Yonhap News Summary

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

-----------------
Moon says 13 mln S. Korean may get coronavirus vaccine shots by June

SEOUL -- President Moon Jae-in expressed optimism Monday about South Korea's COVID-19 vaccination program, saying it is proceeding faster than initially planned.

"The introduction of vaccines and inoculation are going smoothly beyond the original plan," he said during a special interagency meeting on the nation's coronavirus prevention and control.

-----------------
(LEAD) Former Vice Justice Minister Kim Oh-soo named as new prosecutor general: Cheong Wa Dae

SEOUL -- President Moon Jae-in named former Vice Justice Minister Kim Oh-soo as the new chief of South Korea's prosecution service, Cheong Wa Dae said.

Justice Minister Park Beom-kye recommended Kim, who was a veteran prosecutor, for the position that has been vacant for two months since Yoon Seok-youl stepped down. The president accepted the recommendation, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee.

-----------------
COVID-19 herd immunity looks increasingly unlikely: experts

SEOUL -- Despite the ramped-up vaccine rollout, it will likely be difficult to reach herd immunity against the novel coronavirus, local health experts said Monday.

"The COVID-19 virus is likely to be a new normal," said Oh Myoung-don, head of the country's central clinical committee for emerging disease control, adding that immunizing 70 percent of the population will not lead to the goal of reaching herd immunity.

-----------------
Carmakers' April sales soar 77 pct on strong overseas demand

SEOUL -- South Korean carmakers' sales jumped 77 percent last month from a year earlier driven by robust overseas demand for SUVs amid the extended COVID-19 pandemic, industry data showed Monday.

The five carmakers -- Hyundai Motor Co., Kia Corp., GM Korea Co., Renault Samsung Motors Corp. and SsangYong Motor Co. -- sold a combined 630,691 vehicles in April, up from 356,604 units a year ago, according to data from the companies.

-----------------
Samsung heir becomes S. Korea's richest stockholder after inheritance

SEOUL -- Lee Jae-young, vice chairman of global tech titan Samsung Electronics Co., has emerged as South Korea's richest stockholder following inheriting stocks from his late father, a corporate tracker said Monday.

Lee's mother and his two sisters also ranked second to fourth, with Kim Beom-su, founder and chief of South Korea's top mobile messenger operator Kakao Corp, dropping to fifth, according to CXO Institute.

-----------------
'Minari' becomes 3rd movie to top 1 mln admissions in S. Korea this year

SEOUL -- The immigrant film "Minari" has become the third movie to attract over 1 million viewers in South Korea this year, enjoying a post-award season bump on supporting actress Youn Yuh-jung's historic Oscar victory, data showed Monday.

The U.S. drama film about a first-generation Korean American family struggling to build a new life in rural Arkansas sold more than 23,900 tickets Saturday, bringing its combined total to over 1 million, according to the data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC).

-----------------
Football star Ki Sung-yueng grilled over suspected land speculation case

GWANGJU -- Football star Ki Sung-yueng has been summoned by police and questioned on charges of illegally buying and using farmland in the southwestern city Gwangju, police said Monday.

Ki, the captain of FC Seoul in the K League 1, was grilled as a suspect by investigators at the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency for three hours, beginning at 2 p.m. on Sunday, the police agency said.

-----------------
Task force seeks warrant to arrest ex-senior official over alleged land speculation

SEOUL -- A government task force said Monday it has sought a warrant for the arrest of a retired senior government official who is suspected of land speculation.

Nam Gu-jun, the task force chief, told reporters the request was sent to the prosecution on Friday as part of his team's ongoing probe into allegations of property speculation by public officials.

------------------

(END)