As I predicted church services in South Korea are now being effected by the spread of the coronavirus linked to a church in Daegu:

Consequently, South Korean religious communities have been seeking preventive measures as there have been growing fears about religious events in large churches and temples that can become a focal point of infections.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Daegu has suspended all Masses held by churches, institutions and schools in the diocese for two weeks until March 5.

It is the first time that a Catholic diocese has decided not to hold Masses since the first outbreak was reported in South Korea on Jan. 20.

A church in central Seoul was closed for about two weeks earlier this month as one of its believers was confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus.

However, few Protestant and Catholic churches or Buddhist temples have actually rescheduled or reduced their services or events despite the rapid spread of the virus.

Yonhap

If people are avoiding cramped churches it seems then that sporting venues will next be avoided by Koreans.

There has unfortunately been another coronavirus fatality in Korea:

South Korea reported the nation’s second death from the new coronavirus, with the number of confirmed cases surpassing 200, officials said Friday.

The woman in her 50s died at a hospital in the southeastern city of Busan after being transferred from a hospital in a nearby county, where the nation’s first COVID-19 fatality was reported the previous day. She was confirmed to be infected and moved to Busan earlier Friday.

Yonhap

Too make things even worse the virus is now spreading at epidemic levels in South Korea with over 200 people now infected.

Here is the latest on the US-ROK cost sharing negotiations:

The latest push from Washington came Wednesday, after the Defense Department hinted that the cost-sharing agreement might be high on the agenda, if not the highest, in the upcoming Feb. 24 meeting between Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and his U.S. counterpart Mark Esper.

“We’ve got to work through the agreement for funding of forces, so that will obviously be a topic we will discuss,” Jonathan Hoffman, assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs, said in a press briefing. “He’s looking forward to this meeting next week.”

When asked about the holding of joint military exercises this spring, Hoffman said he had nothing to say on the matter, which some observers say indicates the U.S. is prioritizing the cost-sharing issue in the upcoming meeting above all other matters.

Washington pressured Seoul further during the press briefing by giving details on a plan to potentially furlough 9,000 Korean workers on USFK bases.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but I continue to believe that nothing will get done on this until after April’s parliamentary elections. The Moon administration knows they are going to end up paying more and likely don’t want to give in on this issue until after the elections. If this is the case than the Korean workers on U.S. bases will be furloughed.

However, these SOFA holders will now undergo yet another two week quarantine on land:

Seven people associated with U.S. Army Japan who spent two weeks potentially exposed to the new coronavirus on a cruise ship in Yokohama must spend another 14 days quarantined at home, officials said Tuesday.

The Japanese government is expected to release the seven, who fall under the status of forces agreement in Japan, from the ship over the next few days, according to a post on U.S. Army Japan’s official Facebook page. A SOFA defines the legal status of the U.S. armed forces stationed in host countries. It governs uniformed service members, civilian Defense Department employees and their families.

The seven spent two weeks aboard the Diamond Princess, a cruise ship at anchor in Yokohama Bay, after the virus, called COVID-19, was discovered on board as the vessel was en route to Japan.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

It sounds like Daegu is beginning to turn into Wuhan:

 South Korea reported its first coronavirus-linked death Thursday, while Daegu urged residents to stay home as the southeastern city struggled to contain an outbreak of the pneumonia-like disease.

The Army garrison in Daegu also restricted access and announced that schools and non-essential business would be closed for a second day.

In an exception to policy, U.S. service members were authorized to wear face masks in uniform regardless of air quality conditions, according to the garrison’s Facebook page.

Fast-moving developments this week were a blow to South Korea’s hope that the crisis was easing.

Instead, health authorities reported dozens of new confirmed cases in recent days, pushing the total number of infections past 100.

U.S. Forces Korea said no personnel have been infected with COVID-19, which first appeared in December in Wuhan, China, and spread to nearly 30 countries. More than 2,000 people have died — most in mainland China.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link, as well as this link back to the original USAG Daegu Facebook posting announcing the reduction of military operations in Daegu. All the best to everyone in Daegu.

Right now the Moon administration will likely not take this medical advice because the political calculations are currently taking precedent. However, if the coronavirus continues to have more huge outbreaks like we saw in Daegu that may change those calculations:

Medical experts and university officials called on the government Wednesday to ban Chinese students from entering Korea amid mounting fears that they could bring the coronavirus with them.

The Korea Medical Association (KMA), the nation’s largest doctors group, which has been calling for the controversial entry ban, stepped up its calls after the health authorities confirmed 15 more cases of COVID-19 Wednesday. It said the contagious virus has been spreading rapidly in local communities.

Universities are also struggling to find ways of managing their Chinese students as nearly 70,000 students are set to return to South Korea for the spring semester. Although health authorities and the Ministry of Education announced a series of initiatives to better manage and prevent the possible spread of the novel virus, the KMA said that restrictions on entry from China is the most urgent action from the government needed right now.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

Asiana Airlines was struggling even before this coronavirus outbreak which is making things even harder for the airline:

Asiana Airlines Inc., South Korea’s second-biggest airline, on Tuesday said all of its employees will take unpaid leave as air travel demand has plummeted due to the spreading coronavirus outbreak.

Some of about 10,500 employees are set to take 10 days of unpaid leave starting Wednesday. Others will join the cost-cutting measure later in a way that does not affect flights.

Asiana had 4,078 crew members as of Feb. 1, accounting for 39 percent of its total workforce of 10,538, according to the airline.

Asiana Airlines also said it will cut wages of its CEO, executives and heads of departments by 40 percent, 30 percent and 20 percent, respectively.

“We are desperately trying to come up with and implement measures to overcome a crisis of a massive operating loss this year,” Asiana Chief Executive Han Chang-soo said in a statement.

For 2019, Asiana’s net losses widened to 672.6 billion won (US$565.3 million) from 96.2 billion won a year earlier, due mainly to a sharp decline in travel on Japanese routes.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but it is interesting that Asiana Airlines is losing money before the coronavirus crisis from a sharp decline on Japanese travel routes. The Korean government has been promoting anti-Japanese sentiment that is in turn destroying one of their biggest airlines.