South Korea

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea on Sunday reported 76 new coronavirus cases and three more deaths, a fall in new cases to double-digits for the first time in over three weeks, as President Moon Jae-in declared the hardest hit provinces “special disaster zones”.

It is the first time South Korea has declared a region a disaster zone from an infectious disease and under the status the government can subsidize up to 50 percent of restoration expenses and exempt residents from taxes and utility payments.

SEOUL, Mar 14 (NNN-YONHAP) – South Korea confirmed 107 more cases of the COVID-19, compared to 24 hours ago, as of midnight Saturday local time, raising the total number of infections to 8,086.

The new cases remained below 200 for the third consecutive day, after recording 110 on Friday and 114 on Thursday.

Five more deaths were reported, lifting the death toll to 72. The total fatality rate stood at 0.84 percent.

A total of 204 more patients were discharged from quarantine, after making full recovery, pulling up the combined number to 714.

SEOUL, March 13 (NNN-YONHAP) — South Korea’s financial markets were thrown into turmoil on Friday under growing panic sell-offs, with the benchmark stock index plunging over 8 percent to an 8 1/2-year low and the Korean won trading at a 4-year low against the U.S. dollar, as investors rushed to sell risky assets amid growing concerns over economic fallout from the new coronavirus outbreak.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price (KOSPI) Index extended losses to surrender 149.25 points, or 8.14 percent, to 1,685.08 as of 11:10 a.m, reported Yonhap News Agency.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised his second live-fire artillery exercise in a week, state media said Tuesday, as the country continues to expand its military capabilities.

The report by Pyongyang’s Korean Central News Agency came a day after South Korea’s military detected the launches of three short-range projectiles off the North’s eastern coast.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A special North Korean flight carrying presumably dozens of diplomats and other foreigners arrived in Russia’s Far East on Monday as the country tightens its lockdown intended to fend off the coronavirus.

North Korea has not publicly confirmed a single case of the COVID-19 illness, but its state media have reported thousands of people have been quarantined as part of strict prevention measures.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea fired three short-range projectiles off its east coast on Monday, South Korea’s military said, two days after the North threatened to take “momentous” action to protest outside condemnation over its earlier live-fire exercises.

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the three launches were made from an eastern coastal town in the North’s South Hamgyong province. It said the multiple kinds of projectiles flew as far as 200 kilometers (125 miles) at a maximum altitude of 50 kilometers (30 miles).

SEOUL, Mar 7 (NNN-YONHAP) – South Korea confirmed 483 more cases of the COVID-19 on Saturday (today), raising the total number of infections to 6,767.

As of midnight local time, the number of infected patients totaled 6,767, up 483 from 24 hours ago. One more death was reported, lifting the death toll to 44.

Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) updates the data twice a day at 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. local time.

SEOUL, Mar 5 (NNN-YONHAP) – South Korea confirmed 438 more cases of COVID-19 on Thursday (today), raising the total number of infections to 5,766.

As of midnight local time, the number of infected patients totaled 5,766, up 438 from 24 hours ago. Four more deaths were reported, lifting the death toll to 36.

Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), updated the data twice a day at 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. local time.

SEOUL, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Six South Korean Navy sailors were wounded on Tuesday as a grenade exploded inside a high-speed battleship for unknown reasons during maritime drills off the southern coast, Yonhap news agency reported citing the Navy.

The grenade explosion occurred on the 130-ton patrol killer boat at about 1:00 p.m. local time off the southern coast.

Among the 30 sailors abroad the vessel, two were seriously injured and four others sustained light injuries. Those were sent to nearby hospitals.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised an earlier live-fire rocket artillery exercise to confirm his military’s combat readiness and “further kindle the flames of training revolution,” state media said Tuesday.

The report by the Korean Central News Agency came a day after South Korea’s military detected what appeared to be two short-range ballistic launches of projectiles that landed in the North’s eastern sea.