eFM News

≡ China Confirms 170 Coronavirus Deaths As WHO Prepares To Review Outbreak

[Anchor] The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in China has risen to at least 170 as of Thursday morning. More than 7,700 cases of the contagious respiratory disease has also confirmed in the country and abroad. Our Christine Min reports. [Reporter] China's National Health Commission confirmed that as of Thursday morning, 38 more people were killed by the new strain of coronavirus while over 1,700 new cases were reported. Tibet also confirmed its first case. Now all 31 provinces in China are dealing with the pneumonia-like illness. Elsewhere, more than a dozen countries, including South Korea, France and Japan, are working to contain infections. Speaking to reporters in Geneva after returning from Beijing, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed "grave concern" about person-to-person spread of the new coronavirus. [Clip: Ghebreyesus: 00:19] "The continued increase in cases and the evidence of human-to-human transmission outside China are of course both deeply concerning. Although the numbers outside China are still relatively small, they hold the potential for a much larger outbreak." The WHO will hold an emergency meeting Thursday to discuss whether to declare the outbreak a global health emergency. Christine Min, eFM News.■ <Photo: Yonhap News> [2020.01.30]

≡ Evacuation Of S. Koreans From Wuhan Delayed To Late Thursday

[Anchor] The South Korean government's plan to evacuate its nationals from Wuhan on chartered planes has been delayed to at least later this evening. This comes as several other countries, including the United States and Japan, were able to pull out their citizens from the virus-stricken city, while others are making plans to do so. Julie Sohn has more. [Reporter] According to Seoul's foreign ministry, two chartered flights that were scheduled to leave for Wuhan from Incheon at 10 a.m. and noon to evacuate South Koreans have been delayed. In an emergency notice sent out early this morning, the South Korean consulate general in Wuhan informed passengers who were set to take off at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. this afternoon that a change had been made due to schedule issues. Amid growing concern over the coronavirus outbreak, four Korean Air charters were previously expected to airlift some 700 South Koreans out of the central Chinese city from today through Friday. An official at the foreign ministry said it is still certain the charter flight will depart in the evening. However, there is a possibility that only one plane will fly today due to the delay to bring back some 300 South Koreans who were previously scheduled to be flown in two separate planes. Other countries have already begun to pull out their citizens from Wuhan. Nearly 200 Americans who have landed at a military base in California from the Chinese city are undergoing three days of testing and monitoring to make sure they do not show signs of the new coronavirus. A total of 416 Japanese evacuees from Wuhan landed in two groups, while three of them tested positive for the virus. Meanwhile, European countries, including Germany, Italy and Spain plan to start repatriating their citizens in the next few days. Julie Sohn, eFM News.■ <Photo: Yonhap News>[2020.01.30]

≡ Moon Vows All-Out Efforts Against New Coronavirus, Warns Against Fake News

President Moon Jae-in says all necessary measures will be taken to contain the spread of a deadly new coronavirus, while warning stern action will be taken against those who spread fake news related to the health crisis. Moon made the vow Thursday while presiding over an inter-agency meeting in Seoul on the country's response to the virus. He said there can be no compromise on the safety of the people and urged local authorities to be fully prepared for all scenarios. Moon also instructed the government to release relevant information to the public quickly and transparently. The president emphasized the need for a can-do spirit, pointing to South Korea's quarantine capabilities and experience in overcoming similar outbreaks. He said in order to protect ourselves trust and cooperation are needed, not terror and abhorrence. His remarks come as residents in two local towns have protested hosting quarantine sites for South Koreans to be evacuated from China.■ <Photo: Yonhap News> [2020.01.30]

≡ S. Koreans Returning From Wuhan To Be Quarantined

Some 720 South Koreans who are due to return from the Chinese city of Wuhan will be be placed in isolation upon their arrival. The evacuees will be taken to quarantine facilities located in Jincheon and Asan in the Chungcheong provinces and monitored for possible signs of a coronavirus infection for 14 days. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said given the incubation period of the virus, they will be released after the two-week period, unless they develop related symptoms related. Only those who are not showing any symptoms will be airlifted out of Wuhan and will have to stay in quarantine rooms once they return to South Korea and will not be able to have visitors. Medical staff will check their health condition twice a day and send those with symptoms to a designated medical facility. In an interview with tbs FM's Kim OuJoon's News Factory this morning, Lee Jae-kab from Hallym University Medical Center's Division of Infectious Diseases said the government's quarantine plan is a very strong preventative measure, adding there is a very low chance the Korean evacuees will spread the virus to local residents.■[2020.01.30]

≡ Samsung's Q4 Net Profits Down 38% On Memory Chip Slump

Samsung Electronics' fourth-quarter net profit dropped 38 percent compared with a year ago. The South Korean tech giant said it posted operating profits of 5.23 trillion won in the October to December period. The figure marks a 33.7 percent on-year drop, due to a slump in the memory chip sector, however, sales rose slightly over one percent. Samsung's operating profit in 2019 as a whole slid almost 53 percent on-year to just over 21.7 trillion won, the lowest since 2015. The company said it is expecting a gradual recovery in memory chip demand and shipments of smartphones this year.■ <Photo: Yonhap News> [2020.01.30]