VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

A South Korean official who was drifting at sea was shot and killed by North Korea before then dousing his body with oil and setting it on fire, the South Korean Defense Ministry stated on Thursday.

A 47-year-old official from the South Korean Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries disappeared from the 499-ton ship Monday afternoon while on duty on an inspection boat in waters off the western border of Yeonpyeong island.

"North Korea found the man in its waters and carried out the brutal act of shooting him and burning his body, according to our comprehensive military analysis of various intelligence data," the South Korean Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"Our military strongly condemns this brutal act and urges North Korea to provide an explanation and punish those who are responsible," the statement read.

"We also firmly warned North Korea that all responsibility for this incident rests with them."

This is the first incident since July 2008, when a South Korean civilian was shot dead in North Korea. At that time, Park Wang-ja was shot and killed at the mountainous resort of Kumgang in the North while wandering the forbidden zone.

President Moon Jae-in expressed deep concern, calling the assassination a "shocking incident that cannot be tolerated for any reason."

"The North Korean authorities must take responsible action regarding this case," Moon said, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok.

He also urged the military to tighten its defense posture to protect the lives and safety of citizens. (RRI)

The Task Force for COVID-19 Response has assured that coronavirus patients treated at referral hospitals are exempt from treatment costs.

“The patients are by no means liable to treatment costs. It is the referral hospitals that will claim the treatment costs from the director general of the Health Ministry, with copies (of claims) addressed to BPJS Kesehatan (Health Care and Social Security Agency) and district and municipal health offices,” spokesperson for the Task Force for COVID-19 Response, Wiku Adisasmito, said in a press conference here on Thursday.

He appealed to offices and employers to not worry about the treatment costs of employees testing positive for COVID-19, saying the costs will be borne entirely by the government, be they BPJS members, non-BPJS members, or expatriates.

The offices and employers should be transparent in reporting any of their employees who test positive for COVID-19 to local health offices, he said.

Offices and employers must trace those who have come in close contact with COVID-19 patients by coordinating with the local health and manpower offices, he added.

He also urged offices and employers to provide free swab tests to those who have come in close contact with COVID-19 patients.

If they detect additional COVID-19 cases, they must coordinate with the local health office and allow employees testing negative for the virus to work from home, he said. (Antaranews)

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has decided to extend large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) in the capital city, which were scheduled to end on September 27, 2020, by another week till October 11.

The step was taken since the number of new COVID-19 cases will increase if the PSBB is relaxed, the governor said in a press statement released on Thursday.

Based on the results of monitoring and evaluation undertaken by the Jakarta Task Force for the Acceleration of COVID-19 Handling, the PSBB will be extended by another two weeks if the number of COVID-19 cases does not drop significantly.

“The coordinating minister for maritime affairs and investment has also approved the automatic extension of PSBB in Jakarta by another two weeks,” the governor said. (Antaranews)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) officially inaugurates the 131-kilometer Pekanbaru-Dumai toll road, the first highway in Riau Province, through a virtual conference from the State Palace on Friday, Riau Governor Syamsuar stated on Thursday.

He said the inauguration of the toll road in Dumai, Riau Province, will be attended by at least 50 people, including Public Works and Housing Minister Basoeki Hadimoeljono, while the President will inaugurate it from the State Palace in Jakarta.

Inauguration of this Pekanbaru-Dumai toll road will take place at the Dumai toll gate in Bagan Besar neighborhood, Bukit Kapur Sub-district, Dumai City, he remarked as quoted by Antara.

As part of Indonesia's national strategic projects and one of the toll road sections of the Trans-Sumatra corridor, the Pekanbaru-Dumai highway is expected to propel Riau Province's economy, Governor Syamsuar affirmed.

Since the first and second leadership terms of President Jokowi, infrastructure has held special significance, with notable extension of toll roads being testament to it.

According to the Public Works and Housing Ministry, during President Jokowi's first leadership term, at least 941 kilometers of toll roads and 3,423 kilometers of national roads were constructed.