NEWS BRIEF

[Anchor Lead]

As many new COVID-19 cases are found among students and school staff in recent weeks, the Ministry of Education and Superintendents of Education from Seoul and surrounding areas have decided today to turn all kindergarten, special, elementary, middle, and high school classes into online instructions from August 26th to September 11th. However, high school seniors, who are preparing for college admission this year, are excluded from remote learning.
First Vice Minister of Economy and Finance Kim Yong-beom said at today's macroeconomic and financial policy meeting that he is disappointed to see the economic recovery momentum weaken from the possible resurgence of COVID-19 following the devastating floods caused by the longest rainy season and unprecedented torrential rains. Nonetheless, he projected that the domestic financial market is very unlikely to worsen sharply if Korea overcomes this crisis successfully.
Democratic Party Floor Leader Kim Tae-nyeon announced today, that a protester at the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions demonstration held on August 15th tested positive for COVID-19, and urged all other participants at that protest to be tested. Kim emphasized that party affiliations shouldn't matter when it comes to disease containment efforts and vowed that the Democratic Party and the government will do all they can to control the disease so that the social distancing guidelines would not need to be raised to the toughest level.