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≡ Coronavirus Fears Grow After Third Case Confirmed
[Anchor]
South Korea has reported its third confirmed case of the new coronavirus, sparking fears over the possibility of an epidemic in the country.
Sehhyeong Kim has more.
[Reporter]
The third confirmed patient is a 54-year-old South Korean national who was living in Wuhan before arriving back home last Monday.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says he tested positive for the virus after turning himself in to the emergency call center yesterday as he felt symptoms of the coronavirus.
He has been under quarantine ever since.
However, concerns are rising over the spread of the disease, since, unlike the first two patients, he spent nearly a week without being aware of his illness.
Health authorities have strengthened quarantine efforts and are now asking all travelers from China to submit a questionnaire about their health conditions upon their arrival in South Korea.
The death toll from the respiratory virus in China has risen to 56, with 1,975 cases confirmed in the country.
Meanwhile, amid fears over its quick spread, over 330,000 people signed a petition as of 5 p.m. on Cheong Wa Dae's website demanding a temporary entry ban of Chinese people into South Korea during the Chinese New Year holiday.
Sehhyeong Kim, eFM News.■
<Photo: Yonhap News>[2020.01.26]
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≡ Traffic Begins To Ease On Seoul-Bound Lanes
Traffic is slowly starting to ease up on the nation's expressways heading back into the capital region.
According to the Korea Expressway Corporation, congestion is forecast to ease up completely well past midnight, around 2 or 3 a.m.
Currently, the estimated drive time from Busan to Seoul is 5 hours 20 minutes, from Daejeon 3 hours 20 minutes, and from Daegu 4 hours 20 minutes.
Some 480 thousand vehicles were expected to head back to the capital region today.
All expressways across the country will remain toll-free until midnight.■
<Photo: Yonhap News>
[2020.01.26]
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≡ No Progress In Search For Four Missing Teachers In Nepal
Not much progress has been made in search for four South Koreans caught in an avalanche in the popular Annapurna region of the Himalayas for the past 10 days.
Rescue officials in Nepal searched the area since January 18, the day after the accident, but there have been no reports of bodies or belongings being found.
All searches have been temporarily suspended since Friday due to bad weather and the risk of a possible avalanche.
A Korean search team led by climber Um Hong-gil withdrew from the accident site on Thursday.■
<Photo: Yonhap News>[2020.01.26]
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≡ S. Korea's Trade Deficit With Japan Drops To Lowest In 16 Years: KITA
South Korea's trade deficit with Japan dropped to its lowest level in 16 years last year amid a trade row between the two countries.
According to Korea International Trade Association, Seoul posted a trade deficit of 19.16 billion dollars with Tokyo in 2019, the largest than with any other country.
However, the figure still represents the lowest since 2003.
South Korea's imports of Japanese goods plunged 12.9 percent, while exports dropped 6.9 percent on-year.
Japan's export restrictions against South Korea imposed in July last year appears to have led to the decrease in the trade deficit.■
<Image: Yonhap News>[2020.01.26]
