Yonhap News Summary

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

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(LEAD) New cases under 600 again on fewer tests; variants in focus amid vaccine rollout

SEOUL -- South Korea's daily new virus cases fell back to the 500s again Thursday as fewer people took virus tests on the Children's Day holiday, but the country's health authorities remained vigilant over cluster infections and spreading variant cases.

The country reported 574 more COVID-19 cases, including 562 local infections, raising the total caseload to 125,519, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

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Harvard professor accuses Korean scholar of 'savage attacks' on his much-criticized comfort women paper

NEW YORK/SEOUL, May 6 (Yonhap) -- A Harvard law school professor, criticized for his disputed article casting victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery as prostitutes, has accused a Korean scholar of "savage attacks" on him, warning that he will mull counteraction.

Lee Jinhee, an associate professor of history at Eastern Illinois University, told Yonhap News Agency that J. Mark Ramseyer of the Harvard Law School, had sent an email with the warning.

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(2nd LD) G7 foreign ministers urge N. Korea to return to dialogue

WASHINGTON -- The top diplomats of the Group of Seven (G7) countries on Wednesday urged North Korea to return to talks on ending its nuclear programs, while also urging Pyongyang to engage in inter-Korean dialogue.

The foreign ministers also expressed their support for U.S. efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula diplomatically.

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U.S. encourages Seoul-Tokyo reconciliation over 'comfort women' issue: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- The United States has long encouraged South Korea and Japan to work together to resolve their thorny history issues, including the issue of comfort women, to promote reconciliation and cooperation, a State Department spokesperson said Wednesday.

Jalina Porter, principal deputy spokesperson, also noted U.S. foreign policy is centered around human rights, including the rights of women and children.

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(LEAD) FM Chung calls for G-7 efforts for equitable access to vaccines

SEOUL -- Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong has called for the Group of Seven (G-7) countries to exert their leadership to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, his office said Thursday, amid his stepped-up diplomacy to help South Korea's inoculation program.

Chung attended the in-person gathering of G-7 foreign and development ministers on Tuesday and Wednesday. Though not party to the G-7, South Korea, Australia, India, South Africa and Brunei have been invited as guests.

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New USFK chief expected to take office in around June: sources

SEOUL -- Gen. Paul LaCamera is expected to take office as the new commander of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) around next month if his confirmation process goes smoothly, sources said Thursday.

LaCamera, who currently serves as Army Pacific Commander, was nominated to succeed Gen. Robert Abrams to lead the 28,500-strong USFK, and his nomination was referred to the Senate Armed Services Committee late last month for a confirmation hearing, according to the sources.

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Deadlock looms in Nat'l Assembly over confirmation approvals of 3 minister nominees

SEOUL -- A political standoff between the ruling and main opposition parties appeared imminent Thursday, as key National Assembly committees were scheduled to decide on the parliamentary approvals of scandal-ridden minister nominees recently picked by President Moon Jae-in.

Earlier this week, parliamentary confirmation hearings on nominees for science, oceans, land, trade and labor ministers were carried out by the National Assembly.

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N.K. paper warns of virus infections via 'strange objects' in air

SEOUL -- North Korea's official newspaper on Thursday urged people to stay alert against coronavirus infections through "strange objects" floating in the air, days after the regime issued a harshly worded statement against propaganda leaflets sent from South Korea.

Last week, an activist group consisting of North Korean defectors in South Korea said that it released around 500,000 leaflets into the North via large balloons despite a recently enacted ban on such cross-border leafleting.

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Daily box-office attendance hits 7-month high on Children's Day

SEOUL -- The number of daily moviegoers reached a seven-month high on the Children's Day holiday in South Korea, thanks to strong performances by animated films, data showed Thursday.

According to the data from the Korean Film Council, a total of 326,000 people went to theaters Wednesday, up sharply from 77,000 tallied the previous day.

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Rangers' Yang Hyeon-jong strikes out 8 in 1st MLB start

SEOUL -- As baseball starts go, this was short and sweet for Yang Hyeon-jong of the Texas Rangers.

In his first major league start, Yang struck out eight Minnesota Twins in just 3 1/3 innings at Target Field in Minneapolis on Wednesday (local time).

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