YON - Yonhap News Agency of Korea back issues from September 2003:
Overland Route to Mt. Geumgang Reopens.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- After six-months of hiatus, overland cross-border tours to Mount Geumgang, a scenic resort on North Korea's east coast, resumed Monday.The troubled tour operator, Hyundai Asan Co., said that 434 South Korean tourists left for the scenic mountain aboard 15 ...
British Woman Alleges Sexual Harassment by Korean Cadet.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- A British woman has alleged she was sexually harassed in Seoul by a male army cadet but the army has cleared him of the charge, arousing suspicion of a cover-up attempt. Police said Monday a 35-year-old English instructor claimed the cadet touched her breast in ...
Today in Korean History.
Sep 01, 2003 ... Tuesday, Sept. 2 2000 -- Sixty-three former North Korean spies are repatriated to their communist homeland as South Korea sought reconciliation with the North. The ex-spies ...
(2nd LD) N.K. Delegation, Cheering Group Return to Pyongyang.
Sep 01, 2003 ... BUSAN, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's delegation to the world university games and its cheering group left for home Monday, winding up their 13-day stay in South Korea.The North's 197-member athletic delegation, accompanied by 24 journalists, left first aboard two chartered North ...
Political Parties Clash Over Dismissal of Home Affairs Minister.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's two major political parties are on a collision course as the opposition Grand National Party (GNP) rejected a call from the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) not to introduce a bill calling for the dismissal of Home Affairs Minister Kim Doo-kwan. ...
Ra Says 6 Nations to Enter Phase for Diplomatic Negotiations.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Officials of six countries which took part in last week's nuclear meeting in Beijing will begin negotiations soon to follow up on their discussions, South Korea's national security adviser said Monday.The two Koreas, the United States, China, Russia and ...
S. Korea Mulls Joining U.N. Peacekeeper Deployment Regime.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is considering joining an international regime designed to rapidly dispatch peacekeeping troops to war-torn regions, South Korea's top military officer said Monday.In a keynote speech delivered at the Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference and the ...
100 Overseas Korean Artists Convene for Cultural Festival.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- A cultural festival for ethnic Koreans from abroad kicked off here Monday, bringing together about 100 artists and celebrities from across the world.Following a pre-opening calligraphy contest by overseas Korean students at a gallery in central Seoul, Kwon ...
N. Korea to Convene Supreme People's Assembly Wednesday.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea is scheduled to convene a session of its legislature Wednesday which is expected to serve as a bellwether for the communist state's direction in the next five years. Experts believe the impoverished country will present its broad policies for ...
(LEAD) N.K. Cheering Group Bids Farewell to S. Koreans.
Sep 01, 2003 ... BUSAN, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's 320-member cheering squad for the North's delegation to the Daegu Universidae attended a farewell party Monday before heading to Gimhae Airport to return home.Organized by Daegu Mayor Cho Hae-nyoung, concurrently president of the Universiade's ...
World Ceramic Biennale Opens in South Korea.
Sep 01, 2003 ... ICHEON, South Korea, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- An exposition of ceramics from Europe, the Middle East and Asia opened Monday in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province.The World Ceramic Biennale, a biannual event hosted by the province-run World Ceramic Exposition Foundation, features 210 pots, vases, ...
Chief Negotiator Expects N. Korea to Come to Next Round of Talks.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's chief delegate to last week's six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons program said Monday he expects Pyongyang to come to a new round of talks despite its threat to boycott further negotiation.On Saturday, a day after six nations ...
Top Headlines in Major Korean Newspapers - Sept. 1, 2003.
Sep 01, 2003 ... Kyunghyang Daily News - Gov't to create special tax on massive real estate holders Kukmin Daily - Kwon suspected of taking money from other than Hyundai Korea Daily News - Apartment prices in Seoul rising again Dong-A Ilbo - Kwon suspected of taking money ...
Foreigners Invited to Free Sightseeing Tour of Korea's History.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- A free walking tour of Seoul, the South Korean capital with 600 years of heritage, is increasingly popular for domestic and foreign tourists, city officials said Monday. More than 1,500 have taken the tour since August when the city started the program, and ...
S. Korea's First English-Language Radio Broadcasting Airs.
Sep 01, 2003 ... JEJU, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's first English-language radio station became on air Monday on the southern resort island of Jeju, the radio station said.Arirang FM, an affiliate of state-run Arirang TV, said it started airing 18 hours of FM stereo programs per day at 4:00 p.m ....
Prime Minister Vows to Assist Small Firms on Five-day Workweek.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Prime Minister Goh Kun outlined Monday a set of measures to help small companies avoid the blow that may stem from the planned introduction of a shorter workweek.Last Friday, the National Assembly approved a government-proposed bill on a five-day workweek, ...
N.K. Delegation for Daegu Universiade Returns to Pyongyang.
Sep 01, 2003 ... BUSAN, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The North Korean athletic delegation for the Daegu Universaide left Monday for Pyongyang, winding up their 13-day stay in South Korea.The 221-strong delegation, comprising 94 athletes, 103 officials and 24 journalists, departed Gimhae Airport at 11 a.m. on ...
Building Up Nuclear Deterrent Force Inevitable: N.K.
Sep 01, 2003 ... PYONGYANG, Sept.1 (KCNA-Yonhap) -- North Korea said Monday that building up nuclear deterrent force is necessary for its national security in the face of continuing U.S. nuclear threats."Having nuclear deterrent force is just aimed at countering the U.S.'s preemptive nuclear and ...
Direct Foreign Investment Falls for 4 Straight Years.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Foreign direct investment in South Korea has been falling since 2000 in terms of cases and amount, a government report said Monday.In a report to Eom Ho-sung, an opposition legislator, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy said direct foreign ...
'Considerable Time, Effort' Needed to Resolve Nuke Issue: Ministry.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea said Monday that "a considerable amount of time and effort" would be needed to narrow differences between the United States and North Korea over the communist country's nuclear weapons program.In a report to the National Assembly on the outcome of ...
Gov't to Raise Taxes on 'Excessive' Real Estate Holdings.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The Ministry of Finance and Economy said Monday it plans to reform tax rules that will raise the burden of people and corporate bodies that have excessive real estate holdings. The ministry said the revisions under study would affect overall ...
GM Daewoo Management, Union Settle Wage Dispute.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The labor and management of GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co. reached a last-minute settlement in their drawn-out wage negotiations Monday, averting a walkout slated for Tuesday. According to company sources, the union and management agreed on a ...
Total Number of Cell Phone Users Drops for Two Months in a Row.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The number of mobile phone subscribers in South Korea declined from July to the end of August, industry figures showed Monday.According to data compiled by industry leader SK Telecom, cell phone users dropped by 2,856 during the aforementioned period ...
Two University Professors Sacked for Sexual Harassment.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Two professors of Sogang University have been dismissed for their alleged involvement in separate sexual harassment scandals, the Seoul-based college said Monday.According to school sources, the university held a disciplinary meeting Aug. 18 and decided to ...
Roh Calls for Parliamentary Support.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- President Roh Moo-hyun urged the National Assembly Monday to swiftly approve a set of pending bills, including a free trade accord with Chile, saying that they are needed to rejuvenate South Korea's slumping economy."The government is preparing variously to ...
Foreign Minister Yoon to Meet Powell Wed.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's foreign miniser will meet his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Colin Powell, in Washington Wednesday for talks on the results of last week's multilateral nuclear talks in Beijing, officials said Monday. "Minister Yoon Young-kwan and Secretary ...
N. Korea Asks Japan to Apologize for 1923 Slaughter of Koreans.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea asked Japan Monday to apologize for a slaughter of thousands of Koreans in Japan in 1923, following a massive earthquake that flattened Tokyo and its adjacent areas.In the chaotic aftermath of the earthquake, an estimated 6,000 Koreans ...
SK Corp. to Push for Debt for equity Swap of SK Global Receivables.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- SK Corp. has internally decided to swap for equity 850 billion (US$721 million) worth of receivables it holds in its financially troubled sister firm, SK Global, company sources said Monday.SK Global, trading arm of the SK group, was pushed to bankruptcy ...
GM Daewoo Resumes Wage Negotiation before Strike.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sep. 1 (Yonhap) -- Labor and management at GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co. resumed negotiations Monday to try to avert a planned strike by workers demanding pay hikes and better working conditions. After 14 rounds of negotiations which began on Aug. 10 failed to ...
KDB Shares Financial Know-hows with Vietnam.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sep. 1 (Yonhap) -- The Korea Development Bank (KDB) said Monday it discussed with a visiting Vietnamese economic delegation ways of boosting financial exchanges between the two countries.The Vietnamese delegation, led by Do Ngoc Tuoc, chairman of the state-run Development ...
Apricot to Be Developed as Specialty Asian Fruit.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sep. 1 (Yonhap) -- Apricot, which is commonly grown in South Korea, Japan and China, will be chosen as a specialty fruit representing Asia, promoters said Monday.The fruit will take the center stage when next generation leaders from 10 Asian countries will meet in Seoul ...
Won Starts Strong Against U.S. Dollar.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean won opened stronger against the U.S. dollar Monday on the strength of the Japanese yen. The ...
FTC Chairman to Hold Talks with 5 Largest Business Organizations.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Fair Trade Commission Chairman Kang Chul-kyu planned to hold a round table meeting with heads of South Korea's five large business organizations, the anti-trust watchdog said Monday. The meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, was expected to touch on such ...
Won Rises Against U.S. Dollar;Interest Rates Fall.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean won rose against the U.S. dollar to close at 1,175.3 won per dollar Monday from Friday's close of 1,178.2 won, on the renewed strength of the Japanese yen and corporate selling of the U.S. currency, market analysts said.The U.S. dollar was ...
GM Daewoo Reaches Settlement in Labor-Management Negotiation.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The labor and management at GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co ....
S. Korea's Travel Deficit Fifth Largest Among OECD Members: BOK.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea had the fifth-largest travel deficit among 29 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) last year, the Bank of Korea (BOK) said Monday. The travel balance was US$3.77 billion in the red last year, as ...
Gov't Says Logistics Won't Be Paralyzed Ahead of Chuseok Holiday.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- An ongoing truckers' strike would not cause serious logistical problems ahead of Chuseok, the Korean full-moon holiday in mid-September, government officials said Monday. Thousands of drivers under the Korea Cargo Transport Workers Union have been walking off ...
Korean Wireless Firms Shifting to Vietnam.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's wireless equipment makers and carriers are stepping up a campaign to expand their market share in Vietnam, industry officials said Monday.The move is linked with South Korean firms' plan to build a code division multiple access (CDMA) belt in ...
Renault Samsung Unveils New Mid-Sized Cars.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Renault Samsung Motors, one of South Korea's smaller auto makers, unveiled seven new mid-sized passenger models Monday. The introduction of 2004 SM5 models came as rivals Hyundai Motor Co. and GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co. also debuted their racy ...
South Korea Posts $1.92 Billion in Trade Surplus in August.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Despite a prolonged labor unrest, South Korea posted a trade surplus of US$1.92 billion in August, up 16.3 percent from a year ago, government officials said Monday.It marked the third straight month to record double digit growth in the trade balance, but ...
KOSPI Passes 760; KOSDAQ Recovers 50.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Seoul stocks continued to rally Monday, lifting the main bourse to the 760-point level and the-over-the-counter market to the 50-point level.The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), the barometer of the main Korea Stock Exchange, gained 4.64 points, ...
Automakers Report Steep Sales Decline in August.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean automakers reported sharp falls in sales last month, ranging from 10.2 percent to 106 percent, due to labor disputes and weak consumer sentiment.Hyundai Motor said Monday that it sold 149,762 cars at home and abroad in August, marking a ...
(LEAD) Gov't to Raise Taxes on 'Excessive' Real Estate Holdings.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The Ministry of Finance and Economy said Monday it plans to reform tax rules in a way which increases the burden on people and corporate bodies that have excessive real estate holdings. The ministry said the revisions would affect overall property ...
Business Groups Oppose Class Action, Bank Account Probes by FTC.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's five largest business organizations publicly opposed Monday the introduction of class-action suits and plans by the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) to extend its authority to carry out corporate bank account probes.At a meeting attended by heads ...
Korean Stocks Start Bullish.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks got off to a strong start early Monday on last week's strong end of the Wall Street. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), or the barometer of the ...
Home Appliance Makers Competing to Develop 'Green Technology'.
Sep 01, 2003 ... By Lee Seung-wooSEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's major electric home appliance makers are endeavoring to outdo each other in applying "green" technology, or environment-friendly technology, to their new products.The nation's "big three" -- Samsung Electronics Co., LG ...
Moody's Raises Credit Outlook of KEB.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sep.1 (Yonhap) -- Moody's Investors Service has raised the credit rating outlook of the Korea Exchange Bank (KEB) from "Stable" to "Positive," according to the KEB Monday. The upgrade was a result of Lone Star, a U.S. investment fund, becoming the bank's largest shareholder ...
Firms Hesitating to Offer Shares to Public.
Sep 01, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Firms in South Korea are hesitating to offer their shares for public subscription, freezing the initial public offering (IPO) market, according to stock market sources Monday. In the first eight months of this year, companies, which offered their ...
N.K. Reaffirms Desire to Resolve Nuclear Dispute Diplomatically.
Sep 02, 2003 ... PYONGYANG, Sept. 2 (KCNA-Yonhap) -- North Korea accused the United States Tuesday of spoiling last week's multilateral talks aimed at diffusing tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program, but stated its intention to resolve the issue through dialogue remained unchanged. ...
South Korea to Give Cash Grant to Foreign Investors.
Sep 02, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Cabinet passed a new law Tuesday giving cash grants to foreign investors who bring jobs and technology transfer.The "Foreigner Investment Promotion Law" would apply to foreigners who invest over US$10 million to set up a company or more than ...
President Sends Tribute to Family of Deceased Priest.
Sep 02, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) - President Roh Moo-hyun sent a floral tribute to the bereaved family of Kim Seung-hoon, a prominent Catholic priest who died early Tuesday. Kim was 64.The tribute was delivered by the presidential chief of staff, Moon Hee-sang, ...
Court Orders Release of Test Scores to Help College Aspirants.
Sep 02, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- A Seoul court ordered the government Tuesday to release the results of the College Scholastic Aptitude Test taken by students so they could apply for colleges in consideration of their test scores.The Seoul Administrative Court issued the ruling in favor of ...
Kim Il-sung Univ Positive on Boosting Academic Exchanges with S.K.
Sep 02, 2003 ... JEJU, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Officials at Kim Il-sung University, described as the North's leading academic institute, have delivered positive comments on a proposal to boost academic exchanges with Cheju National University, its president Boo Man-keun said Tuesday.Boo met officials ...
Over Half of Koreans Back Parallel Efforts for Defense, U.S. Ties.
Sep 02, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Five out of 10 South Koreans support parallel development of self-defense capabilities and the alliance with the United States, a poll said Tuesday.The poll, conducted among 1,303 netizens from Aug. 18-31 by a state-run advisory council on unification ...
Hanaro Telephone Service Suffers Partial Disruption.
Sep 02, 2003 ... JEONJU, South Korea, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) - Hanaro Telecom Inc. said Tuesday that its telephone service was restored following a partial disruption in this southwestern city earlier in the day. Hanaro's lines were disrupted at 12:30 p.m., preventing its subscribers from being able to call ...
Andong Mask Dance Festival to Kick Off in Late September.
Sep 02, 2003 ... ANDONG, South Korea, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- An international mask dance festival will be held in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, from September 26 to October 5, with about 10 folk dance troupes from abroad and 21 from Korea expected to participate, organizers of the festival said ...
Chinese Communist Party Leader Visits Seoul.
Sep 02, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Wu Bangguo, head of China's parliamentary standing committee, arrived in Seoul Tuesday for a three-day visit at the invitation of South Korean House Speaker Park Kwan-yong. Wu's nine-member official entourage included Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi who ...
China Frees Eight N.K. Asylum Seekers: Tokyo Newspaper.
Sep 02, 2003 ... TOKYO, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- China set free eight North Koreans who had unsuccessfully attempted to take refuge at a Japanese school in Shanghai nearly a month ago, a Japanese newspaper said Tuesday. The North Koreans were arrested by Chinese police on Aug. 7 when they tried to barge ...
Police Crack Down on False Marriages Involving Korean-Chinese.
Sep 02, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Police said Tuesday they have arrested eight people on charges of involvement in a scheme in which South Korean men falsely married ethnic Korean women in China to help them enter the country illegally.Three South Korean "brokers" who fabricated documents ...
Korea Open Table Tennis Championships to Open on Jeju Island.
Sep 02, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- The 2003 Volkswagen Korea Open table tennis tournament will kick off in the southern island of Jeju Thursday, drawing hundreds of world-ranking players to the four-day international event, organizers said Tuesday.A total of 127 players from 22 different ...
Former Presidents Overuse Their Position to Control Traffic.
Sep 02, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Former presidents enjoyed the unwarranted privilege of having traffic artificially controlled when their cars drove through congested Seoul streets in the past 1 year and 7 months, an opposition legislator said Tuesday.Citing a report from the National ...
Truckers' Union Threatens to Paralyze Expressways.
Sep 02, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- The nation's major union of truck drivers threatened Tuesday to paralyze major expressways as they continue their fight for higher wages.The threat comes after police hauled away hundreds of striking truckers who caused disruptions to traffic on Seoul's ...
S.K. Warships Violate North Korean Waters: N.K. Report.
Sep 02, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- North Korea charged Tuesday that South Korean warships violated its territorial waters in the Yellow Sea. Quoting its military sources, the North's Central Broadcasting Station said an unspecified number of South Korean warships crossed the western ...
South Korea to Call for Early Effectuation of CTBT.
Sep 02, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will join some 100 other countries at an international conference this week to call for the early effectuation of a global treaty banning nuclear testing, an official said Tuesday. A three-day conference will open in Vienna Wednesday to ...
Some State Agencies Lagging Behind in e-government Development.
Sep 02, 2003 ... SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- A number of government agencies have been less active than others in the drive toward developing an e-government system, according to a government report Tuesday.In the report presented to Cho Jae-hwan, a ruling party legislator, the Office for Government ...