YON - Yonhap News Agency of Korea back issues from September 2004:
North Korea Sends Congratulatory Message to Vietnam.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea sent a congratulatory message to Vietnam on the occasion of the 59th anniversary of the Southeast Asian country, the North's media reported Wednesday. Kim Yong-nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, who serves as the ...
South Korea 23rd in Int'l Football Rankings.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has slipped one spot on the FIFA rankings to 23rd place, the world soccer governing body said Wednesday.The country shares 23rd with Paraguay, FIFA said. A second straight Asian Cup title enabled Japan to rise two places to ...
N. Korean Workers' Party Delegation Leaves for Beijing.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- A delegation from North Korea's Workers' Party left for Beijing Wednesday for an international conference of Asian political parties.Leading the delegation is Pak Yong-sok, chairman of the party's Central Control Commission, the (North's) ...
South Korea Ranks 32nd in Global Economic Security Index.
Sep 01, 2004 ... GENEVA, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea was listed in 32nd place in a new global economic security index measuring the level of economic security as perceived by workers, a U.N. agency said Wednesday. The International Labor Organization (ILO) surveyed more than 48,000 workers and 10,000 ...
K-League Results for Sept. 1, 2004.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The following are the results for the opening round matches in the K-League second phase, played on Sept. 1, 2004: Daejeon Citizen 0 Incheon United 1 (Bang Seung-hwan 34) Gwangju Sangmu 1 (Kim Sang-sik 20) Suwon Bluewings 0 ...
N. Korean Leader's Wife Died Around May or June: Source.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Contrary to earlier reports, the wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il died several months ago, a diplomatic source said Wednesday.Ko Yong-hi, who was 51, died around May or June, the source said, asking not to be identified.This contradicts earlier ...
(3rd LD) N. Korean Defectors Under Protection of Japanese Consulate: S Korea's Foreign Ministry.
Sep 01, 2004 ... (ATTN: UPDATES with more details) By Kim Kwang-tae SEOUL/TOKYO/BEIJING, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea confirmed Wednesday that 29 people claiming to be North Koreans had barged into a Japanese school to seek asylum earlier in the day.The alleged defectors were taken to the Japanese ...
Stem Cell Pioneer Hwang Becomes SNU's First Chair Professor.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Hwang Woo-suk, a Seoul National University (SNU) professor credited with the world's first successful cloning of a human embryo for extraction of stem cells, has been named the school's first chair professor, the school authorities said Wednesday. ...
(LEAD) South Korea's Auto Sales Fall 4.2 Pct in August.
Sep 01, 2004 ... (ATTN: UPDATES throughout) SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's five automakers saw their August sales fall 4.2 percent from a month ago to a combined 333,711 units as an economic slowdown weakened domestic demand, the companies said Wednesday. Compared to July, domestic ...
Hemophiliacs Allegedly Got HIV From Tainted Injections.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Several hemophiliacs may have become infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) after being treated with contaminated blood clotting agents in the early 1990s, health officials and doctors claimed Wednesday.If substantiated by scientific and medical ...
(LEAD) Roh Urges Japan to Deal with Historical Issues Cautiously.
Sep 01, 2004 ... (ATTN: CHANGES headline, lead, UPDATES with details) SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- President Roh Moo-hyun Wednesday urged leaders of South Korea and Japan to use their wisdom and cautiously deal with issues involving Japan's colonization of Korea so they can be resolved in a ...
North Korean Defectors to Visit the U.S.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Three North Korean defectors in South Korea will visit the United States next week to testify on the condition of human rights in North Korea, a human rights group official said Wednesday.Ahn Hyuck, president of Democracy Network against North Korea Gulag ...
Samsung Fire & Marine's April-July Profit Edges Up.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Fire and Marine Insurance Co., South Korea's leading non-life insurer, said Wednesday that it made 114 billion won (US$98.9 million) in net profit in the April-July period, up 8.9 percent from a year earlier.The non-life insurer attributed the ...
(LEAD) Seoul Accuses Japan of History Distortion in Textbooks.
Sep 01, 2004 ... (ATTN: UPDATES with remarks from S. Korean, Japanese lawmakers in paras 4-11)SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's foreign minister on Wednesday accused Japan of distorting history in its textbooks and said there is "only a single truth in historical facts."Ban Ki-moon called ...
(3rd LD) Gov't Pushes for Excise, Income Tax Cuts to Fuel Economy.
Sep 01, 2004 ... (ATTN: UPDATES more details; ADDS comments by policymakers) SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The government said Wednesday that it will move to scrap excise taxes on 24 goods and lower income tax rates in a bid to bolster economic growth.The Ministry of Finance and Economy said it has ...
Yonhap News Summary: The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday September 1, 2004.
Sep 01, 2004 ... ---------------------------- (2nd LD) N. Korean Defectors Under Protection of Japanese Consulate: S Korea's Foreign Ministry By Kim Kwang-taeSEOUL/TOKYO/BEIJING -- South Korea's foreign ministry said Wednesday that a number of North Korean defectors are under the ...
Roh Praises Koizumi for Effort to Promote Peace in Northeast Asia.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- President Roh Moo-hyun Wednesday praised the effort by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to improve Japan's relations with the Koreas and China as well as promote peace in Northeast Asia.Roh made the remarks while meeting with Shinjo Abe of Japan's ...
(2nd LD) N. Korean Defectors Under Protection of Japanese Consulate: S Korea's Foreign Ministry.
Sep 01, 2004 ... (ATTN: UPDATES with remarks of Seoul's foreign ministry official) By Kim Kwang-tae SEOUL/TOKYO/BEIJING, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's foreign ministry said Wednesday that a number of North Korean defectors are under the protection of the Japanese consulate in Beijing. The remarks ...
S. Korea, Taiwan Sign Pact to Resume Regular Commercial Flights.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and Taiwan signed an agreement Wednesday outlining the restoration of regular commercial flights between the two countries.Such flights had been severed in 1992 after Seoul established formal diplomatic relations with Beijing and ties with ...
(LEAD) KOSPI Hits 4-Month High on Gains in Financial, Oil Stocks.
Sep 01, 2004 ... (ATTN:UPDATES reports of FX, bond markets at bottom)SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stock prices leaped to a four-month high Wednesday, led by financial and oil-related issues and brisk program buying.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 13.79 ...
Creditors to Pick Prime Bidder for Pan Ocean Shipping Next Week.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The Korea Development Bank, main creditor of Pan Ocean Shipping Co., said Wednesday that creditors will pick the prime bidder for the troubled company early next week. "After reviewing bids offered by seven prospective domestic and foreign buyers, creditors may ...
(LEAD) Roh Replaces Six Vice Minister-level Officials.
Sep 01, 2004 ... (ATTN: UPDATES with more comments from Cheong Wa Dae spokesman at bottom)SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- President Roh Moo-hyun on Wednesday replaced six vice minister-level officials, presidential spokesman Kim Jong-min said.Roh promoted Deputy Labor Minister Chung Byung-suk to vice ...
(LEAD) National Assembly Starts 100-Day Plenary Session.
Sep 01, 2004 ... (ATTN: UPDATES with more information in 4th-5th para and GNP's reaction in 18th para)SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- A tug-of-war between South Korea's rival political parties over a range of reform measures is expected in the coming three months, as the National Assembly opened a ...
Tripartite Meeting to Be Convened on Labor Issues: President's Aide.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- A three-way meeting of labor, management and government officials will resume next week to discuss unemployment, labor relations and other major labor issues, a senior presidential aide said Wednesday.Lee Won-duck, senior presidential secretary for social ...
Bush, If Reelected, Could Sanction North Korea: Donald Gregg.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President George W. Bush, if reelected in November, is expected to implement strong sanctions against North Korea if progress is not made in six-nation talks on its nuclear ambitions, a former U.S. ambassador to South Korea was quoted as saying Wednesday. ...
Number of Mobile Phone Switchers Tops 2 Million.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The number of mobile phone subscribers who switched operators has passed 2 million eight months after the government introduced the so-called mobile number portability rule, the Ministry of Information and Communication said Wednesday. In the first eight ...
S. Korean Bond Yields on Wednesday September 1, 2004.
Sep 01, 2004 ... Today (%) Previous Day (%) Change (%P) 1-year TB 3.51 3.50+0.01 3-year TB 3.58 3.56+0.02 10-year TB 4.15 4.11...
LG Telecom Adds Net 67,780 Mobile Phone Subscribers in August.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- LG Telecom Ltd., the smallest of South Korea's three mobile phone operators, said Wednesday it added a net 67,780 subscribers last month, gaining market share from larger rivals.LG Telecom's number of subscribers in August rose 1 percent from ...
(LEAD) N. Korean Defectors Enter Japanese School in Beijing: Japanese Gov't.
Sep 01, 2004 ... (ATTN: UPDATES with details and background)TOKYO/BEIJING, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- About 29 North Korean defectors have stormed into a Japanese school in Beijing, according to Japan's Foreign Ministry. A reliable source in Beijing also said that it was believed about 30 North ...
Seoul Prepares to Impose Retaliatory Tariffs on U.S. Goods.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is taking steps to impose retaliatory tariffs on imports from the U.S. for its failure to abolish anti-dumping rules already deemed illegal by the World Trade Organization, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.The ministry will soon organize a ...
KOSPI Hits 4-Month High on Gains in Financial, Oil Stocks.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stock prices surged to a four-month high Wednesday, led by financial and oil-related issues and brisk program buying.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 13.79 points, or 1.71 percent, to 817.36, with the tech-heavy ...
South Korea's Auto Sales Fall 4.2 Pct in August on Monthly Basis.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's five automakers saw their August sales fall 4.2 percent from a month ago to 333,711 units, according to the companies ...
North Korea Condemns U.S. for Alleged Aerial Espionage.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea accused the United States of committing 180 acts of aerial espionage last month over its military facilities near the military demarcation line separating the two Koreas, Pyongyang's state-run news agency, said Wednesday.The U.S. aircraft ...
(LEAD) National Security Adviser Likely to Resign: Ruling Party Sources.
Sep 01, 2004 ... (ATTN: UPDATES with Cheong Wa Dae spokesman responding to allegations from 4th para) SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top security adviser Kwon Chin-ho will soon resign as rumors have arisen of conflicts with the new national security team led by Unification Minister Chung ...
First Fire & Marine Insurance's April-July Profit Up 186 Pct.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- First Fire & Marine Insurance Co. said Wednesday it posted 6.3 billion won (US$5.5 million) in net profit in the April-July period, up 186 percent from a year earlier.The non-life insurer said the rise in net profit was due to a fall in auto insurance ...
N. Korean Defectors Enter Japanese School in Beijing: Japanese Gov't.
Sep 01, 2004 ... TOKYO, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- As many as 29 North Korean defectors have reportedly stormed into a Japanese school in Beijing, according to the Japan's Foreign Ministry.The school site remained quiet and no one could immediately confirm or deny the reports about the asylum seekers, ...
LG Insurance's Profit Sinks 71 Pct in April-July Period.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- LG Insurance Co., South Korea's second-biggest non-life insurer, said Wednesday that it had 10.7 billion won (US$9.29 million) in net profit in the April-July period, down 71.2 percent from a year earlier.The non-life insurer said the fall in net profit was ...
(LEAD) Defense Ministry Launches Special Panel on Past Wrongdoing.
Sep 01, 2004 ... (ATTN: UPDATES with the ministry's confirmation of launch of fact-finding panel)SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The Defense Ministry said Wednesday that it launched a special committee to delve into mass killings of civilians around the 1950-53 Korean War and other questionable past ...
Listed Firms' Employment Forecast to Edge Up.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Listed companies' employment between September and December is expected to edge up from a year ago, a survey showed Wednesday.A total of 416 companies listed on the main Korea Stock Exchange plan to hire 21,700 workers during the four-month period, up 1.6 ...
Row Over Credit Card Fees Takes an Ugly Turn.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- E-Mart, the country's largest discounter, clashed head-on with BC Card Co. over commission fees Wednesday, giving an ugly twist to the sizzling fray.The make-or-break confrontation is feared to cause great inconveniences for cardholders, while the two ...
(LEAD) Hyundai Motor Sales Rise 17.9 Pct Annually in August.
Sep 01, 2004 ... (ATTN: UPDATES throughout)SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's biggest carmaker, said Wednesday sales rose 17.9 percent in August compared to a year earlier. But sales fell 5.1 percent from the previous month, it said. The automaker sold 177,139 vehicles ...
Athens Track-and-field Medalists Invited to Competition in Busan.
Sep 01, 2004 ... BUSAN, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Dozens of top athletes who won medals in track-and-field events at the Athens Olympics are likely to compete in a one-day competition this month in South Korea's southern port city of Busan, its organizers said Wednesday."The gold medalist in the women's ...
Roh Replaces Six Vice Minister-level Officials.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- President Roh Moo-hyun Wednesday replaced six vice minister-level officials, presidential spokesman Kim Jong-min said.Roh promoted Deputy Labor Minister Chung Byung-suk to vice labor minister.Kim Se-ho, president of the Korean National Railroad, was ...
International Meeting of Prosecutors to Be Held in Seoul Next Week.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Prosecutors from more than 70 countries worldwide will convene in Seoul next week for a meeting to discuss and exchange views, organizers here said Wednesday.The ninth annual conference of the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP) will be held at ...
Hyundai Motor Sales Rise 17.9 Pct Annually in August.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's biggest carmaker, said Wednesday sales rose 17.9 percent in August compared to a year earlier. But, it was a 5.1-percent fall from the previous month, Hyundai Motor ...
(LEAD) U.S. Seeks to Resolve Nuke Dispute Regardless of Election.
Sep 01, 2004 ... (ATTN: UPDATES with remark of South Korea's foreign minister in 10th para)WASHINGTON, Aug. 31 (Yonhap) -- A top U.S. official said Tuesday that Washington will seek to resolve its dispute with Pyongyang over North Korea's nuclear weapons program regardless of the timetable of the ...
eBay to Raise Stake in S. Korea's Internet Auction.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Online retail giant eBay Inc. plans to increase its stake in Internet Auction Co., South Korea's top online auctioneer, to 85.61 percent, the Korean firm said Wednesday. The acquisition of the additional 23.41 percent stake in Internet Auction is part of ...
(2nd LD) Gov't Pushes for Excise, Income Tax Cuts to Fuel Economy.
Sep 01, 2004 ... (ATTN: RECAST headline, lead; UPDATES more details) SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The government said Wednesday that it will move to scrap excise taxes on 24 goods and lower income tax rates in a bid to bolster economic growth.The Ministry of Finance and Economy and the ruling Uri ...
(2nd LD) S. Korea Exports Lose Steam Amid Rising Imports.
Sep 01, 2004 ... (ATTN: CORRECTS dateline; ADDS ministry official's comment at bottom) SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean exports decelerated for a third consecutive month in August and year-on-year growth lagged behind that of imports for the first time this year because of rising oil ...
GM Daewoo's Sales Rise 50.2 Pct On-year in August.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co., South Korea's third-largest automaker, said Wednesday it sold 67,070 vehicles in August, up 50.2 percent from a year ago. But, the figure marked a 1 percent decline from the previous ...
Seoul Stocks Gain Further on Program Buying.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks rose Wednesday afternoon, led by financial and oil-related shares. Program buying pushed the Seoul bourse higher.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) gained 12.95 points, or 1.61 percent, to 816.52 as of 1:40 p.m., with ...
(LEAD) Kia Motors Sales Fall 7.2 Pct on Month to 72,284 Units in August.
Sep 01, 2004 ... (ATTN: UPDATES throughout)SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Kia Motors Corp., South Korea's second-largest carmaker, said Wednesday it sold 72,284 vehicles last month, 7.2 percent fewer than a month ago. Still, it was a 74.4 percent increase compared with the same period a year ...
South Korea, Japan, China to Hold Consumer Policy Meeting.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Consumer protection policymakers from South Korea, Japan and China will hold a meeting in Seoul to discuss ways to better meet growing demands for globalization and liberalization, the Finance and Economy Ministry said Wednesday.The meeting, scheduled for ...
KTF Loses Cell Phone Market Share to SK Telecom in August.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- KTF Co., South Korea's second-largest mobile phone operator, lost market share to larger rival SK Telecom Co. in August because of the number portability rule, a company spokesman said Wednesday. Last month, KTF lost a net 111,325 mobile phone subscribers ...
(LEAD) S. Korea Exports Lose Steam Amid Rising Imports.
Sep 01, 2004 ... (ATTN: UPDATES with details throughout)SEOUL, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean exports decelerated for a third consecutive month in August and year-on-year growth lagged behind that of imports for the first time this year because of rising oil prices, government officials said ...
Ssangyong Motor's Sales Rise 8.5 Pct to 11,014 Units in August.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Ssangyong Motor Co., South Korea's fourth-largest automaker, said Wednesday its sales last month rose 8.5 percent from a year ago to 11,014 units despite weak consumption at home. That was a 23.6 percent increase from July, Ssangyong Motor said in a filing ...
Seoul Accuses Japan of History Distortion in Textbooks.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's foreign minister on Wednesday accused Japan of distorting history in its textbooks and said there is "only a single truth in historical facts."Ban Ki-moon called on Japan to face history as it is and develop forward-looking bilateral relations ...
Renault Samsung Sales Fall 6.2 Pct to 6,204 Units in August.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean carmaker Renault Samsung Motors Co. sold 6,204 vehicles last month, 6.2 percent fewer than a year ago, due to weak private consumption, the company said Wednesday.That was also a 11.7 percent decline from a month earlier, said ...
National Assembly Starts 100-Day Plenary Session.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- A tug-of-war between South Korea's rival political parties over a range of reform measures is expected in the coming three months, as the National Assembly opened a regular session Wednesday.The first regular session of the new parliament will last until ...
Seoul Stocks Rebound; Financial, Oil-Related Shares Lead Gains.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks rebounded from a weak start Wednesday morning on program buying, with financial and oil-related shares pacing the gains.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 11.23 points, or 1.39 percent, to 814.80 as of 11:40 ...
Internet Auctioneer Offers Russian Military Submarine.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- A Russian military submarine has been listed as an item available for an Internet auction in South Korea, a local online auctioneer said Wednesday. Onket.com said the 76-meter-long, 6.5-meter-wide Whisky-class submarine may be used as a sea museum or ...
(2nd LD) S. Korea's Consumer Prices Move Up 4.8 Pct Annually in August.
Sep 01, 2004 ... (ATTN: UPDATES more details; ADDS comments from experts)SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's consumer prices climbed to a 37-month high of 4.8 percent year-on-year in August, a government report said Wednesday.The sharp increase is raising concerns that consumer inflation ...
Yonhap News Summary: The following is the first summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday September 1, 2004.
Sep 01, 2004 ... ---------------------------- (LEAD) S. Korea's Consumer Prices Move Up 4.8 Pct Annually in AugustSEOUL -- South Korea's consumer prices climbed 4.8 percent year-on-year in August, a 37-month high, a government report said Wednesday.Prices of everyday goods and services increased ...
(LEAD) S. Korean Companies Opt Out of Alliances With Foreign Firms.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Local manufacturers are increasingly considering a breakup of alliances with foreign companies, as their improved business made such tie-ups no longer necessary, industry sources said Wednesday. LG Electronics Inc., South Korea's second-largest ...
Power Consumption Rises Sharply in July.
Sep 01, 2004 ... SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Electricity consumption in South Korea climbed 8.4 percent year-on-year to 25.6 billion kilowatts in July, the Commerce Ministry said Wednesday.Power consumption for industry accounted for 54.9 percent of the total, followed by general-purpose electricity ...