to Seoul National University Hospital and his aides, Paek had been in the hospital since January of last year with symptoms of pneumonia.

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(2nd LD) Police raid religious group over breach of virus rules

DAEJEON -- Police on Monday raided the headquarters of a local Christian missionary group over suspected violations of antivirus protocols that led to a large outbreak of the coronavirus.

Investigators have been seizing computer hard drives and documents from the International Mission headquarters in Daejeon, 164 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the police.

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(LEAD) Pro volleyball league rocked by bullying scandal involving star players

SEOUL -- Professional volleyball's growing popularity in South Korea came crashing down over the Lunar New Year long weekend, as the league's star players got embroiled in a scandal over their checkered pasts as bullies.

The V-League, run by the Korean Volleyball Federation (KOVO), saw cable TV ratings for some big matches rival or even surpass those of baseball, the nation's No. 1 sport, in recent years. It is now reeling from allegations, since acknowledged by the implicated individuals, that some of its biggest names had physically, verbally and emotionally abused their old teammates as teenagers.

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Samsung Heavy wins 781 bln won order from Asia

SEOUL -- Samsung Heavy Industries said Monday that it has signed a 781 billion won (US$707 million) deal to build five liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fired container carriers.

Under the deal with an Asian company, the 15,000-foot equivalent unit (TEU) container carriers will be delivered by July 2023, Samsung Heavy Industries said in an emailed statement.

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Cold wave advisory issued for Seoul and most parts of Korea

SEOUL -- A cold wave advisory will be issued in Seoul and almost all other parts of the nation Monday night, as a cold snap is forecast to grip the nation for three days or longer this week, the weather agency said.

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said the cold wave advisory will take effect at 9 p.m. in Seoul and many other major cities and regions, including Busan, Daegu, Gwangju and Daejeon.
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